MLK’s Legacy Lives in Parks, Public Lands Despite Interior Erasure

WASHINGTON - On Tuesday, November 25, the U.S. Department of Interior announcedthat Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Juneteenth, Great American Outdoors Act Day, and National Public Lands Day are no longer free national park and federal recreational land entrance days, among other modifications to the America The Beautiful National Park and Federal Recreational Land fee structure.

Despite this announcement, community-based organizations and the National Park Serviceremain committed to promoting acts of service for parks and public lands on the MLK Day of Service. Members of the America the Beautiful For All Coalition, including Conservation Lands Foundation, Green Melrose Park, GreenLatinos, Justice Outside, Latino Outdoors, Sierra Club, and QLatinx declareda commitment to honoring MLK's legacy in parks, open space and public land.

Ahead of the January 19, 2026, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the organizations issue the following statements:

"Dr. King once said, 'We are not makers of history. We are made by history.' Our national parks are living chapters of that history - places we explore, protect, and find joy together. They are where we discover common ground. On this National Day of Service, we honor Dr. King by committing to stewardship and ensuring these spaces reflect the connection, freedom, justice, hope, and unity he championed," said Gerry James, Deputy Director of the Sierra Club's Outdoors For All campaign.

"QLatinx is honoring the National Day of Service by activating nuestrx comunidad around stewardship, education, and shared responsibility for our public lands. We advance equal access to nature by centering communities most impacted by climate injustice, migration, and systemic exclusion. Guided by Dr. King's call to action, we recognize environmental justice as a civil rights issue. This MLK Day of Service, we are building the future we deserve - grounded in dignity, belonging, and collective care," said Gabriel R., Executive Director, QLatinx.

"Green Melrose Park serves in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because service is a responsibility, not a privilege granted by policy. Our connection to this land predates systems that have limited who is seen as belonging in nature. Nobody sent us here. This was our land, and it continues to be. That is why we will keep showing up to steward it together, as an act of care and justice," said Nina Fuentes, Founder, Green Melrose Park.

"We believe Dr. King would see the outdoors as a site of healing and justice - a place where communities can breathe, gather, and restore. At Justice Outside, we fund the grassroots leaders who are making that vision real for Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color every day. This Day of Service reminds us that access to nature isn't a privilege. It's a right we're still building toward, together," said Kim Bailey, President and CEO, Justice Outside.

"For years, the Department of Interior wisely welcomed people of all backgrounds onto public land for free on MLK Day of Service to commemorate his legacy. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. utilized our public lands to further his nonviolence and civil rights work at Southern Christian Leadership Conference retreats at what is now known as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. Interior Secretary Burgum wants us to forget this history, but GreenLatinos remembers: equal access to nature, caring stewardship, and civil rights come hand-in-hand," said Mark Magaña, Founding President and CEO, GreenLatinos.

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a great day to honor his legacy by making a field trip or joining a service event at your local public lands and finding common ground through nature. Each of our actions have meaning and when we strengthen our connection to the natural world we strengthen the bonds that hold us together. Though Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not a free entrance day on federal recreational lands this year, we know that our continued presence together in nature today nourishes the seeds of change for a better world tomorrow," said Chris Hill, CEO, Conservation Lands Foundation.

"Latino Outdoors honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream by fostering inclusive and welcoming spaces in nature and creating meaningful outdoor experiences. At a time when communities are being terrorized and efforts are underway to restrict public land access for the sake of greed and profit, we remain committed to protecting the land, supporting the people, and advancing equitable access outdoors. Alongside our community partners, we are committed to amplifying local voices, building Latino leadership in the outdoors, and preserving public lands for current and future generations. This MLK Day of Service and throughout the year, we will continue our dedication to ensuring the outdoors are welcoming and accessible for all," said Jazzari Taylor, Policy Advocate, Latino Outdoors

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.