The national Veterans and Military Outdoors Coalition and New York’s Outdoor Rx Coalition are adding Blue Star Families, one of the largest military family organizations in the country, to their membership. Launched in 2021, the Veterans and Military Outdoors Coalition is a national partnership of more than 35 organizations focused on improving veterans health nationwide through access to nature-based therapies and outdoor recreation. The Outdoor Rx Coalition, which also began work in 2021, is an alliance of 67 groups in New York advocating for the effective implementation of the state’s Outdoor Rx Act, which seeks to make it easier for veterans to heal from service-related trauma on public lands.
Today, the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services and the Outdoor Rx Coalition announced a partnership to address barriers that prevent veterans recovering from service-related trauma from accessing New York public lands and waters.
The Sierra Club and researchers at the University of Utah have published a new study linking exposure to nature and improvements to veterans’ mental health.
Today, a group of nearly 30 groups including Sierra Club, Blue Star Families, and Y-USA launched the Military Outdoors Coalition. The new group aims to raise awareness of veterans health issues and collaborate on ways to expand veterans’ access to the outdoors for healing purposes.
This month, Sierra Club Military Outdoors and researchers at the University of Utah presented findings from a study on the effects of outdoors exposure and wilderness trips on veterans’ mental health.
Albany, N.Y. -- Today, the New York State Outdoor Rx Task Force released a highly anticipated report on promoting veterans’ mental and physical health through outdoors therapy. The report recommends expanding nature-based therapy and programming for veterans and adjusting or eliminating entrance fees to state parks and public lands to allow for greater access to the outdoors, especially for veterans from diverse, historically marginalized, and underrepresented communities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Sierra Club and YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) are launching a national partnership focused on improving the health and wellbeing of veterans, members of the military, and their families through outdoor experiences and establishing connections with nature and fellow veterans. Studies show that veterans who participate in outdoor adventure and experiential education programs report a significant reduction in depression and anxiety, as well as an increased willingness to seek mental health care.
This afternoon, the United States Senate voted to confirm Denis McDonough to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. McDonough previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor and White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama.
This month, First Lady Jill Biden made moves toward reviving the Joining Forces initiative, a program to support military service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors, naming Rory Brosius as executive director of the initiative. Biden and then-First Lady Michelle Obama originally launched the program in 2011, focusing on three areas: employment, wellness, and education.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After weeks of threatening to block the major military spending bill, President Trump vetoed the 2020 National Defense Authoritzation Act. The $740 billion bill is the major vehicle for funding the U.S. military and passed both the House of Representatives and Senate with veto-proof majorities. The 2020 bill includes a provision that would redesignate military installations currently named after prominent Confederate military and political leaders.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last night, a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was quietly removed from the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol. The statue was one of two statues in the collection representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. The other statue depicts George Washington. Gov. Ralph Northam announced that Virginia would seek to replace the Lee statue with a statue to civil rights activist Barbara Johns, who as a teenager led a student boycott against school segregation.
Albany, N.Y. -- The New York State Division of Veteran Services has appointed Lt. Col. (retired) Aaron Leonard to co-lead the task force charged with implementing the state’s recently enacted Outdoor Rx Act. Leonard currently serves as a Sierra Club Military Outdoors campaign representative. The law, originally sponsored by Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Sen. Brian Benjamin, seeks to remove barriers that prevent New York veterans from accessing the state’s public lands to heal from service-related injuries and trauma.