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June Roundup: Parks East of the River Can Expect Some Big Money

Environmental news really became top of mind for many District residents last month. We started June with an unprecedented air quality emergency, with wildfire smoke from Canada causing levels of particle pollution higher than the northeast U.S. had ever seen before. Then we ended the month with more smoky days, though they weren’t quite as dramatic.

The images of hazy views and orange skies gave off doomsday vibes, especially given that wildfires—and the toxic smoke they cause—will become more severe and frequent as climate change increases temperatures and disrupts rainfall. That said, I’m excited to focus this month’s roundup on a few exciting and positive developments in the D.C. climate and environment world.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE EXPECTS TO RECEIVE OVER $11M TO IMPROVE PARKS EAST OF THE RIVER

The National Park Service has requested $11.8 million to replace and renovate playgrounds, restrooms, sports courts and other facilities in parks east of the Anacostia River, the agency announced June 6. The funding would go toward projects in Anacostia, River Terrace, Fort Davis, Fort Dupont and Kenilworth parks, as well as the Parkland area of Shepherd Parkway.

The news comes less than a month after a report by George Washington University research-

Metro Lift program, which WMATA launched in June. Anyone who receives SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits from D.C., Maryland or Virginia can sign up for the program. Free enrollment online began June 20, and in-person enrollment efforts started June 26. To apply online, visit lift.wmata.com/ liftweb. To fill out the form, applicants will need:

• A SmarTrip® card for each person in the SNAP household

• An active SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card; to sign up multiple household members, applicants also need a copy of their SNAP benefits summary ers highlighted deep inequities in funding and facilities between parks between Parkland East and west of the Anacostia. The NPS division that includes Rock Creek Park gets four times more funding per acre than the division covering parks east of the river; the National Mall gets about 80 times more funding per acre than eastern D.C.’s parks.

The report also noted that the underfunded national agency has a maintenance backlog of almost $2 billion in the District. The division covering parks east of the Anacostia accounts for about $405 million of that backlog, DCist’s Jacob Fenston reports.

In separate good news regarding federal funding for DMV parks, a coalition of parks departments from D.C., Prince George’s County and Montgomery County received $25 million to fix and build trails in underserved communities. The grant money, which comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation, was announced June 28. It will help fund the completion of Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, rehabilitation of Sligo Creek Trail and Northwest Branch Trail and construction of the Central Avenue Connector Trail, Suitland Parkway Trail and Prince George’s Connector.

METRO LAUNCHES REDUCED FARE PROGRAM FOR INCOME-QUALIFIED TRANSIT RIDERS

Lower-income DMV residents can now access half-priced fares for bus and metro rides through the

• Current government-issued photo ID card

• Phone number

In addition to providing a financial leg up for lower-income families in the D.C. area, programs like Metro Lift also offer environmental benefits. Making it easier for everyone to access public transit can lead to fewer cars on the road—and that means better air quality for everyone and fewer emissions heating up our planet. WI