On September 20, Assembly Bill 2734, aka the Whale Tail bill, was officially signed into law—and that’s great news for outdoor equity and access in California.
Authored by Assembly Member Gregg Hart (D – Santa Barbara) and sponsored by TreePeople, Salted Roots, and Outdoor Outreach, it will use revenue from specialty license plates to sustainably fund outdoor access for students and families along our coast and in our parks.
Funding from these plates will go directly to key state grant programs with a demonstrated impact on connecting Californians to nature, including:
- Approximately $2 million annually for the Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grants Program, which connects people to the California Coast through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences.
- Approximately $2 million annually for the State Coastal Conservancy’s Explore the Coast Grant Program, which provides coastal experiences for people who face barriers to coastal access.
- And additional funds for California State Parks’ Outdoor Equity Grant Program, which helps connect Californians with nature through educational and recreational activities, service learning, career pathways, and leadership opportunities.
These programs have helped directly fund TreePeople’s efforts to connect hundreds of kids and families with nature throughout SoCal!
Want to help? The more people who purchase the specialty plates, the more funding goes to funding equitable access to nature statewide! You can support by:
- Buying a Whale Tail Specialty License Plate at coastal.ca.gov/whaletailplate
- Contacting California’s Natural Resources Agency at sportsplates@resources.ca.gov to learn more about purchasing 49er’s Specialty License Plates.
We’re so thrilled about the passage of this bill, which will create a truly sustainable source of funding to help connect youth with nature in an equitable way.
Deepest thanks and appreciation to Assembly Member Hart and his amazing staff for championing this measure and making this possible!