On Wednesday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) delivered remarks about grant recipients.
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NewsTranscript
00:00building here. We're excited that you're here to join us today. Today's a great day. I had the opportunity just a few minutes ago to visit
00:07with some folks that are here to receive
00:11our
00:12checks and grants today.
00:15It's just a constant reminder of how great our state is and how small our state is. Just to have friends and
00:22acquaintances that know each other from across the state,
00:27especially in situations like this where we have the opportunity to work alongside you,
00:32be a small part of
00:34contributing to your communities and to the quality of life in Arkansas. So welcome today.
00:41We're great to have you here, especially to celebrate the great strides in the Trails for Life grant
00:48specifically. I've been fortunate through my career to spend a lot of time on trails.
00:54It's one of my favorite things to do, one of my favorite things for my family to do, and just speaking a little,
00:59I live in Hot Springs now, but we spend a lot of time on the
01:04Greenway there. It means a lot to us riding our bikes and
01:08exercising on that trail, and we're glad to see the contributions and
01:14fulfillment of so many great projects across our great state.
01:20Every time I'm on a trail though,
01:23it's just a reminder to me of the resources that we have in Arkansas.
01:27We're so fortunate within the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism to have the opportunity to promote these resources,
01:35to celebrate them,
01:37to
01:38experience them, and also protect some great places as well, whether that's historical, natural, or cultural resources that we
01:46preserve and protect and the state
01:49entrusts us with. So it's an important part of who we are and what we do.
01:52We also have specific programs within our department, such as the Outdoor
01:58Grants Program that
02:00supports the communities across our states in many different ways, and we're so glad
02:06to help people get out and explore the natural state.
02:11The Natural State Initiative has been an important step
02:16in Governor Sanders' bold effort to involve
02:21multi-agency and private partners working together to ensure that Arkansas is a
02:27national leader in outdoor recreation and the outdoor economy.
02:31I'm fortunate to be on the Natural State Initiative working with Governor Sanders and our first gentleman, Brian Sanders,
02:37who's helped coordinating and leading that effort for us, and part of our goals through the Natural State Initiative is
02:44exactly what we're doing today, is
02:46taking a look at the funds that we have that are
02:50to be reinvested in the state and finding those opportunities to align with outdoor
02:55recreation and investing those funds across our state. This one is particularly interesting, too, because we get to partner
03:03specifically with the Department of Health here, and so working with the Department of Health, we can leverage each other's
03:10specialized knowledge, skills, and leading to better results that benefit our state.
03:16We want our state to be healthier and happier, and trails are an important part of that, for sure.
03:23These grants are pivotal in enhancing our state and promoting a healthier, more active lifestyle for residents and visitors
03:30alike. The great strides and trails for life grants are designed to improve and expand
03:38the network of trails across the state, preserving its natural beauty and making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
03:46One of Arkansas's top attractions is our natural beauty, and by investing in the creation of more trails,
03:52we're making more reasons for visitors to come and enjoy our state.
03:58So, that's part of our goals,
04:00especially through our Division of Tourism, is promoting us as the natural state and us being known as an outdoor recreation
04:08leader across our country.
04:11These projects also provide a space for community engagement,
04:14bringing people together, and fostering a sense of pride and stewardship in our natural resources.
04:20I mentioned the the Hot Springs Greenway just a little while ago,
04:25and I have seen birthday parties take place at the picnic tables along the trails. The parks that are along the Greenway,
04:31specifically, are gathering points for family reunions, for activities, for birthday parties, events,
04:37all the time, and it's great to see parks being used in that way. The funds we're handing out today
04:44undoubtedly will enrich the quality of life for Arkansas statewide,
04:49fostering greater access to outdoor recreation.
04:52And communities that need that, they need places to rally around,
04:58like trail systems that allow local people to connect with their neighborhoods, friends, and families, and the things that they love
05:06specifically about their hometowns.
05:08Everyone who has had a hand in making these grants possible and this program happen today should feel proud of
05:15a small part of the connections to these communities. So, with that said, I'm excited to be here.
05:22Be a partner with you today. Look forward to visiting. I know I made it just about all the way around the room.
05:27I know there's some folks I haven't met in the back.
05:29I look forward to meeting with you today, hearing the stories of your communities, and as these projects are fulfilled,
05:35we want to be a part of those, too.
05:37Please let us know about those. Keep us up to date. If you have openings for these trails, please invite us.
05:43We'd love to be there to celebrate with your communities towards completion for those.
05:49With that said, it's my honor and privilege to introduce
05:53Secretary Renee Mallory from the Arkansas Department of Health up next to speak with you. So, please help me welcome
06:01Secretary Mallory.
06:06Thank You, Secretary Lewis. On behalf of the Department of Health, thank you all for being here today.
06:11We're thrilled to once again partner with the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism
06:16to grant these awards in communities around our state and enable accessibility to outdoor activities.
06:23Designated outdoor trails and walking paths lead to healthier communities. Since its establishment in
06:302001 from the Tobacco Settlement
06:33Proceeds Act, this grant program has allowed funding to go directly to communities to
06:39design health and fitness trails for everyone.
06:42This includes accessible parking spaces and trails compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act.
06:49Additionally, we incorporate our Be Well Arkansas signage to encourage tobacco cessation and healthy interventions in these public
06:57spaces. I also want to acknowledge several members of our Tobacco Settlement Commission who are here with us today.
07:06Outdoor trails can improve our physical, mental, and social health and wellness.
07:11This well-being allows us to keep improving and making choices for a healthier lifestyle for ourselves,
07:17our families, and our communities. Our goal is for these grant awards to continue to
07:24positively impact the health of Arkansas communities.
07:28Some of the benefits of outdoor exercise trails include
07:32encourages exercise for all fitness levels. Anybody can get out and pretty much walk a trail.
07:38Increases energy, it boosts our moods, and restores our attention.
07:42It reduces stress and calms anxiety. It enhances
07:47environmental habitats. It promotes outdoor activities that are free to the public.
07:54Strengthens a community social connections and
07:57improves immunity, lowers cholesterol levels, and protects against chronic diseases like heart disease,
08:04diabetes, and obesity. And I will add that's not on my sheet. Hopefully it gets us off our phones a little bit.
08:13Congratulations to all these well-deserved projects awarded this year.
08:17Applications are now available for next year and we encourage all communities to promote more outdoor fitness and exercise
08:24access through this beneficial grant program. Thank you.
08:35Thank You Secretary Mallory.
08:37I would like now to welcome the director of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation,
08:44Catherine Andrews, to talk about the grant program and how it impacts Arkansans.
08:55Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here this morning to celebrate this presentation.
09:03We've got lots of grants to give out so I'm excited for everybody to get the chance to come up and take a picture and
09:09celebrate.
09:10After all of this ceremony, there's drinks and we'll have
09:15cookies and you can hang out and talk and network with each other.
09:19We are celebrating today the partnership between the Office of Outdoor Recreation and Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism and the Department of Health.
09:27Our contributions are helping to provide access to outdoor recreation at the local level and the improvement of the overall quality
09:35of Arkansas's outdoor recreation resources.
09:38Outdoor trails provide more opportunities for walking, running,
09:43biking, and other activities which promote a healthier lifestyle for all.
09:47They can be a place where neighbors go to meet,
09:50families can spend quality time together, and locals can take a moment to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
09:57All are factors that can greatly boost the well-being of our residents and those who come to visit our state.
10:04After work or before work or on the weekends, you can usually find me and my family out on the Arkansas River Trail.
10:11I grew up running and training for cross-country and track right out here.
10:16On the River Trail and down at Murray Park and at Two Rivers,
10:20we frequent that trail quite frequently all the time.
10:24And now I get to take my daughter and push her in a stroller on that trail and share those memories with her as she
10:30grows up as well. So trails are a very important part of all of our lives
10:34and I'm excited that we get the chance to create more of them.
10:38A huge thank you as well to Governor Sanders for being so supportive of outdoor recreation initiatives in Arkansas.
10:43Thank you for joining us this morning to present the grants.
10:47This event is significant as well and has been mentioned earlier that we are fulfilling one of the recommendations in the Natural
10:53State Initiative report to utilize dollars from the tobacco settlement to provide outdoor recreation grants.
11:00By taking a portion of Arkansas's Master Tobacco Settlement Award to create walking trails,
11:05we are giving back to our communities and providing more access to the outdoors.
11:10The Office of Outdoor Recreation Grants Program team and the committee worked very hard to make this day a reality and to
11:17facilitate the distribution of these grants that will impact communities across our state.
11:22Today we celebrate by giving almost $500,000 to seven communities across Arkansas.
11:29Expanding and improving access to outdoor recreation contributes to a higher quality of life,
11:36economic development, a larger conservation mindset, and public health and wellness.
11:40It's an honor that we can continue to provide these grants to communities that want to create new connections to the outdoors for their residents.
11:48Thank you.
11:58Thank you, Catherine.
12:00I would now like to introduce
12:03someone with a strong passion for the outdoors and since she has taken office has made it a priority
12:10to get families outside.
12:13She has made it a goal for Arkansas to be the best state in America to live,
12:19work, and raise a family, and I have to say she's making progress to that end.
12:25Please help me join me in welcoming the 47th governor of the great state of Arkansas,
12:31Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
12:40Good morning. Thank you so much for joining us for this
12:44exciting day and celebration, and it's great to be back at the Division of Heritage looking out over the Arkansas River
12:52and seeing our parks and trails right outside of the window that our capital city has the opportunity to enjoy every single day.
12:59And now we're excited to
13:02spread some of those great assets to cities and towns across Arkansas.
13:07I want to thank Secretary Lewis for the introduction and his incredible work on this program as well as to Secretary Mallory and
13:16Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Catherine Andrews for all of your hard work
13:20and the three of you coming together to make this day possible.
13:24It's a great thing to see so many members
13:28representing communities across our entire state and members of the Tobacco Settlement Commission who have supported these efforts and helped
13:37provide this special funding that will help so many different Arkansans all over and in every corner of the state.
13:45Most of us are used to government frankly not working and today is an example of the total opposite of that and we're here to
13:53celebrate not only government working, but it going across departments and breaking down
13:58traditional silos and coming together and to cheer on a program that will improve the everyday lives of Arkansans in big and meaningful ways.
14:07For the past seven years the Great Strides grant program was dormant,
14:12essentially a big pot of money just sitting there in a bank account waiting to be
14:18invested in
14:19projects around the state. This program is funded by our state's Tobacco Settlement and was
14:25originally envisioned and used that money for people to get healthier around Arkansas. It was a great idea.
14:32Unfortunately, it just didn't have enough follow-through over the last several years.
14:36Thankfully, the team that is here today
14:39changed that starting with the Natural State Initiative, a group that is chaired by my husband Brian that brings together some of the best
14:47in public, private, and non-profit minds here in the state who were tasked with coming up with ways to improve
14:53Arkansas's outdoor economy. And if you know my husband, you'll know that the outdoors are his passion.
14:59Rarely is he happier than when he's mountain biking or duck hunting somewhere in Arkansas.
15:03And as part of his work on the Natural State Initiative, he visited all
15:0852 of our state parks last year. I hit a couple of those with him,
15:12but I still had a few to check off. But the group did a lot more than just visit state parks.
15:17Through conversations with leaders at every level of government and business,
15:21they released a long list of recommendations for changes to state policy.
15:25One of those was reviving the Great Strides grant program. And today, only a few months later, Great Strides is back.
15:33It took hard work from this team to break through the silos that often divide sections of state government.
15:40But with our partners at the Department of Health and the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism,
15:45they came together, rebuilt the grant program, and have now announced seven recipients that will be awarded today.
15:52I know that when deciding which applications to accept, the grant writing committee had a special focus.
15:59Smaller Arkansas communities without robust access to outdoor recreation.
16:04The recipients we are announcing today, they're not Little Rock or Bentonville.
16:08They're small towns like Brinkley and Emerson. And what these projects lack in size,
16:13they make up for in impact.
16:16When these projects are completed, it will often be one of the first dedicated walking trails in that entire community.
16:22For the mom who wants an afternoon walk with her kids like Catherine, or for the seniors who want some low-impact exercise,
16:29these trails will make a huge difference. And for the seven communities we're supporting today,
16:35this program goes a long way toward making sure every corner of Arkansas,
16:40not just our big cities, are a great place to live and to raise a family.
16:45I want to thank all of the community representatives that are here today for their work in preparing these grant
16:51applications and carrying them to completion.
16:53And I'd also again like to thank our state leadership team who helped bring this program back and fulfill its original mission.
17:02Successful government is all about teamwork, and that's exactly what we get to see here on display today.
17:08Thank you for being such willing partners in this work, and we look forward to coming out and visiting each of your trails soon.
17:14Thanks so much for being here today.
17:27All right, thank you Governor Sanders for those comments, and thank you again for everyone being here today.
17:33All right, so now it's time for what everybody's been waiting for. We'll move to the check presentation and
17:41Terrence, are you going to lead us on that? Terrence, if you'll join us, Terrence is the director of the
17:47Outdoor Grants Program and will help us through this next phase. So please help me welcome Terrence.
17:53Congratulations to all the recipients. When I announce your name, please come over to the right side and pick up your check in order to take a photo with the Governor, Secretaries Lewis and Mallory, as well as Director Andrews.
18:00So the first awardee will be the City of Alexander.
18:23Congratulations.