Sierra Club Statement on President Biden’s Proclamation of June as “Great Outdoors Month”

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Joe Biden officially declared June 2021 as “Great Outdoors Month.” The annual recognition began in 1998 and has since expanded into a month-long celebration of America’s outdoors. This year’s celebration comes with the additional recognition of the importance of the outdoors in promoting mental and physical health and protecting the outdoors and our landscapes as we work to address the climate crisis and the extinction crisis.

In Response, Sierra Club Outdoors for All Campaign Director Jackie Ostfeld Released the Following Statement:

“As we celebrate Great Outdoors Month, the Sierra Club recognizes the important role the outdoors plays for us as individuals, for our communities, and for our planet.

“The outdoors is a powerful place. It can heal us in body and soul. It can revive economies and put people back to work. And it can help us build resilient communities. From the unmatched landscapes of our national parks to the simple trees and grass of local parks, the outdoors can inspire us, sustain us, and protect us. 

“The last year has made it clear that the outdoors is not just a nice thing to have -- it’s essential to everything from individual physical and mental health to ensuring our communities can resist the most damaging effects of climate change. And perhaps more than ever, we recognize that the outdoors is not equally accessible to all in this country.

“The best way to celebrate America’s outdoors is to protect it. We must work toward a just, equitable, and sustainable future where all people benefit from a healthy thriving planet and a direct connection to the outdoors. That means protecting 30% of our lands and waters by 2030, ensuring access to the outdoors is guaranteed as a human right, and building up the natural infrastructure we need to take on the climate crisis.”