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Santa Maria receives $589,000 grant for outdoor recreation experiences

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department has received a $589,000 grant that will go toward educational and fun outdoor experiences for children and families in the city.

"As we see during the pandemic, how important it is to be outside and enjoy what we have here in California," said Recreation Services Manager, Dennis Smitherman.

This grant is being funded by California State Parks and will help the community have access to outdoor activities like field trips, whale watching, and more.

"It's really going to be able to allow us to provide access to the nature and outdoors and and experiences that a lot of Santa Maria residents haven't had the opportunity to experience," said Smitherman.

This grant is also in alignment with Governor Gavin Newsom's “Outdoors for All” initiative, which expands outdoor access to all Californians through focused investments in open space infrastructure and other outdoor programming.

"I think what's really good about this grant is not only are we getting people back out in nature, but we're going to be able to provide youth and teens with leadership opportunities," said Smitherman.

Many activities hosted by the Santa Maria Outdoor Recreation Experience program will be based out of Buena Vista Park in Santa Maria.

3 years of activities are already in the works and are expected to kick off this summer.

"We have a great adventure trips such as whale watching, horseback riding as well as educational outreach here in Santa Maria," said Dennis Smitherman.

Article Topic Follows: Santa Maria - Lompoc - North County

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Evan Vega

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