Central California, CA — September 29, 2026 — Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 1268, the Outdoors for All Initiative, into law, establishing the initiative in state law and creating a lasting framework for expanding equitable access to parks, open spaces, trails, beaches, forests, and other outdoor public recreation spaces across California.
Los Padres ForestWatch proudly co-sponsored SB 1268, authored by Senator Lena Gonzalez, because the organization sees a direct connection between protecting public lands and ensuring more people can experience, enjoy, and build relationships with them.
The new law directs the California Natural Resources Agency to implement priorities identified in the state’s Outdoors for All Strategy, including establishing outdoor public recreation spaces where people and nature can thrive, fostering belonging, connecting people with the outdoors, co-creating with communities, building equitable career pathways, and aligning funding to achieve the initiative’s goals. It also requires CNRA to maintain a Deputy Secretary for Access, periodically update the Outdoors for All Strategy, engage the public in those updates, and report annually to the Legislature on progress toward the initiative’s goals.
“We know from our own Outdoor Connections program that access to nature can be transformative, but too many families still face barriers to getting outside,” said Carla Mena, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs for Los Padres ForestWatch. “Protecting a place is stronger when people feel connected to it and know they belong there. By putting Outdoors for All into law, California is making a long-term commitment to reducing those barriers and creating more opportunities for people and communities to build meaningful connections with the outdoors.”
Through ForestWatch’s Outdoor Connections program, families from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties participate in free guided hikes, camping trips, snow outings, and other experiences designed to create welcoming pathways to nature and foster a deeper sense of place and belonging.
SB 1268 reflects that same approach at the statewide level. The law requires updates to the Outdoors for all Strategy to align with California’s broader outdoor equity and 30×30 conservation goals and to ensure conservation strategies enhance public access and benefits for disadvantaged and low-income communities.
The bill’s passage comes amid broader debate over the future of public lands and conservation policy at the federal level. The enrolled legislation itself cites federal actions involving public-land sales, oil and gas leasing, offshore drilling, and access to public recreation spaces as part of the rationale for reinforcing California’s commitment to outdoor access and conservation.
ForestWatch thanks Senator Gonzalez, Governor Newsom, co-sponsors Audubon California and GreenLatinos, and the organizations and advocates across California that supported the legislation.
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