Governor Whitmer invests $150 million into Local Parks and Recreation

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Wednesday, July 7th

Contact: Tim Minotas, tim.minotas@sierraclub.org

Governor Whitmer invests $150 million into Local Parks and Recreation

LANSING, MI - In a historic announcement on Tuesday, Gov. Whitmer pledged a $150 million investment into Michigan’s state parks and recreation facilities. This funding comes in the form of federal relief dollars from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, and accompanies another $250 million that Governor Whitmer proposed to invest in Michigan’s parks and trails last month. 

The governor’s announcement marks an important investment into Michigan’s economy, natural resources, local communities, and environment. Tourism and outdoor recreation are vital to our state’s economy, supporting approximately 126,00 jobs and billions of dollars in state and local tax revenue. Our parks and recreation areas represent all things Pure Michigan, providing wonder and awe to Michigan residents and tourists alike. Without funding, these sites cannot be maintained and enjoyed properly. This funding will also finance land conservation, supporting the ecological benefits of our land and helping maintain healthy environments. Governor Whitmer’s proposal will help local communities to maintain and manage natural spaces and parks, as well as increase access to them so that everyone can enjoy the great outdoors. 

“It is great to see this type of funding into our state’s outdoor areas,” said Tim Minotas, Legislative and Political Coordinator for the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “Michigan has so much natural beauty to share, but it is impossible to preserve and maintain these spaces without funding, especially when we are seeing record numbers of people visiting our parks. This funding means more people in our communities will be able to explore and enjoy our parks and position us to protect them for generations to come.”   

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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.

Thousands Fight Back Against Voter Suppression

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Christy McGillivray

christy.mcgillivray@sierraclub.org 

808-726-5325 

 

 

Thousands Fight Back Against Voter Suppression 

More than 1,500 Michigan Sierra Club Members call in support of free and fair elections 

 

Lansing, MI (June 30, 2021) – Sierra Club volunteers from across the country joined Michiganders to fight back against recent Republican-led voter suppression efforts. More than 100 volunteers made calls to inform constituents about this imminent threat to voting rights. In turn, over 1,500 constituents committed to calling their state legislators demanding opposition to the 39 bill package introduced in March designed to obstruct access to the ballot.

“After a safe, secure, and successful election in 2020, we should be celebrating the leadership of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and local clerks, not making it harder to vote in Michigan,” said Christy McGillivray, the Political and Legislative Director for the Michigan Chapter of Sierra Club. She continued, ”The Republican response to losing in the 2020 election has been to try and make it harder to vote. That is not how democracy works. In Michigan we value democracy, and over 1,500 constituents just demonstrated this by committing to call to stop voter suppression.” 

The bills drawing the most criticism in the package make it harder to register for an absentee ballot, restrict access to ballot drop boxes, prohibit the Secretary of State from making absentee ballot applications easily accessible online, ban local clerks from providing pre paid postage for absentee ballots, and bar clerks from counting absentee ballots in the weeks leading up to an election, among other things. 

“Voter suppression in Michigan is part of a nationwide push to hamstring our democracy,” said Courtney Hight, the Democracy Program Director for the Sierra Club. “The Sierra Club is mobilizing across the country to stop voter suppression efforts in state legislatures and to support the For the People Act nationally. We need a healthy democracy to tackle the climate crisis, and Sierra Club members are ready to fight for both.”

 

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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org/Michigan.