The director of Denver Parks and Recreation, Allegra “Happy” Haynes, testified Thursday on the Hill for legislation that would help expand access to parks and other outdoor spaces across the country, particularly in underserved communities.

Haynes, who is also Denver’s deputy mayor, advocated for the Outdoors for All Act during a U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands’ hearing.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic U.S. Rep Nanette Diaz Barragán, would provide federal grants for projects to acquire land and water for parks and to develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities.

“I am excited to support this critical legislation that will significantly improve close-to-home access to nature, making our cities healthier, safer and more connected,” Haynes said on Thursday.

During her testimony, the Denver native and fourth-generation Coloradan spoke of her “rare and random experiences” with nature that helped her become an environmental steward, eventually co-founding the state’s environmental youth corps and serving on the boards of Trust for Public Land and the Nature Conservancy, to name a few.

She lamented that, had those encounters not happened, she may still be disconnected to the natural world as many others in her community were at the time and remain today. “I should not still be such a rare bird – an African-American woman, urban dweller and outdoor recreation enthusiast.”

In Denver, she said, “We are on a mission to make sure that your race, income and zip code don’t affect your access to nature,” adding that this bill would help the city grow closer to achieving that goal by securing mandatory funding.

“Historic disinvestment has left many low-income communities and communities of color without access to quality parks and recreation opportunities,” she said. “And with park access assets in need of significant upgrades, cities struggle with the strain of high health care costs due to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.”

Haynes urged Congress to pass the bill not only for the health benefits, but because local parks provide “climate-resilient spaces” and “spur economic growth” by creating jobs and making metropolitan areas more competitive in the global economy.

“Access to nature is a human right,” she concluded. “Congress should seize this moment and pass the Outdoors for All Act.”

The Outdoors for All Act also has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California.