NRPA's Zarnaaz Bashir, MPH Presenting at the 2013 PHA Summit 

So you might be asking yourself, “What exactly is a ‘play desert’?” 

Well, we can’t really answer that right now because there is no clear definition – but we are working on it!

What we do know is that there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S. and rates remain high. We also know that adults and children are not achieving the recommended levels of physical activity a day, and that a lack of opportunities for physical activity is a huge part of the reason. And, of course, we know that the availability of park and recreation facilities and the conditions of those facilities are positively associated with higher physical activity levels. So imagine a neighborhood that lacks spaces available and accessible for use by youth for physical activity and active play. You have to walk miles just to get to the nearest park. That is a play desert.

A little over a year ago, we met with staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss our health priorities and the value that parks and recreation bring to public health. “Play deserts” was highlighted as an area needing further investigation, and there was clearly interest from CDC staff to not only understand what a play desert is, but how to measure and map deserts in an effort to create solutions. And from there, a strong relationship was born. Weekly phone conversations with Carmen Harris (Epidemiologist, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, CDC) and Dee Merriam (Community Planner, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC) took place to figure out where to begin, what has already been done, who to involve, and where we’d like to end up.

So, how do you create a definition? 

Recognizing that there are a number of researchers and non-profit organizations looking at the play desert issue, we began by convening a “virtual panel of experts” to create synergy around the term ‘play desert’ and develop a definition that is measurable, feasible, and actionable. We wanted to capture as much feedback as possible, and decided to take drafts of the definition on the road to get feedback  at conferences such as NRPA’s Annual Congress in 2012 and the Active Living Research Conference, and then at the PHA Summit just this month. What we learned through these discussions are the following: 

1. Play deserts is not just about whether a park exists or not, but about the quality of the park, how accessible the park is, and whether the park is being used; 

2. Most people are comfortable with the term “play desert” but “play” does not necessarily equate to physical activity; 

3. The definition will not only be useful to local park and recreation professionals, but to researchers, planners, and community organizations; and 

4. We must engage local communities to validate the definition!

When Carmen Harris and I presented at the PHA session, we were extremely pleased to see the response from the audience. Attendees representing non-profit organizations, foundations, and advocacy groups were eager to share their perspectives on play deserts and the various solutions they’re implementing to address them. It is our hope that once the definition becomes available in the coming months, local park and recreation professionals will use it in ways that are helpful to them, whether it be to advocate for additional funding or to demonstrate the value of parks and recreation. It is also an opportunity to reinforce how parks and recreation provides solutions through the provision of health and wellness and by providing access to those opportunities for all people – two of NRPA’s core Three Pillars. 

By drawing attention to this important issue of play deserts and highlighting solutions through parks and recreation, we get one step closer to building healthy, active communities.

How would you define a play desert? What are some solutions your agency has put into place to combat play deserts? 

Written by Zarnaaz Bashir, MPH, Director of Health Initiatives for NRPA, zbashir@nrpa.org  

As we approach the milestone of our 100th CPRE, we reached out to our current CPREs so they could share in their own words what being a CPRE means to them and how it has advanced their careers and the profession as a whole.  Here’s what they had to say: 

Park and Rec professionals have such a unique skill set, it is important to help us test our knowledge base and identify areas to work on.  Certification is a way to show the general public that key staff in the organization are striving for knowledge and have the ability to help the organization succeed and best utilize public dollars.

Joseph Roszak, MS CPRE, Chief Operating Officer, Cleveland Metroparks, OH 

I had been a CPRP (CLP) for almost 20 years, meaning I had to continue my development at conferences and through involvement in professional associations.  Upon reviewing the necessary qualifications and job responsibilities for the CPRE certification, I admit, I was a curious whether all of the CEUs I had obtained through the years had adequately prepared me and whether I could pass the CPRE exam so long after being out of college.  Fortunately, I was able to pass the exam without difficulty, testament to the value of the ongoing training, education, and involvement over the years.

Jerry Løkken, CPRE, Manager of Recreation Services, Groton Parks and Recreation, CT 

The CPRE certification is important to me as a professional for many reasons.  First and foremost, it shows my community, my coworkers, and fellow parks and recreation professionals that I value and invest in our field.  A mentor of mine encouraged me to attain the CPRP Certification many years ago and it helped me establish credibility for parks and recreation in my locality; especially in difficult times when I’ve had to justify why we are an essential service.  When the CPRE was announced, I challenged myself to test for it at the very first opportunity; at Congress in Atlanta.  I might have missed on some networking time the night before when socials were occurring, but I felt it was important to demonstrate leadership by supporting our industry’s newest Certification and I am proud that I did.  I’ve already encouraged those within my sphere of influence to study for and reach for the CPRE.   My advice is simple, if you truly want our fantastic profession to survive, we must educate our fellow citizens on the value of parks and recreation services and showing one’s dedication through professional certification is one way to do so.  Be a leader, start the process to become a CPRE today.  

Michael J. Kalvort, CPRE, Director, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, VA 

I chose to seek CPRE certification because I feel certification is important to professionals in the field of parks and recreation.  Just as accreditation tells the outside world your agency meets an accepted level of standards that it is held accountable for maintaining, certification tells people that as a professional you meet an accepted level of standards that you are held accountable for maintaining and that you seek to stay current within the field in order to provide the best service possible to those around you.  I hope to see agencies continue to list certification as a requirement to move up into executive level positions with the hope that this requirement will ensure a common level of knowledge that will help leaders in the field be recognized as the professionals they are.

Shannon Keleher, CPRE, Recreation Manager, City of Gainesville, FL 

My inspiration to become a CPRE stems out of my personal practice of lifelong learning and my professional belief that we owe it to our communities and coworkers to be the most qualified and knowledgeable in our field. Having two undergraduate degrees and a Master’s in Public Administration, my education has prepared me well for an executive position in the Park and Recreation field – however the core competencies and standards learned through preparation for the CPRP and CPRE examinations (up until the CPRE roll out I was not certified as a CPRP and was inspired to do both at the same time) have proved invaluable and, in a way, have taught me the basic ingredients and  ideas taught in Park and Recreation Management undergraduate and graduate degrees. The most important component of having being a CPRE is linked to the continuing education units required to sustain this certification – I do not see the requirement for CEU’s as a chore – I view the opportunity of obtaining CEU’s as another great way to learn new ideas and to stay as current as I can be in my chosen profession. 

Kevin M. Kirwin, CPRE, Assistant Director for Operations, Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department - PROS, Miami, FL 

I have been certified since you could only take the test once per year in a lecture hall at a local university!   I have always seen the value in professional certification and have been proud to put it on my business cards and signature. I have enjoyed explaining what it is to those who asked, seeing it as an opportunity to talk about the profession of parks and recreation.  Professional certification lends credibility to the individual and says something about the Agency that supports it. 

When the CPRE certification was developed, it was a chance to test myself and take my own expertise to the next level.  The CPRE certification is proof that I have achieved an executive level within the profession.  Further, it is a statement to my peers, policy makers, and the citizens I serve that I have a serious commitment to the highest standards of professionalism.  I applaud the efforts NRPA has made to make this level of professional certification available to those experienced leaders in our profession. 

Judy Weiss, CPRE, Parks and Recreation Director, Coconino County, AZ 

These viewpoints are just a sampling of the nearly 100 currently certified as a CPRE. They see the value in showing their peers that park and recreation professionals seek the highest standards and hold themselves accountable to their public by maintaining their certification and pushing themselves to be the best in the field.

If you are ready to join them in demonstrating your commitment to the field and expertise, find out more about the certification process and application.  And as we approach our milestone we are rewarding the 100th person to complete the CPRE Examination with 3.0 CEUs of free NRPA Online learning opportunities!  

Don’t have your CPRP, not to worry – if you can show eligibility for both CPRP and CPRE, you can apply for both at the same time! By filing a joint application you receive a discount and could even become the 100th CPRE!

If you have any questions about becoming certified as a CPRP or CPRE, please email our certification team, certification@nrpa.org. 

Special thanks to the CPREs who submitted their testimonials:  

• Dirk Richwine, CPRE (Henderson, NV Parks and Recreation)

• Joseph Roszak, CPRE (Cleveland Metroparks, OH)

• Jerry Lokken, CPRE (Groton Parks and Recreation, CT)

• Michael Kalvort, CPRE (Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, VA)

• Richard Rose, Jr., CPRE (Orange County, NY Parks)

• Teresa Penbrooke, CPRE (GreenPlay, LLC, CO)

• David Griffin, CPRE (Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation, NC)

• Tim Herd, CPRE (Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission, PA)

• Jim Pryor, CPRE (Brunswick County Parks & Recreation, NC)

• Preston Pooser, CPRE (Woodstock Parks & Recreation, GA)

• Shannon Keleher, CPRE (City of Gainesville, FL)

• Kevin Kirwin, CPRE (Miami-Dade County Park and Recreation, FL)

• Judy Weiss, CPRE (Coconino County, AZ)

• Nancy McShea, CPRE (Wayland Park and Recreation Dept., MA)

In fact, “46% of staff members who were surveyed said that in-person constituent visits have tremendous influence and noted that constituents have greater ability to influence the Member of Congress on a particular issue than do lobbyists.” These statistics have certainly proven to be true for parks and recreation.  As a result of constituent meetings at previous Legislative Forums, funding for the State Assistance program has gone from $19 million in FY09 to $45 million in FY12; and an urban parks bill has been introduced that, once enacted, will provide millions for park and recreation projects and programs.

This year’s forum will include a powerful presentation by the National Park Service (NPS) on emerging issues relating to youth conservation.  The discussion will take place on Thursday, March 21 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and will describe how NPS is currently partnering with local park and recreation agencies to engage youth in additional conservation and partnership opportunities. 

The second portion of the presentation will focus on the 2015 reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and staff will discuss NPS’ goals for the reauthorization, especially as it relates to the State Assistance Program. This is a discussion you will not want to miss since it is the first public discussion regarding NPS’ goals for the reauthorization.

March also brings the blooming of the cherry blossoms to D.C., and seeing our national monuments framed in the rich color of the blossoms is a truly breath-taking sight.  NPS has agreed to give a special VIP tour from 10 am – noon to a small group of Legislative Forum attendees.  More information on the tour will be forthcoming.   

As Congress works to decrease the national debt there is no doubt that funding for all programs will be affected.  The extent will largely be dependent upon the messages our federal elected officials receive from their constituents.   Your voice makes a difference, and we need it.  We hope you will exercise your voice along side your colleagues March 19-21 at the Legislative Forum in Washington, D.C.

Editors Note: You can still register to attend NRPA's Legislative Forum. All registered attendees will be able to participate in the free webinar: "Being Heard on Capitol Hill: Making the Most of Legislative Forum," on March 7 at 2 pm ET which can help prepare attendees for their visit to Washington, D.C. and is worth 0.1 CEUs.  

Written by: Lewis Ledford, Director, North Carolina State Parks & Recreation and Chair, NRPA Public Policy Committee 

In reflecting on my time in Washington DC, I compiled a list of what I found most important for any park and recreation professional or citizen as they consider attending:

1. Simply, it is important - Go here and see all the park and recreation projects that the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has funded since 1965.  This coupled with several other programs and grant programs are critically important and need champions. We in parks and recreation understand the profound impact of our (and the legislators’) communities.  National Legislative Forum is the time to deliver that message. 

2. Great educational sessions - Last year’s sessions featured prominent speakers from the Trust for Public Land, CDC and Urban League Institute along with NRPA staff.  The sessions prepare you for meetings with law makers and staff and invigorate participants to be a champion for the cause of parks and recreation.  This year’s sessions prove to be equally exciting and educational.

 

3. Networking, networking, networking - Participants are among the brightest and most committed professionals and citizens in the industry.  In this smaller setting, it is much easier to network and even meet many of the members of the NRPA Board of Directors. 

 

National Legislative Forum is a whirlwind three days.  It is exciting, fun and exhausting all at the same time.

In the normal work setting, I occasionally find myself getting lost in the daily grind of emails and reports.  After last year’s National Legislative Forum, I left energized and refocused on the bigger picture of why I do my job: to help enrich people’s lives and make stronger, healthier communities. 

Written by Michael Biedenstein, CPRP, Recreation Program Coordinator at the City of Eureka, MO.  He manages @YoungProf_NRPA as the Social Media Chair for the Young Professional Network. 

Related Reading:  

• Michael’s highlights and reflection of Day One from the 2012 National Legislative Forum  
• Don't Take My Word For It, NRPA Now blog, Feb. 22, 2012
• Experiences from a Student, NRPA Now blog, March 27, 2012
• Legislative Forum Virgin Speaks About the Experience, NRPA Now blog, April 2, 2012

A recent goal I had was to achieve status as a Certified Park and Recreation Executive. The four letters that now follow my job title, CPRE, are the outward proof that I’m trying to be the best recreation professional that I can be.

Dan Stencil, CPRE, Executive Officer, Oakland County Parks 

Photo credit:Jonathan Schechter of the Oakland Press  

One of my team members, Business Development Representative Phil Castonia and I worked through the certification process together. For an “under 40” employee like Phil, achieving certification is an excellent opportunity for greater career opportunities and advancement. 

As part of the first class of certified executive individuals, I was examined on knowledge in all aspects of general administration, programming and operations management for parks and recreation professionals. Basically, the test covered knowledge that I’ve collected over my 35 years in the profession. The various positions I’ve held over the years gave me a breadth and depth of knowledge and the certification tested that experience plus expanded my skill set and knowledge base.

In fact, I’ve been so impressed with the lessons I’ve learned from the certification process that I’m challenging my staff to become certified in their areas of expertise. I think it’s important to demonstrate your commitment to the profession, your fellow employees and peers in the field.

What I like most about the idea of being certified is that I can benchmark the accomplishments at the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission against national standard management practices. When you know what your peers are doing and have an understandable goal to aim for, it makes goal setting and decision making easier. You ask yourself, “What is the standard, where do I and my organization fall within the parks and recreation profession and what do we need to do to be on par with our peers”?

What personal mottos inspire or drive you in your personal and professional goals? In what ways have you recently challenged yourself? How do you feel after you have accomplished a tough goal?  

Written by: Daniel J. Stencil, CPRE, Executive Officer, Oakland County Parks, MI  

Editor's note: If you are interested in achieving your Certified Park and Recreation Executive certification, now is a great time. The 100th professional to pass the CPRE Examination will win 3.0 CEUs of NRPA Online Learning to use on their CPRE Renewal Requirement.  The 100th CPRE will be announced this spring, and the professional will receive the free CEU package including Congress Live (totaling 1.0 CEU) and NRPA Online Learning Courses (totaling 2.0 CEU). 

Created by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) with NRPA as the lead partner, the 10 Million Kids Outdoors campaign is bringing resources to park and recreation agencies to get more kids outdoors. Park and recreation agencies are uniquely equipped with expertise, access, programs, and resources to make a significant change in the lives of children. Working together we can reach this ambitious goal and show the combined impact of public parks and recreation.

How does my agency get involved?  

First, you need to register your park and recreation agency at www.NRPA.org/10millionkidsoutdoors/.
It will take less than 5 minutes to register. Once you are registered you can access best practices, activities, and program opportunities with both NWF and NRPA. Also, there will be exclusive grant funding opportunities to expand and create additional environmental education opportunities.

In return, we ask for you to report how many children you’re getting outdoors. We have a simple reporting device we will ask you to fill out every 6 months, which will help track progress toward the 10 million goal.

Why should my agency get involved?  

Above all, you'll be helping to reverse staggering trends and create a generation of happier, healthier children with more awareness and connection to the natural world, but here are three other good reasons:

1. Learn from the best – your peers from across the country. We will be posting case studies, best practices, and creative curriculums on the website for you to use.  Have a specific question? Start a discussion on the NRPA Connect 10 Million Kids forum group 
2. Apply for Grant Funding. Periodically, NRPA will have funding opportunities for 10 Million Kids Outdoors registrants. For example, we closed an opportunity in mid-January with $35,000 in grants. Don’t miss out on the next opportunity
3. Receive monthly updates on program opportunities. 10 Million Kids Outdoors registrants will receive a monthly e-newsletter highlighting best practices, grant opportunities, and program resources. We will highlight the best information and resources to grow your program.

Show the impact of parks and recreation. Working together, we can cultivate a connection with nature for this generation which will impact parks and recreation and the environment for years to come.

Please contact me with any program questions at sobrien@nrpa.org.

What are some ways you think parks and recreation can help get 10 million more children outdoors over the next three years?  How have you had success getting children connected to nature? What resources or tools would you need to get more kids outside?  

Written by: Shelley O'Brien, CAE, CFRE, Senior Manager for Fundraising 

Even research on a smaller scale than PRORAGIS provides tangible results for park and recreation agencies. Today’s researchers use new technology and new techniques to quantify the benefits of parks and recreation to communities—hard numbers that can justify budget, programming, and facility decisions, whether at the departmental or local government level. Explore some of the potential possibilities and pitfalls, meet some up-and-coming researchers actively working on answering the field’s most pressing questions, and listen in on the Network Buzz about how agencies are using research to improve their operations.

Well, we didn’t tumble over the fiscal cliff but that doesn’t mean the road is exactly smooth for the next Congress. New challenges sometimes bring new opportunities, like securing stable funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program, fixing the flaws in the last transportation bill, and passing new initiatives for urban parks and connecting children to nature. See what’s in store for parks and recreation legislation in this month’s Advocacy column.

Regular readers of the Law Review column are familiar with how assumption of risk from open and obvious hazards provides some liability protection for landowners such as park agencies. But what about when the hazard is on an active playing field? How much responsibility do players have to look out for their own safety?

Finally, we asked golf course managers and superintendents around the country to share their machinery wish lists for 2013. Even cash-strapped courses are finding creative ways to finance their dream machines, while keeping their current equipment running as smoothly as a putt across a freshly rolled green.

Read these stories and more in the January issue of Parks & Recreation!
 

Written by Elizabeth Beard, Managing Editor, Parks & Recreation, ebeard@nrpa.org
 

Despite having more than 16 months in which to reach consensus, the end of 2012 brought a fierce partisan battle surrounding not only the permanent extension of the Bush Administration tax cuts, but also a heated debate over how to reduce the deficit and avoid sequester.

Ultimately, most of the Bush tax cuts were permanently extended, taxes were raised on upper income earners as well as most Americans, and sequestration was delayed until March 1, 2013. However, complicating matters is that the U.S. once again reached its debt limit on December 31, 2012 and Congress must raise it in the next few months, least we default on our debt obligations and see a government shut-down. 

Undoubtedly, the stage is set for a turbulent legislative beginning to 2013.  

Democrats have stated they will not be held hostage by attempts to cuts spending as a tradeoff for raising the debt limit and Republicans have vowed that they will not accept more tax increases and are demanding significant spending cuts. 

Obviously, we all realize the implication this situation may have on our personal financial lives, but there are also implications for park and recreation programs that receive federal funding.  

• If the sequester takes effect on March 1, the across-the-board cuts will make less funding available for all programs, including those that provide federal funding for park and recreation agencies. 

• If the sequester does not take effect, we are still very likely to see cuts to our programs because both parties agree that spending needs to be curtailed.  The swirling debate right now is over reduction of spending on mandatory entitlement programs (i.e., Social Security, Medicare, etc.). Any reduction which is not achieved through a reduction in entitlement programs will cause legislators to look to “discretionary” government spending, which includes park and recreation programs, to make up the difference.

A likely scenario is a combination of discretionary cuts and tax increases to generate “revenues.” 

The lingering question is whether Congress will put each and every federal program under the microscope and make cuts on an individual programmatic basis, a heavy lift for a short two month period, or whether it will implement across the board agency cuts at a level which is smaller than that proposed by the sequester.

The danger of programmatic cuts is that Congress could zero-out programs such as LWCF or place a spending cap on annual funding.  Across-the-board agency cuts, on the other hand, provide more opportunity to influence funding through the appropriations process; although, there will be less overall funding available and competition will be fierce.

This issue will consume the majority of time and attention during the first few months of this year and will impact the next 10 years of funding for park and recreation programs.

Attending the Legislative Forum taking place in Washington, DC on March 19-21 is one way to have your voice heard regarding the importance of parks and recreation and influence funding for FY14.  What else can park and recreation professionals and citizen supporters do to impress upon elected officials that park and recreation agencies are more than just a place where kids gather to play kick the can?   

Written by Stacey Pine, NRPA Vice President of Government Affairs, spine@nrpa.org  

To keep you ahead of the curve on these issues, we’re sharing some insights on transportation that you should be aware – including offering you the chance to comment on the early days of implementation for the parts of MAP-21 which cover walking and biking.

By now, you should be aware of the major changes impacting walking and biking and parks and recreation under MAP-21. Previously dedicated funding under the Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Safe Routes to School has now been replaced with a much broader category of eligible projects under the Transportation Alternative Program (TAP). Trails and walking/biking safety projects remain eligible, but now must compete for significantly less dollars with other road projects.

This competition isn’t simply at the state level, either.  MAP‐21 gives Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) more responsibility for distributing federal transportation funds.  MPOs serving areas with more than 200,000 residents are required to use a competitive process to select projects for funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program. 

DOT Wants to Hear From You on MAP-21 

If your state or MPO is already implementing parts of MAP-21, the US Department of Transportation (DOT), under their Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is seeking input from you since you are eligible for the Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funds.   DOT has asked us to share with you this survey to seek basic data on how states and MPOs are adjusting to the creation of the program.  Please respond to this questionnaire no later than Tuesday, January 15. 

We realize that it’s “early days” and that Final Guidance on much of these programs has not yet even been released by the DOT/FHWA, but any comments or insight you can provide would be very helpful.  Your response will be kept confidential and only submitted as part of the overall reply to the DOT from NRPA, not as individual members.

What’s to come with the New T&I Committee 

The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I) is starting the year with a new Chairman (Bill Shuster of PA) and new members on both the majority and minority side. In a recent Roll Call column the new committee chair shared his outlook for the new Congress stating that the committee is focused on strengthening America’s national transportation network. He also said that “the committee will pursue an aggressive oversight agenda,” and that “Oversight of the recently enacted MAP-21 will be critical…” 

NRPA’s Public Policy staff is actively engaged in meeting with new House and Senate member offices.  The new Congress was sworn in on January 3 and most Members are just now selecting staff to handle their committee assignments, but we’re making sure that they know NRPA has important issues before the T&I Committee, including walking and biking policy. 

You also have a chance to meet with these new staffers and Members during NRPAs Legislative Forum March 19-21.  We need your help making sure that new (and returning) Senators and Representatives understand the important and valuable role of parks and recreation.  Don’t miss your chance to convey, with one strong voice, the priorities and concerns that impact park and recreation agencies throughout the country. 

What are you views on the new MAP-21 and implications on park and recreation agencies?  What do you want to let your Senators and Representatives know about the role parks and recreation has in transportation?

Written by Dave Tyahla, Senior Government Affairs Manager, dtyahla@nrpa.org.
 

In this guest blog post, Seve Ghose, CPRE/MOL, Director of the City of Davenport Parks and Recreation shares how certification of staff has given a boost to their agency, benefits their staff and provides his views on the value of certification.  

It began in the Spring of 2009 when we sent in the initial application for CAPRA accreditation. Knowing that we had two years to complete the process we set some goals for the agency.

Our first goal was to be the first agency in Iowa and one of the first 100 in the country to be accredited.  A second goal we set internally was to be the “first and the best” in all that we do and offer. Individual certification was a big part of reaching both those goals.

We currently have nine Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP), one Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE), one Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), two Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI), and five Certified Pool Operators (CPO). 

In 2009 we had only two CPRP’s and one CTRS – quite an accomplishment over the last three years.

How’d we do it?

Seve (center) with some of his staff at NRPA Congress 

While the agency agreed to pay for the test as part of professional and personal growth for the staff, we also initiated another incentive of staff mentoring to guide staff prior to taking the individual tests. This process brought many of the staff together and created greater camaraderie and the urgency to succeed.

We further made a serious commitment to send staff to the NRPA Congress and other training sessions continually to keep up with the Continuing Education Credit (CEU) requirement.

The certification process is of great value not only to the agency but to the individual as it sets the bar high in regards to looking and striving for accomplishment and not accepting the status quo. This keeps the staff motivated to come to work, contribute extensively, try new things, and most of all look to be innovative and forward thinking.

Where we are today as an agency--- able to do things and not say “no” anymore, is a true reflection of what the certification process has brought to the table. I highly recommend to all park and recreation professionals to pursue certification and for the agency to commit the resources to help staff achieve such. In the coming months we look forward to when we will have the final three members of our management team certified as CPRP and in the current approved budget cycle we have doubled the training dollars available.

Tell us in the comments below: Does your agency support certification and if so, how?  Certified professionals, what would you tell someone considering certification?  What success have you seen from having a professional certification or from having certified professionals on staff?

Written by: Seve Ghose, CPRE/MOL, Director City of Davenport Parks and Recreation sghose@ci.davenport.ia.us 

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are thinking about becoming a Certified Park and Recreation Professional, now is a great time to apply.  Submit your application by January 31 and you’ll receive the official CPRP Study Guide for FREE to help prepare for the examination.  

To learn more about certification programs offered by the National Recreation and Park Association visit, www.nrpa.org/certification
 

The good news in 2012 is that public support for local ballot measures and bond issues for parks and recreation was very high, especially considering the general state of the economy and fears of the approaching “fiscal cliff.”  Early analysis of selected bond issues and ballot initiatives from cities, states, and urban counties in the 2012 election showed exceptionally strong support overall for parks, recreation, and conservation. 

The Trust for Public Land which tracks ballot measures and bond issues for land conservation through its LandVote program (www.LandVote.org) reported that of 57 measures on local and statewide ballots, 46 passed at an average approval rate of 81 percent, including 3 of 3 statewide measures, one of the highest rates of passage in the past 10 years. 

These land conservation measures which were placed on the ballot in 21 states and a number of cities and counties will provide more than $2 billion overall, including $767 million in new money to support protection of water quality, new parks and natural areas, and protection of working conservation landscapes including privately owned farms and ranches. 

For bond issues for park land acquisition, development and construction of recreation facilities, and general operating support for parks and recreation, the rates of passage were almost as high. Among the highlights of some selected NRPA member agencies and states:

Mesa, AZ -- Passed a $70 million Parks and Recreation bond issue at 59 percent for and 41 percent against.  Director of Parks and Recreation Marc Heirshberg noted that while the margin of passage may not have appeared significant, “59 percent favorable on a secondary property tax increase is a huge victory for us,” he said. This is especially true “in a City that does not have a primary property tax, as voters have continually rejected that notion, and [which]relies primarily on sales tax.”

Houston, TX – Passed a bond issue for $166 million which will allow for a $100 million private match for the multi-jurisdictional Bayou Greenway Initiative, a $200 million project to build and complete trails along seven of Houston’s Bayous (natural stream and wetland drainage systems). The vote was  68 percent for and 32 percent against. The Houston Chronicle editorialized: “With $166 million designated for parks and bayous, existing parks will get the new and repaired pools, recreation centers, playgrounds and sports fields they need. A full $100 million will be used to create 150 miles of connected trails and linear parks along Houston's bayous as part of the Bayou Greenway Initiative. This will be more than doubled because the private sector, led by the Houston Parks Board, will provide an additional $105 million of matching funds toward this transformational project.
As a result of this bond, improved bayous will reduce flooding, our air and water will be cleaner and our economic development will be accelerated. Residents will have quick access to outdoor places to walk, ride bikes, jog and relax - and we all know the physical and mental health benefits that come with these activities. And talented, educated young people will find Houston a much more appealing place to work and live.”

Austin, TX –Voters passed a Parks and Recreation Bond for 77 million, voting 59 percent for,  41 percent against.

El Paso, TX – Voters approved Proposition 1,  a $245 million bond issue for Parks, Recreation and Open Space ($195M) and  the city Zoo ($50M) at 75 percent voter approval.

San Francisco, CA – Passed Proposition B, the Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond.   Prop B was for $195 million in bonds for neighborhood parks, playgrounds, pools, the Golden Gate Park, and acquisition of waterfront open space.   By city charter, Propositions such as this require two-thirds voter approval rate (67 percent) to pass.  “We are thrilled,” said Phil Ginsburg, director of parks and recreation.

A snapshot of how parks and conservation initiatives in some selected smaller localities and states includes:

Ohio-- A snapshot of levies and ballot initiatives from towns and park districts in Ohio shows that initiatives for capital funding such as land acquisition, and capital construction passed at an exceptionally high rate with 7 of 8 gaining voter approval.  Levies for continuing current operating expenses or other ‘recreational purposes’ did not fare as well, although they did pass at a rate exceeding 50 percent (17 of 27 passed).

New Jersey-- In New Jersey, voters approved 7 of 9 local measures to renew or establish open space trust funds just one week after the state was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, with many residents still without power and dealing with the aftermath of the storm.  The measures include five in Bergen County, creating a new open space trust fund in East Orange (80 percent support), and continuation of the open space trust fund in the recently consolidated Princeton Township and Borough (77 percent support).  Bill Foelsch of Morris Township, NJ, said, “This speaks to the continued strong support of New Jersey voters for protecting land, water, parks and historic sites, even in very difficult circumstances.”

Do you have a 2012 election success story about parks and recreation?  What are your thoughts about the results of the various bond measures for parks, recreation and conservation? Please let us know—comment below or feel free to email Joel Pannell, Public Policy, NRPA at jpannell@nrpa.org.

Written by: Richard J. Dolesh, NRPA VP for Conservation and Parks, rdolesh@nrpa.org  

Those who attended the NRPA Congress in Anaheim probably have been showing off their Ranger Rick stuffed toys around the office. At Congress, NRPA and the National Wildlife Federation kicked off a new initiative to bring 10 million children to nature. Our goal is have 1,000 agencies participating nationwide in 10 Million Kids Outdoors—has your local agency signed up?

In an era when aquatics facilities operators are attempting to maximize usage of their pools in order to boost revenue, maintaining consistent water and air quality is more important than ever. And the upcoming release of the new Model Aquatic Health Code by the CDC in 2013 is adding to the sense of urgency for facilities to upgrade their systems. Find out about some of the hottest technologies that are saving costs, increasing safety (and peace of mind for operators), and making swimmers happier in this month’s Operations column.

Although some parks are claimed to be veritable gold mines in terms of the tourism revenue they bring in, only one state park is an actual diamond mine—Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. But will Land and Water Conservation Fund rules prevent renewed mineral exploration on the site? Find out in this month’s Law Review.

Finally, just in time for Veteran’s Day, hear what your colleagues are saying about their successful therapeutic recreation programs for returning soldiers in our Network Buzz feedback column. Members of the Armed Forces Network and the Therapeutic and Adaptive Recreation Community share inspiring stories about creative programs.

Check out these five stories and more in the November issue of Parks & Recreation and leave us a comment with your thoughts.  

Written by: Elizabeth Beard, Managing Editor, Parks & Recreation 

Well, you can breathe easy now – the IRS has recently released guidelines that help clarify this regulation and the NRPA Public Policy Team has compiled the details you need to know to understand the changes and guidelines. 

Regulation Background 

As originally written, the PPACA required large employers, including local governments, to offer health insurance to full-time seasonal employees who averaged 30 hours per week and worked 120 days or more during the year.  The Act further required that the employee had to be offered insurance within the first 90 days of employment. The implications of this provision meant that employers were required to offer seasonal employees, who averaged 30 hours per week, health insurance and that employee could be eligible for employer- sponsored health insurance for just 30 days. This provision also subjected employers to obligations under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) upon the termination of the employee, and created an abundance of administrative burdens for employers.

IRS Guidelines Grant a Reprieve 

Recently released IRS guidelines (IRS Notice 2012-58) allow employers to use a look-back/stability period safe-harbor method to determine whether a seasonal employee is a full-time employee.

Under this method:

• The determination as to whether an employee must be offered and provided health insurance is no longer based on the 120 day threshold
• Employers are no longer required to offer employees health insurance on or before day 90
• Employers may now create their own “defined measurement period,” which can span between 3 and 12 months and have the flexibility to determine the start and end months for the measurement period when determining an employee’s full-time status
• An employee who averages at least 30 hours of work per week during the measurement period will be considered a full-time employee; however, employers will not be required to offer health insurance during the measurement period

The IRS guidelines include a “stability period,” which immediately follows the measurement period set by the employer. If an employee is determined to be full-time during the measurement period, they would be treated as a full-time employee during the stability period regardless of the number of hours worked during the stability period.

So, during the stability period, an employer would need to offer health insurance benefits to those employees determined to be full-time during the measurement period even if the employee worked less than 30 hours per week during the stability period. If an employee was not a full-time employee during the measurement period, he/she will not be treated as a full-time employee during the stability period. 

It is important to note that an employer is not required to offer or provide insurance to part-time employees. 

The IRS has stated that employers may rely on the guidance regarding seasonal employees provided in Notice 2012-58 through the end of 2014. We do expect, however, future changes will come to many of the recently released regulations. NRPA will keep you updated and informed on the changes and what it means for your agency and local government.  
For further information, you may also want to read the recent article in Parks & Recreation to delve into the issue.

**Disclaimer: Nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. Please consult your city/county attorney regarding interpretation and compliance strategies. 

Written by: Stacey Pine, NRPA Vice President of Government Affairs 

Since this segment focuses on the building of private homes within national parks, it is not surprising that LWCF is painted as only a federal land acquisition program.

Trust me, LWCF is so much more than just a federal land acquisition program. 

If you have children or grandchildren who play soccer or baseball, chances are that you have benefitted from a project funded by the LWCF State Assistance Program. Since 1965, this program has provided close to $4 billion in matching funds to states, territories, and local communities by funding more than 41,000 local and state projects in 98 percent of American counties. These projects include building public playgrounds that are ADA compliant, picnic areas, youth sports fields, nature centers, aquatics centers, and so much more. Often these projects are built on land already owned by the city, county, or special park district and more importantly, these types of projects create jobs, attract visitors and businesses to the community, and ensure citizens have places, spaces, and opportunities for physical activity.

This is not a government hand-out, however. States and local governments must match federal funds dollar-for-dollar and then assume responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of the project. They must also keep the land on which the project sits in public use for perpetuity which means that if a local community uses LWCF State Assistance funds to build a picnic area, that land cannot be developed by a private developer.

CBS is correct that LWCF funding has been drastically cut over the past few years. Unfortunately, this is in large part due to the fact that the program is so often painted as only a federal land acquisition program.

It’s time for all of us to start educating Congress that this program is much more than a federal land acquisition program and rather than simply cut or eliminate funding for LWCF its time for them to invest in state and local projects by allocating a larger percentage of the annual LWCF funding to the State Assistance Program.

Written by Stacey Pine, NRPA Vice President of Government Affairs

If ever there was a neighborhood in need of a park, the El Sereno neighborhood of East Los Angeles would be it. With a large population of children and nowhere nearby for them to play, the community has long argued for a new park on some vacant property. See how NRPA’s Parks Build Community initiative worked with L.A. Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa’s 50 Parks campaign to change that vacant property into a nature play area and neighborhood gathering point.

Community Build Day brought neighbors out to lend a hand in the construction of the new park 

What’s old is new again, as magnetic induction lighting technology invented by Nikola Tesla in the 1890s is now appearing in parks across the country and in this month’s Operations article. Magnetic induction lighting systems, along with LED streetlights and remotely operated, dark-sky-friendly field lighting systems, offer startling energy savings, a much longer operating life, and fewer maintenance headaches.

A reforestation project goes awry after an awful sledding accident in this month’s Law Review column. See if a city will be held liable due to crab apple trees planted too close to a sledding hill, even though they would appear at first glance to be an open and obvious danger.

Finally, hear what your colleagues are saying about how they successfully work with city hall in the second installment of our new Network Buzz feedback column. Members of the Administrators Network share a few of their top tips for keeping their mayor and city council happy and well informed.

Learn about all of this and more in the October issue of Parks & Recreation!

Written by: Elizabeth Beard, Managing Editor, Parks & Recreation 

Last Friday was the eighth annual celebration of PARK(ing) Day, a grassroots movement to reclaim metered parking spaces and turn them into short-term miniparks to bring attention to the need for urban green space. You can read more about the history of the project in the September issue of Parks & Recreation, but to recap this year’s event, we spoke with three different organizations across the country to learn their intentions behind their installations and find out how their parks were received by the community.

Most participants in PARK(ing) Day aren’t affiliated with any park and recreation organizations—they’re urban planners, landscape architects, conceptual artists, community advocates, and just regular citizens with an interest in providing more open space to their communities. In Washington, D.C., Casey Trees, a nonprofit organization committed to restoring, enhancing, and protecting the tree canopy of the nation’s capital, participated for its second year with a three-space parklet near the busy downtown intersection of 12^th and G Streets. Taking over three parallel spaces, the group set up a park with a few games, some places to sit, and a central area to chat with folks who stopped in to inquire about the project.

Dallas PARK(ing) Day participants set up 57 pop-up parks along downtown streets for this year's event. 

“It was definitely well received,” says Christopher Horn, communications associate with Casey Trees and coordinator for their project. “We set up in front of a few small businesses, and at the end of the day, when we were packing up, one business owner came out and asked, ‘Where are you taking my park???’” The park’s setup included a few games, some places to sit and relax, a conversation area where staffers could share information about their group’s cause with interested passers-by, and of course, a number of trees. Many people sat down to eat their lunch and enjoy the nice weather, mentioning how nice it was to have an easily accessible place where they could get outside and away from the office for a little while.

In Dallas, Texas, 57 parks popped up along Main Street, clearly demonstrating the public’s interest in public green space downtown. “We occupied almost every space for seven blocks of downtown for one continuous park,” says Noah Jeppson, a community organizer who spearheaded the city’s involvement in the event. “We wanted to showcase our community and give people a chance to demonstrate what they’d like to see in the community through parks.” Staying true to Dallas’ alternative vibe, the parks included a number of creative concepts and designs such as open air yoga studios, book swaps, museums, performance stages, and even an arcade.

Jacksonville, Florida, hopes to use the event to make the parklet concept work year-round. “With the momentum downtown is receiving now, we feel that it is critically important that we help shape the conversation on what our urban environment should look like,” says Mike Field of Transform Jax, a community advocacy organization for the city. “In our opinion, downtown needs to be revitalized from the ground up with a vibrant pedestrian experience being the primary goal.”

To connect the parklet concept with downtown businesses and showcase how the idea could increase revenue for downtown, participants used parking spaces to set up an inviting outdoor eating area next to a popular restaurant that normally doesn’t have the outdoor space to offer dining al fresco. Using this as a successful demonstration, organizers will propose an initiative in which downtown restaurants can expand outdoor seating areas by taking over a metered parking space through a one-year permitting process.

Although the specific intentions and designs varied from location to location, the overall goal of highlighting the need for urban green space was alive and well in these cities and hundreds of others around the globe, at least for as long as the meters were fed. However, the grassroots effort in Dallas has generated at least one long-term parklet that still stays true to its pop-up roots.

“This year on PARK(ing) Day, we inaugurated the first permanent parklet within the city,” Jeppson says. “It’ll move around different areas of downtown and can be adapted for restaurant use or entertainment use, by different businesses and organizations, encouraging people to think longer term at the larger global aspect of how can we use PARK(ing) Day to influence parks and public places for city’s future.”

As these demonstrations show, a park doesn’t have to be huge or even permanent to improve the well-being of a community for as long as they’re around—as long as they’re placed in areas where people will use them, they’re worth the effort.

Did you see any PARK(ing) Day installations in your city last Friday? What did they include? This is a great way for you to find out what local residents want to see in their parks, and where they might like for new ones to be located, so you may want to encourage your community to participate in next year’s event. It will be held on September 20, 2013, but it’s never too early to start getting the word out. Check out www.parkingday.org for more details.

Danielle Taylor is Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation.

Once enacted into law, CPR would provide matching, federal competitive grants through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to local parks and recreation agencies for the construction of new, and to rehabilitate existing, outdoor and indoor recreational resources in metropolitan areas. It also allows for planning and programming aimed at improving the delivery of recreation services, increasing access for military families and disabled veterans, and engaging at-risk youth. 

There is a waiver at the HUD Secretary’s discretion for a percentage to be awarded to areas not in metropolitan areas, so rural communities are included. The bill simply gives the Secretary authority to use discretionary dollars for these purposes, so there is no budget impact.  

The CPR Act is a tool for helping to build stronger communities, create jobs, enhance a state’s economy, protect the health and well-being of the public, conserve natural resources, and contribute to a higher quality of life for hard-working Americans and their families. 

The bill is a companion measure to H.R. 709, the Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act (URLC), which was introduced by Representative Albio Sires of New Jersey in 2011. 

For more information about this, read the NRPA press release. 

Written by Leslie Mozingo, Partner, The Ferguson Group.  

The types of projects hosted on National Public Lands Day (NPLD) are based on the need of the public land. Typical projects include trail maintenance, tree plantings, harvesting at community gardens or historic site restoration.

NPLD is the largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the nation. Volunteers in 2011 contributed about $17 million in services.

There are many benefits to leading NPLD events:

1. Your event listed on publiclandsday.org
2. Access to site manager resources such as the Manual for Site Managers and 2012 Media Kit
3. Free webinars and info on grants and awards
4. Best of all, additional volunteers and public interest in helping your public lands 

NPLD events can also bring attention to new or underused public lands. Focus your service projects on a green space or public gardens, and new volunteers could become regular visitors.

Host an NPLD event and take advantage of the nationwide volunteer celebration! For more information, visit publiclandsday.org or email jjones@neefusa.org.

Tell us, are you planning to participate in NPLD? If so, what are you planning to do?  Overall, what type of volunteer events do you find to be successful in your community? What benefits has your department seen from hosting volunteer events?  

Guest Blog Post Written by Jessica Jones, National Public Lands Day Program Coordinator.  

The 2012 NRPA Congress & Exposition in Anaheim, California, is right around the corner! Before you pack your bags, make sure to check out the September issue of Parks & Recreation to find the best places to eat, the top sights to visit, and some of the amazing education sessions you won’t want to miss. This issue includes an in-depth preview section with everything from this year’s National Award winners and Gold Medal finalists to a map of the Exhibit Floor to help you make the most of your time in Anaheim.

Is your community growing more and more diverse? In our cover story, see how agencies around the country are adapting to shifting diversity and the resulting changing demands for services and programming. Oakland’s efforts to expose both kids and staff to non-traditional outdoor programming, Seattle’s staff Change Team, and Spanish immersion camp in Washington, D.C., are some of ways agencies are getting ahead of the demographics curve to better serve their changing communities.

Always evolving, special-events planning is becoming more complex than ever in the social media age. This month’s Operations article shares the latest advice from some of the top experts in the field about how to keep a manageable schedule, make the best use of your volunteers, gather sponsors, and get the word out through traditional and social media outlets.

Two ADA swimming cases in this issue’s Law Review column illustrate how a claimant must be qualified to perform an activity or work at a job in order to pursue an ADA complaint. See how a natatorium instructor, who was advised not to swim by his physician, and a swim team member with anxiety attacks about the water fared in their ADA cases.

Finally, we look at the celebrated career of Adrian Benepe, former commissioner of New York City Parks. Benepe is moving on to become senior vice president for city park development with the Trust for Public Land. Learn about his many accomplishments in New York’s parks, especially in developing public/private partnerships, and hear about his future plans with TPL.

Learn about all of this and more in the September issue of Parks & Recreation!

Written by Elizabeth Beard, Managing Editor, Parks & Recreation 

I was at a friend’s home in northern Virginia about two months back when what turned out to be a “derecho” storm with hurricane-force winds suddenly slammed into the house, and less than a minute later, the power blinked out and didn’t come back on for two days. Lightning illuminated the house with constant, unceasing flashes for at least 20 minutes, and huge trees snapped outside, blocking roads and totaling cars. It was over as quickly as it had come, and once we felt we could safely venture back outside, we found the curbside trashcan had blown two blocks down the street. This storm came completely out of left field—I had actually just checked the weather forecast 15 minutes before the storm hit and had no indication that we were in for anything aside from a partly cloudy night.

It’s not always easy to expect the unexpected when it comes to weather, and park and recreation professionals probably know this better than most. Many agency-organized events are held outdoors, and it’s usually impossible to know in advance exactly what sort of conditions you can anticipate. However, some agencies are taking strides to be as prepared as possible for any severe weather that comes their way. The National Weather Service has developed a StormReady program (www.stormready.noaa.gov) and certifies counties, communities, universities, and government agencies (including parks) that have:

• Established a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center 
• Adopted more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public 
• Created a system that monitors weather conditions locally  
• Promoted the importance of public readiness through community seminars  
• Developed a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises. 

Unfortunately, that June derecho storm that swept the country killed two young boys at a state park in New Jersey, when a tree crashed into the tent where their families huddled together to ride out the unexpected maelstrom. Although we’re never going to be able to eliminate all risk, especially with the unpredictable nature of weather, we owe it to our communities and our field to protect the public in our parks as much as possible. This week, as Tropical Storm Isaac follows in Hurricane Katrina’s devastating footsteps from seven years ago, I hope some lessons learned from that eye-opening disaster means that communities in the path of the storm will be prepared for what’s coming. We can do our part to lead by example.

Written by: Danielle Taylor, Associate Editor, Parks & Recreation  

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Young Professional Network, in conjunction with the NRPA, is pleased to announce Visit a Park Day will be Friday, October 5, 2012.  The public will be encouraged to set aside unnecessary obligations on October 5 and take time to visit a local, state, regional, or national park and enjoy the many benefits of these locations. 

In past Visit a Park Days, local and state recreation and parks programs, non-profits, and related civic groups have united nationwide to support this initiative.  Visit a Park Day has included events such as interpretive walks through nature parks and along public beaches. In addition, some communities unveiled new signage on Visit a Park Day aiming to foster safety in parks and playgrounds. 

The top three reasons for participating in visit a park day are:  

1. Raise interest about the parks available in your community among potential new guests.
2. Promote an under-utilized area or a new program.
3. Create an engaging outdoor experience for the community you serve and live in.  

This picture is from a Visit a Park Day activity last year in the Edmonds area. Three of their area waterfronts held free public beach walks for the community to enjoy.  

The NRPA Young Professionals encourage park and recreation agencies, community leaders, civic groups, schools and other organizations to come together and participate in Visit a Park Day.  Register for this event by Friday, September 14, 2012. 

To learn more about Visit A Park Day, contact Chris Lucas at clucas@hrcaonline.org or Jennifer Upah at upahj@missouri.edu.

The ad hoc operations of Congressional caucuses may make them a little inscrutable to those outside the Washington Beltway. Leslie Mozingo, a lobbyist with The Ferguson Group, explains how caucuses work and how they can be useful for parks and recreation advocacy. A case study of the Youth Sports Caucus illustrates some of the ways that caucuses can benefit parks and recreation.

Following up on last month’s article on innovation and risk taking, this month’s Operations article explores revenue-generating ideas for aquatics facilities. Whether it’s low-cost themed upgrades, social media group discounts, tattoo services, or luxury cabana rentals, some agencies are getting out of their comfort zones and moving into adjacent markets to capture more revenue.

And is the end in sight for this sluggish economy? A survey of NRPA members reveals what your colleagues think about the economy, next year’s potential budget and staffing levels, and when things will be back to “normal.” Although cuts are easing off, the recession’s impact still lingers for many members.

In this month’s Perspectives column, NRPA President and CEO Barbara Tulipane discusses a solution to the lack of a national identity for parks and recreation. Now, through the new America’s Backyard tool kits, agencies can build their own nationally branded materials, including local facts and stories, to enhance their own community presence. See how these free quarterly kits can help you tell how you are benefiting your community, backed by the credibility of a national campaign.

Learn about all of this and much more in the August issue of Parks & Recreation!

Written by: Elizabeth Beard, Managing Editor, Parks & Recreation 

So if you need to gain approval for your professional development costs and travel, follow these guidelines:

1. Use the 2012 Program to outline the sessions you plan to attend and how they will benefit your work. Select ones that are most beneficial to you, your team and your agency. Be specific and identify how sessions will allow for new opportunities for growth. (For example: If I learn more about social media I will be able to use it more effectively in my marketing efforts to build relationships among our community)

2. Congress is all about education and broadening your knowledge base. Majority of sessions earn you CEU credits. Tally up the number of CEU credits you will be granted for attending educational sessions and pre-conference workshops to help demonstrate the value gained through education and learning. 

3. Review the list of Exhibitors and pinpoint any business opportunities that could develop from establishing connections with park and recreation professionals and partners.

4. If necessary, have a plan for who will cover for you while you attend the Congress and Exposition.

5. Save money on travel and overnight accommodations by booking through the official NRPA hotel room provider and by reserving your flight early. Most of the official NRPA hotels are on the shuttle route, which will also save you money on taxis or public transportation.

6. New this year, full package registrants receive two lunches and one breakfast on the Exposition show floor along with a ticket to attend the opening reception where hors d’oeuvres, dessert and drinks are provided.

7. Commit to a post-conference presentation for your team, where you’ll highlight what you learned at the Congress and Exposition. Tie your training to your organization’s challenges, goals and strategic plans. Share all that you learn so that others can grow and develop too.

If you have any questions or need additional information, don’t hesitate to contact NRPA at 800.626.NRPA (6772) or Customer Service.  We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim!

With the technology available in consumer-grade video cameras and user-appealing functions of YouTube, it is not too daunting to have staff assume the omnipresent “multi-media journalist” role and produce compelling video to bolster your online marketing efforts. Who doesn’t love to spend a few minutes on YouTube anyway? Once your channel is up and running, invest some time to promote and grow it, and your viewer traffic will surge dramatically. Below are seven elements that can enhance your marketing by harnessing existing video or planning future filming within your organization. If you don’t have the budget, resources or personnel to produce video, consider collaborating with a video production agency or local public-access television station; or solicit portfolio-building contributions from a school video production class.

1. Take stock in your inventory – What do you have available without contracting with a video production agency? Do you have amateur-style footage, smart phone recordings, professionally edited B-roll vignettes or full-length programs? All of these formats can have a place on your YouTube channel, provided you organize and label them accordingly. 

2. What makes good video for marketing? – If you don’t have a supply of ready-to-air video, consider developing a plan to produce samples gradually, including topics like recaps of groundbreakings or press conferences; video tours of your companies, stores, facilities or expert interviews or renderings of a project (i.e. create buzz with updates or countdown to an opening).

3. Maximize YouTube’s features and display options – Keep your brand and logo consistent on YouTube so it is aligned with your website and social media profiles. Include a brief (about 30 words) description of the agency so it fits nicely in the header box. Similar to Twitter and the new Facebook “cover photo”, you also have the aesthetic option of uploading a customized background (consider a notable company photo or iconic image). 

4. Optimize videos for search – For every video, include a short caption and description; this is an opportunity for boilerplate information, website and phone number. You should add tags for each video to target certain demographics for online search optimization.

5. Cross-pollinate videos – Any time you post a new video, cross-promote the link on your website and social media. This is great content to keep your customers interested, informed on the latest news and engaged to share and re-post in their networks.

6. Make regular adjustments to main viewer – Periodically switch the featured video that pops up first; plan your promotional calendar so that the main viewer depicts your next event or program. Once it is over, change the settings to show a more evergreen video, such as a tour of a park or public safety announcement with tips for water safety or youth fitness.

7. Create a “library” with playlists – As your archive grows, you can make separate playlists according to categories, facilities or activities. The benefit of leveraging playlists is to sort content so that it can be distributed accordingly to your different audience interests, including teen programs, aquatics promotions or nature classes.

Do you use YouTube currently as part of your marketing mix? Do you have plans to include video and YouTube in your marketing efforts? What types of videos have you found to be most engaging and successful for your agency? Do you have any tips or success stories to add?

Written By: Liam O'Mahony, MBA, ABC, APR City of Chandler, AZ Community Services Department 

Credit Dave Pell at Gizmodo.com.au   

It seems like every week, often every day, there is a news story about someone getting in trouble for what they posted on social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc).  For students and young professionals this can be especially troublesome. That Facebook photo from freshman year or the late Friday night tweet doesn’t disappear. 

In recent news, athletes competing in the 2012 London Olympic Games have been expelled for inappropriate tweets (USA Today Article).  George Zimmerman (charged with murder in the February death of Trayvon Martin) had a particularly damaging seven year old MySpace page resurface that included several racist comments (Yahoo News Article).  Tweets are being recorded by the Library of Congress.  The new “Timeline” format on Facebook is bringing posts and pictures from years ago back to the surface (NY Times Article).  Remember, what is shared by you and about you on social media doesn’t go away.

Most people now (think they) have their privacy settings set to avoid anything embarrassing being exposed.  The fact is: those settings are confusing and constantly changing.  You also never know who will see your profiles while logged in as one of your friends, followers or connections.  Access to personal social media sites and accounts are being subpoenaed in court cases and even required by employers.  The exact legality of these practices isn’t yet known and won’t be for some time until more cases and lawsuits work their way through the courts.

It is quite simple...  If you don’t want something to be public, DO NOT POST IT!   

This includes disparaging comments about employers or coworkers, inappropriate pictures and even bad grammar or misspellings.

An October 2011 article on Mashable highlighted some astounding statistics about how companies are screening job applicants using social media:

• 91% of companies use social media to screen applicants
• 69% have rejected a candidate because of what they saw on a social networking site, most commonly because the applicant lied about their qualifications
• 68% have hired a candidate because of what they saw on a social networking site, most commonly because they got a positive impression of the applicant’s personality and organizational fit 

The first two statistics should not be surprising to most people. Most of the buzz around social media are damaging stories about employees losing their job or job offer.   The third survey result, however, is actually pretty refreshing. 

Your social media accounts should be an accurate representation of you.  You should feel comfortable that employers or potential employers will be left with a positive impression upon seeing these profiles, just as you hope to leave a good impression in a job interview.

Now the important part:

1. Open a new window in your browser.
2. Go to www.Google.com.
3. Search yourself.
4. Do you like what you see (probably several social media profiles)?  If not, log in and address the issue.

Have you ever used social networking sites to screen applicants?  How have you taken precautions to ensure your social media profiles are professional and accurate?    Let us know below in the comments!

Written by: Michael Biedenstein, Recreation Program Coordinator at the City of Eureka, MO
http://nrpaconnect.org/mbiedenstein
 

The whole idea of this program is to benefit the next generation of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and athletes of all ages in communities across America.

The program includes 13 athletes – Team Citi – made up of Olympic and Paralympic alumni, qualifiers and 2012 hopefuls. Members of Team Citi represent a wide range of sports: swimming, soccer, tennis, triathlon, gymnastics, track & field (Olympic/Paralympic) and sitting volleyball.

Olympian tennis stars Mike and Bob Bryan have chosen to support the NRPA’s Tennis in the Parks (TIP) initiative through this partnership.

As you may know, the TIP program gives millions of kids access to tennis lessons, courts, rackets and resources so they can learn and excel in the game. Through their involvement with Every Step of the Way, the Bryan Brothers hope to raise money for TIP and inspire kids to follow their own dreams of becoming tennis stars.

Kids from Murfreesboro TN Park and Recreation Cheer on the Bryan Brothers 

And tonight, the 2012 Olympic Games will open and “our very own” Bryan Brothers, seeded number 1, will take part and go for GOLD.  Not only that, they’ll be taking the spirit of NRPA and Tennis in the Parks with them every step along the way in London! 

Make sure you tune in tonight and see if you can spot the twins during the opening ceremony and tune in on Saturday to cheer them on as they take on a Brazilian doubles team.  If you are on social media, we want them to feel the love from the NRPA community – tweet your support to @BryanBros.

Beyond cheering for the Brothers, there are more ways you can help.  Citi has donated $500,000, or 50 million ThankYou points to the Every Step program and you can help award them to our cause!

• First, download the application here on Facebook: http://citi.us/IYzI6g 
• You’ll be paired with an athlete, make sure it’s the Bryan Brothers!
• The more you like, tweet, share, view and watch the brothers’ content the more points will be awarded to Tennis in the Parks

We are proud to partner with Citi and the Bryan Brothers to help raise funds for the Tennis in the Parks program and you should be too!

Want to learn more about the Bryan Brothers? Watch here: http://citi.us/L4lpOG 
 

The NRPA’s Directors School provides an opportunity for individuals to maximize their human capital (i.e. education, training, skills, and experience), which often becomes an advantage in the workplace. NRPA’s Directors School also provides an opportunity for individuals to increase their social capital (i.e. networking opportunities with colleagues and instructors and finding mentors).

Human Capital
The NRPA’s Directors School affords the opportunity to actively participate in a curriculum that is designed to build skills necessary for the development of new and upcoming park and recreation directors.
Directors School offers topics such as:

• Professionalism
• Management
• Leadership
• Organization & Administrative Operations
• Strategic Planning
• Human Resource Management
• Partnerships
• Recreation Management
• Fiscal Management

Each topic provided me with an overview and included specific issues that are relevant in the park and recreation profession. In addition, by attending Directors School I was exposed to other directors and faculty that provided feedback, advice, guidance, and mentorship. The engagement with other professionals who have similar goals and/or experiences provided me the opportunity to seek “Best Practices” in the park and recreation field and “Best Practices” for becoming a better park and recreation director.

Social Capital
The week-long Directors School adventure enabled me to create strong ties with other recreation professionals around the country. Since attending Directors School, I have contacted several of my peers to ask questions regarding special projects. The feedback that I received enabled me to make more informed decisions. Instructors were knowledgeable about their course materials, and they were also extremely energetic. The course materials were helpful; however I found the group exercises and projects most beneficial because working in groups created a practical atmosphere like you might find on the job. In addition, the groups were made up of directors and/or senior staff being groomed to become directors; therefore the groups brought diverse experiences and philosophies that created a think-tank for parks and recreation best practices.

One other key lesson learned from my experience at NRPA’s Directors School is that it reinforced the need for me to set realistic and obtainable goals, both personally and professionally. Goal setting is extremely important for most things in life, especially for professional development and upward mobility.

If you are a new Directors School Candidate, here are a few key recommendations to consider:

1. Bring your tablet or laptop computer with you. These are great tools to use during class sessions and particularly during group work.
2. Take time to read your course materials prior to attending Directors School. This will make the class/group discussion more productive.
3. Remember you will get out of the overall experience exactly what you put into the school.
4. Bring your gym wear. There are many opportunities to exercise outdoors in the great West Virginia air or a quick workout onsite at the resort.
5. Do not isolate yourself to your room during non-school hours. Take every opportunity to network with your peers. In addition, do not isolate yourself to one group! Get to know everyone in your class. The benefits will be endless!
6. Be sure to take your business cards.
7. Most importantly, have a great time!

Written by: James D. Worsley, Ph.D., CPRP, CTRS
Parks and Recreation Director, Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, Georgia 

The good news for many of the parks on the hit-list is that a large proportion of them may escape being shut down, at least temporarily, because of an outpouring of public support and volunteer contributions. Local businesses, philanthropists, foundations, and regular citizens who love their state parks have stepped up in extraordinary ways, donating time and money to keep parks open, hoping for a revival.

But almost unnoticed in stories about the unfolding crisis is that the remaining employees of the California Department of Parks and Recreation reported to work on July 1, as usual, and continued to do what they have done every day for almost 100 years—provide outstanding service to the public, protecting natural and cultural treasures, rescuing stranded visitors, interpreting nature to kids, and being stewards of one of the finest park systems in the country.  

Faced with a double-whammy budget crisis—structural deficits aggravated by the recession—the state services in California are being cut back across the board, but the state parks are taking it on the chin.  Steep budget cuts have not only resulted in plans to close parks, but have also led to severe cuts in supplies, materials, maintenance, and operations.  And the noose continues to be tightened mercilessly.  Every state park worker has taken a pay cut in the past year, and more cuts in pay and benefits are anticipated.  “Just about everyone will be taking pay cuts, one way or the other,” said a senior staffer. Fortunately, no full-time career employees have been terminated yet, but layoff notices in anticipation of further cuts may be next on the horizon.  “Everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Yet in the face of this relentlessly bad news, the employees of the state park system--from the park maintenance workers, to the administrative staff, to the trades staff, to the park rangers, to the leadership--have shown a resilience and can-do attitude of public service that is extraordinary.

I asked a state parks spokesperson recently, Who is stepping up?  “Well, just about everybody,” she said.  And many are going above and beyond the call of duty, working additional uncompensated hours.  Examples range from park managers attending evening and weekend meetings with civic and business groups, archeologists and natural resources specialists working to save threatened park resources, park rangers  patrolling larger and larger territories, and professional staff dealing with volunteers in new roles--as stewards of resources and managers of parks, all in situations that they have never dealt with before.  Every member of the California state parks staff in one way or the other is working to find solutions to the unfolding crisis and trying to keep the public safe and the parks well-maintained  in the face of ever-diminishing resources and an uncertain future. 

And what is the attitude of parks’ workers despite the bad news?  A staffer told me a story recently of a woman who had stayed in a rustic camping cabin in Northern California who had lost her wallet.  She had collected her trash, checked out of the cabin at the end of the weekend, and was on her way home when she realized that she didn’t have her wallet and thought she had thrown it out with the trash.  After fielding her frantic call, the staff took in on themselves to start opening a large pile of trash bags collected over the weekend, sorting through each one, bag by bag.  Amazingly, they found her wallet.  They contacted her, and made arrangements for its return.  This might be a one-off, feel-good kind of story, but it exemplifies the willingness of park staff—whatever the level—to go above and beyond the call of duty.

So, here is to the unsung heroes of the California State Park system.  Despite the unrelenting bad news, they continue to serve the public and care for California’s most outstanding natural and cultural resources—a true public trust.  No matter what the current budget situation and what the future brings, their contributions and service are recognized and appreciated—in California and across the nation.

Written by: Richard J. Dolesh, NRPA Vice President for Conservation and Parks 

This year, I have a new reason to love July: Park and Recreation Month!  

What a great way to show the nation the important role of parks and recreation? And to think that, across the country all month long, the park and recreation field is coming together to celebrate the great things they bring to a community, it is pretty amazing. 

From what I have heard and seen already, I’d say we are truly getting wild for parks and rec this July.  This literally makes my month to see all the fun ways you are celebrating and it is only July 2!

Of course, what makes Park and Recreation Month so great is getting the community engaged and out at your facilities and events.  We’ve got lots of fun ways you can engage with them – and even WIN PRIZES for doing so!

Here is our list of five fun ways to get wild:

1. Say “Cheese” with the Get Wild Poster at one of your Park and Recreation Month events.  Bring your copy and take a picture or video while you and your community gets wild. Share it with us either through email or social media.  We'll be pinning pictures to our “Get Wild” board on Pinterest too
2.  Share our wacky and wonderful video about Park and Recreation Month or make one up yourself. We’ve got a sample video script in the media outreach kit that can help you get started.
3. “Wild out” your Facebook page with the social media avatar. Use it as a status message or as your “profile” image for the month.  Facebook is becoming more visual – we just gave you an easy way to get into this trend!
4. Have your community pledge to Get Wild this month!   It is as easy as going to the pledge page, entering some info and hitting the pledge button.   
5. Win prizes with the Get Wild Geocaching contest. You could win one of two full registration packages to the 2012 Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, CA just by updating or hiding a “Get Wild” geocache.  This is a great activity that brings people into your parks and facilities and is something that gets people active and engaged. Give it a try this July! 

We want to hear (and see) all the ways you are getting wild! Tag us in social media whenever possible, and be sure to email us with your successes (and photos and videos too!) at July@nrpa.org. 

Written by: Lauren Hoffmann, senior PR and communications manager.  

Tell us, what is one of your top reasons to love July?  

This includes:

• Removing dedicated funding for programs such as the Transportation Enhancements (TE), Safe Routes to Schools, and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP),reversing more than 20 years of progress on active transportation options; and

• Removing the Senate provision that provided $700 million in dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for each of the next two years and reauthorized the program through 2022 (currently due to expire in 2015).

The TE Program provides each state with funds for projects that enrich the transportation experience at the local level, and has been the largest source of funding for walking and biking projects over the last 20 years.  Current law requires that 10 percent of a state’s surface transportation law be set-aside for TE projects.  As a result, approximately $984 million is annually provided to states through the TE program and usually competed out to local communities. 

The original Senate bill removed this set-aside, and NRPA and other national organizations worked tirelessly to restore funding.  In the end, the Senate removed the set-aside, but provided dedicated funding for TE projects. The compromised bill, however, would not only eliminate the set-aside requirement, it would also permit governors to “opt-out” of spending federal transportation funding on TE, RTP, and Safe Routes to Schools projects. Governors can use the money designated for these programs for highway projects.  Because governors are no longer required to invest in these types of projects, we will likely see a significant decline in the capital construction of these projects which could negatively impact local economies. A study conducted by the Political Economy Research Institute found that for each $1 million spent on bike lanes, approximately 14 jobs are created. Compare this to $1 million spent on road repair work that generated only about 7 jobs. 

Because funding for walking and biking projects is now an option, future state level advocacy will be vitally important.  

Another disappointment is the removal of LWCF funding as part of the final conference deal made during the final hours of negotiations. The Senate version of the transportation bill had provided $700 million of dedicated funding for the LWCF over the next two years.  The House bill did not include the provision and Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA), a conferee, was particularly outspoken with avid opposition to the program remaining in the final bill.   In the end, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the conference chair, traded giving up the Senate’s LWCF provision for the removal of the House’s XL Pipeline and coal ash demands.

As tension mounted and there was increased pressure to pass this bill by June 30, Senate Democrats readily caved to the demands of House Republicans, thereby selling out alternative transportation, recreation, and conservation. The compromised bill is a $109 billion authorization, the same level as current law that will last through September 2014.

A glimmer of hope for trails funding, exists with the TIGER Grant Program.  

U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood is committed and vocal with his support for non-motorized transportation, and during the recent TIGER IV grant awards, 12 percent of the $500 million awarded went to multimodal, bicycle and pedestrian projects. This program is separate from the transportation reauthorization and the battle for funding will have to be fought through the annual appropriations process.  For FY 13, which begins on October 1, 2012, the Senate has provided $500 million for the TIGER grant program, while the House has provided zero funding.  The two chambers will conference their respective bills, and we are hopeful the final negotiated transportation bill will include funding for the TIGER grant program.

Written by Stacey Pine, Vice President of Government Affairs  

But, what about the kids who don’t have the same resources mine do?  What about programs that may not be “important-to-us,” but critical to health?  What about the millions, 19.5 million to be specific, of children who fall within the definition of low-income?  Do these kids have access to the same summer experiences that my kids do?  I think the answer is yes-maybe.

Park and recreation agencies universally offer fee waivers and reductions for low-income children to participate in summer programs.  This is the yes part of my response.  However, many parents and caregivers aren’t aware of the assistance available to allow their children to participate in these summer programs.  And if they are aware, their kids might not be able to get to the park without the school busses and crossing guards in place during the school year.  If they do get there, does the park and recreation agency have the resources necessary to meet the need?  This is the maybe part of my response.

To illustrate my point and to get at the heart of this post; 19.5 million children receive free or reduced-priced lunches at school each year.  However, during the summer months fewer than 3 million children partake in free summer lunch.  This is a gap of more than 16 million kids who can receive a free healthy lunch each day school is out, but don’t.  Why is this?  NRPA believes the answer to this gap is awareness of families, access by children, and resources at parks.

Over the last three years, NRPA has awarded grants to 44 communities through its Serving Communities program.  Funded by the Walmart Foundation, and being joined by the Kansas Health Foundation in 2012, these grants provide park and recreation agencies with resources to expand their community outreach, hire staff for larger and additional feeding sites, purchase refrigerated vans to transport meals, and bring on school busses (and drivers) to help get kids to parks.  These grants have targeted awareness, access, and resources – resulting in 16 million meals being served to 180,000 children thus far.  This is from the handful of communities receiving Serving Communities grants.  Recognizing there are roughly 12,000 park and recreation agencies in the United States and that 84 percent of them provide summer lunches (56% also provide afterschool meals) and the real impact is staggering.  Park and recreation agencies serve 560,000,000 meals to children each year. 

But, there are still more than 16 million children who could be participating in summer lunch programs at parks, but aren’t.  If these kids aren’t in parks – where are they and what are they doing?

Working where I do, I understand the critical role park and recreation agencies have in improving individual and community quality of life.  Being a parent, I see the real importance of a child’s time spent in an enriching and healthy environment.  With expanded support from the Walmart Foundation and Kansas Health Foundation, I’m proud to be a part of NRPA’s effort to provide park and recreation agencies with the tools to help them bring more at-risk kids into parks; not only each summer, but every day.

Written by: Jimmy O’Connor, NRPA Senior Manager of Corporate Grants, Father of three 

Tell us, how are you serving your community during the summer months to reach at-risk populations? How do you raise awareness, increase access and provide resources? Do you have success stories to share?  We want to hear from you!  

When Congress enacts the surface transportation law, it generally does so for a period of five years, and at the end of those five years, Congress revisits the law and makes necessary changes to policy as well as spending levels. If Congress is unable to agree on a long-term reauthorization of the law we generally see a few extensions of the current program which allows funding to continue to flow to states while giving lawmakers an opportunity to reach an agreement on the long-term bill. The obvious benefit of a long-term law is that it provides states and localities with certainty for funds and allows them to confidently enter into contracts for major transportation projects, knowing there will be funding available to pay contract obligations.

The current law was first set to expire in September 2009, and since that time we have seen nine extensions.  Come July 1, a 10th extension will be necessary in order to keep money flowing to the states, and, at that point, Congress will have gone over 1,000 days without passing a new transportation law.

According to the U.S. Chamber, this band-aid approach has created uncertainty relative to funding assurances which has caused states to forego entering into contracts. The net result has been the loss of thousands of jobs. 

An ominous sign that it will be a long road to a final transportation bill is the fact that conferees are at an impasse without having discussed the Keystone pipeline and other issues dubbed as the most “contentious”.  The current controversy over the bill revolves around the environmental and regulatory reviews of projects and how to pay for the bill. 

Even our park and recreation interests have become controversial points in the transportation debate.  The Senate proposes continued funding to states for projects such as bike and pedestrian trails.  A small group of House Republicans, who are on the conference committee, are adamantly against this proposal and are working to allow states the ability to “opt out”  of using this money for active transportation projects and use it, instead, for highway maintenance and construction.  The result would be an end to over 20 years of dedicated federal funding for biking and walking and localities would need to find other means of funding such projects.

John Boehner (R-OH), the Speaker of the House, has stated that should Congress fail to complete a final bill by June 30th, he would advocate for a six month extension.  In other words, Boehner is proposing to “kick the can” to the next Congress which will be seated in January.  That would entail starting the process all over. 

The problem with that is the Highway Trust Fund, the primary funding source for federal transportation construction and maintenance, is scheduled to run out of money in early 2013. All of us contribute to the Highway Trust Fund each time we fill up at the pump through a fuel tax assessed on each gallon of gas we buy. While none of us like to pay more taxes, the fuel tax has not been increased since 1993.  As a result, the cost of highway construction and maintenance has increased, but the amount of money being put into the fund has not kept pace. 

The Highway Trust Fund is authorized under SAFETEA-LU and the fact it’s nearly  out of money  puts considerable pressure on lawmakers to complete a bill this session.   House and Senate leaders met earlier this week and have agreed to work through the end of this week in an attempt to solidify a deal that will avoid expiration on June 30th.  While this is a step in the right direction, we are unlikely to see any real attempt at a compromise until after the November elections. 

Given the current state of negotiations even the pundits and hill staff are starting to question whether we will actually see a bill passed before the end of the year.  What do you think?

Written by Stacey Pine, NRPA Vice President of Government Affairs  

These are all excuses for a young park and recreation professional to not apply for the NRPA Young Professional Fellowship and/or the AAPRA Externship; or any scholarship opportunity for that matter.  I don’t buy those excuses.

Both the NRPA Young Professional Fellowship and the AAPRA (American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration) Externship are unique opportunities that will potentially allow applicants to attend the 2012 NRPA Annual Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, California. 

Four recipients will be chosen for the Young Professional Fellowship. They will receive complementary registration to Congress and the 2013 Legislative Forum and up to a $1,000 travel stipend each for travel expenses. Similarly, the Externship is also awarded to four individuals and recipients will receive complementary Congress registration and up to $750 in travel expenses. 

I was fortunate to be the recipient of both the Externship and Fellowship in the past two years and I can tell you that the experiences were invaluable. 

Both programs provide recipients a very busy and informative Congress.  To start, each program provides participants with mentors of the most distinguished levels in this profession.  In addition to meeting these individuals, the networking gained from these programs is amazing as awardees are invited to all Congress social events and meetings where they will interact with many of what I have come to learn are the best of the best.

Does applying for these opportunities take time and effort?  Yes, it does.  It should take some time to sell yourself as a professional in a letter of rationale as to why you are a deserving candidate.  It should take some time to seek out quality references that are willing to support you.  And yes, it should take time to update your resume with all that you have accomplished. 

At the very least, the application process will update your portfolio and enhance your professional development.

Are you qualified?  Well, you will never know if you do not apply.

If you are thinking of applying, don’t think, don’t make excuses as why not to, just do it! 

Written by Tom Venniro, Recreation Supervisor, Chili Recreation Department in North Chili, NY. You can reach Tom with questions at tvenniro@townofchili.org or leave a comment below. You can also read more about Tom in the June issue of Parks & Recreation.  

*Editor’s note: In addition to the Young Professional Fellowship and the AAPRA Externship, NRPA also offers the Diversity Scholarship. Four will be awarded this scholarship and will receive complementary registration to the 2012 Congress and Exposition, up to $1,000 to assist with travel and hotel expenses and a mentor who serves on the Diversity Committee. Deadline for the NRPA Young Professional Fellowship and Diversity Scholarship is July 6, 2012. Deadline for the AAPRA Externship is June 22, 2012. 

However, discussions on the Hill, now have many wondering whether earmarks are truly dead.

The whispers began months ago as Congress struggled with its self-imposed two-year moratorium on earmarks.  Important legislation has stalled and gridlock seems to have become the new norm on Capitol Hill as legislators are unable to use earmarks as bargaining chips and partisan politics are at an all-time high.

Earlier this year, after having struggled through the first year of the earmark ban, a growing number of Republicans began discussing the possibility of reconsidering the ban after the 2012 elections. The argument for bringing back earmarks ranged from ceding control of all spending to the Obama administration, to not having the ability to help fund worthy projects back home.

These arguments were not new and they were not being made by Republicans alone.  In January of 2011, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had this to say after President Obama’s state of the union speech when the President announced he would veto bills that included earmarks: “The money is going to be spent anyway,” said Reid. “The difference is the White House is going to be directed [sic] where it’s spent, not us. That’s our obligation. This does not save any money.” Added a visibly frustrated Reid, "I have a constitutional obligation to do congressionally-directed spending. I know much more what's needed in Elko, Nevada . . . than some bureaucrat does back here."

A report from the Heritage Foundation seems to back up the Majority Leader’s January 2011 claim that the Administration was the one now doing the earmarking. The report says that the Obama administration directed federal spending to Democrats to help get them to vote for controversial bills such as cap and trade, financial regulation reform and Obamacare.

Fox News reported: "Numbers from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service show that the value of administration earmarks under President Obama increased by a 126 percent in his first two years in office and the actual number of administrative earmarks increased by 54 percent. Those are dramatic increases that are 11 times more than Congress itself increased earmarks, which the White House has not explained. It also does not square with statements the President is against earmarks, which he and his administration appear to have used to great effect and with increasing frequency."

Given the increased partisan politics and legislative deadlock, one has to wonder whether there is merit to bringing back earmarks or whether legislators should simply find another way to work out differences.  The Ferguson Group and NRPA will continue to follow this issue as it unfolds.

Written by: Trent Lehman, Managing Partner with The Ferguson Group and Stacey L. Pine, NRPA’s Vice President of Government Affairs
 

The baby tree swallows that just hatched a couple of days ago are very tiny and nestled deep in a finely crafted nest of dried pine needles  topped with an insulating ring of feathers.  The babies are fuzzy little nestlings who have not quite opened their eyes yet, but they will grow fast.  Even so, until they become large enough to fly from the box on their own in about 16 to 18 days, they will be totally dependent on their parents to bring them food and to keep them warm and dry during rainy days and cool nights.  The nest box will become crowded as the young ones double and then even triple in size before they finally leave the nest.

Tree swallows are one of five species of swallows commonly found in the Eastern U.S. (and are closely related to the barn swallows that also build their nests at the NRPA headquarters on ledges under the eaves of the roof).  Tree swallows are migratory--they winter in Mexico and Central America, and return to the U.S.  and Canada each spring to build a nest in natural cavities and man-made nest boxes.  They generally nest close to water’s edge near a pond, lake or marsh, and they will even nest directly over water if there is a suitable nest site.  Tree swallows primarily eat mosquitoes, but they also consume other insects as well as berries from plants such as Virginia creeper, red cedar, and bayberry.

All swallows are beneficial to man, but tree swallows have a special grace in flight that make them a welcome addition to any pond or wetland.

Like many other cavity-nesting songbirds in the Eastern U.S., tree swallows have declined in numbers due to loss of habitat, competition from non-native species, and lack of suitable nest sites.  The good news is that tree swallows, bluebirds, chickadees, titmice and other cavity nesting songbirds will all nest readily in man-made nest boxes.  Volunteer conservation efforts are restoring these valuable species across their range, especially in parks and on public lands.

Has your agency done any similar conservation projects such as man-made nest boxes? What are some of your success? Share with us in the comments below or send us some photos via Facebook!

For more information on how you can identify suitable habitat, build nest boxes for tree swallows and bluebirds, and attract them to your parks, visit the website of the North American Bluebird Society or that of the National Wildlife Federation.  

Written by Rich Dolesh, Vice President for Conservation and Parks  

Again and again, in my interviews with thought leaders and in-the-trenches volunteers, I hear comments like the following:

“Parks are not a luxury.” 

“Our neighborhood was crippled when the park was destroyed.”

“The economic benefits of parks are incalculable.”

“Parks cure isolation.”

“Turning industrial wasteland into green space can transform the economy.”

“Parks are the key to healthy play.”

Each of those interviewees understood the value of parks through his or her distinctive lens. Some are trained to measure economic impact—others are concerned more with immediate quality-of-life enrichment.

But they all share one important view—and I think it’s one that those working in the field need to hear often.

That view transcends mere agreement that parks are valuable. I doubt anyone would argue otherwise. Rather, my interviewees across disciplines all affirm that parks build, bind, and stimulate communities.  That open spaces, greenness, and public recreation are essentials, not amenities.

They know that parks heal blight—whether aesthetic, social, or economic.

They observe that parks make our children healthier.

They celebrate the vitality and “connectedness” that only a park can offer.

They cite evidence that good parks draw the best and the brightest to a region.

They recognize that businesses choose to locate in places that attract the best and brightest.

I nearly always conclude these interviews by asking, “What can parks and rec professionals do to help parks in a time of budget cuts?”

And repeatedly I hear the same responses:

“They need to shout out the benefits to elected officials.”

“Show the evidence to anyone who will listen.”

July is Parks and Recreation Month. And this weekend, Memorial Day weekend, marks the beginning of the season of our parks’ greatest public use and enjoyment.
How will you shout out the benefits?

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

John McGovern at Recreation Accessibility Consultants LLC, has prepared this summary for NRPA members.

What you should know about this extension:

NEW POOLS, SPAS, AND SWIMMING FACILITIES OWNED BY GOVERNMENTS (title II) OR BUSINESSES OR NONPROFITS (title III) 

Pools under construction March 15, 2012 or later MUST comply with the scoping provisions in section 242 of the 2010 Standards and the technical requirements in section 1009 of the 2010 Standards.  No exceptions.

 EXISTING POOLS, SPAS, AND SWIMMING FACILITIES OWNED AND OPERATED BY STATES OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 

Existing pools that the (title II) unit of government decides will be made accessible need not comply with the section 242 scoping requirements and the section 1009 technical requirements until January 31, 2013.  Please remember that some pools may be left as is and inaccessible in jurisdictions where there are more than one pool.  It is highly likely that in jurisdictions with only one pool though that the single pool serving the community must be made accessible.

EXISTING POOLS, SPAS, AND SWIMMING FACILITIES OWNED AND OPERATED BY BUSINESSES OR NONPROFITS 

Existing pools that the (title III) business (such as a hotel) or nonprofit (such as a Y), where making the pool accessible is readily achievable, need not comply with the section 242 scoping requirements and the section 1009 technical requirements until January 31, 2013.  Please remember that some corrective work at pools may be determined to be not readily achievable.  In that instance the corrective work need not be done.  Do remember that there are tax incentives for businesses to help with the cost of access retrofits.

DON'T FORGET... 

Requirements regarding parking, locker rooms, restrooms, showers, concessions, and other features at an existing pool did become effective March 15, 2012.  Don't wait...audit, plan, and implement your changes. 

RATIONALE 

DOJ determined that many pool owners and operators, particularly title III entities and specifically hotels, had an inaccurate understanding of:

• the meaning and application of readily achievable barrier removal;
• the meaning and application of the concept of technical infeasibility; and
• the characteristics of acceptable compliant swimming pool lifts.

WHAT'S NEXT? 

DOJ says, and we agree, that pool owners and operators should "complete the fact-specific evaluation" or access audit of existing pools.  Title II entities will then determine if, in applying the program access test, the pool will be made accessible.  Title III entities will then determine if access retrofits are "readily achievable".

You should also expect continuing education efforts by DOJ on this subject.

As we see and hear more, we'll pass it on to you.  As we have said before, this extension should not have a great impact on most of you, who already have plans in place.  But if your plan is evolving, at least for aquatics you now have some additional time.

For more information or questions, contact  john.mcgovern@rac-llc.com.  Also, view a previous blog post on this subject with more details.
Written by John N. McGovern, J.D., president of Recreation Accessibility Consultants, LLC.   

Serving 560 million meals to children each year, parks and recreation is the largest public provider of healthy meals to children during out-of-school times.  However, when looking at summer alone, only 20 percent of eligible children are participating in meal programs.

The question of the day; How to reach the 15 million low-income children who could, and perhaps should, be benefiting from healthy meals during summer – but aren’t? 

The day-long peer exchange included representatives from USDA Food and Nutrition Services, the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), and OrganWise Guys Inc. 

Through break-out groups and roundtable discussions, participants focused on four key areas:

• Increasing the number of children participating in summer feeding programs
• Resolving meal-specific challenges
• Expanding the number of feeding sites
• Incorporating additional enrichment into feeding programs such as nutritional education

At the end of the day emerged a number of key practices that collectively address the most significant barriers to reaching more children with healthy meals each summer.  These key practices will be combined with those resulting from a similar gathering in Kansas to help guide the efforts of the 2012 Serving Communities grantees. 

Stay tuned for future posts highlighting how the 2012 Serving Communities grantees are making a real difference in reducing children’s hunger and obesity in their communities.

By the way…did you know some agencies serve chocolate milk because kids will drink it at warmer temperatures (still within health regulations) than plain milk?  This sure beats throwing milk away.  Does your agency take any creative approaches to feeding hungry kids?

Written by Jimmy O’Connor Senior Manager, Grants  

NRPA’s Health and Wellness Advisory Panel, made up of 10 park professionals and researchers, and NRPA health and wellness staff attended the conference and convened to discuss the role of parks and recreation in obesity prevention. The Advisory Panel provides oversight and feedback, as well as subject-matter expertise to NRPA’s health and wellness programs, policies, and initiatives. In addition, NRPA had an exhibitor booth and a poster session illustrating the value that parks and recreation bring to promoting healthy lifestyles in communities.

Three major takeaways from the conference that you can be aware of include:

1. Release of a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation." This report provides recommendations to speed progress in obesity prevention, including making physical activity an integral and routine part of life.
2. New forecasts about obesity rates and related medical costs. Forty-two percent of Americans may end up obese by 2030 (up from 36% in 2010), and 11% could be severely obese, roughly 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight. Preventing obesity rates from increasing could save nearly $550 billion in medical expenditures over the next two decades.
3. The premiere of HBO’s new obesity documentary. On May 14 at 8 p.m., HBO will air the first two parts of its four-part documentary series confronting America’s obesity epidemic. The second two parts will air the following evening. The entire series and related communications materials also will be available online for free.

A message heard throughout the conference was that local park and recreation agencies are critical in helping solve the obesity epidemic, making positive impacts in communities nationwide. Be sure to check out the new IOM report to learn more about how you can take action to combat obesity. Also tune into the HBO obesity documentary which will examine communities that lack parks and highlight access to parks as important to the health of our country.

By Zarnaaz Bashir, Director of Strategic Health Initiatives at NRPA 

Why is it important?  
 

None of you, citizens or pros, stands in front of your swimming pool and purposely bars the admission of a person over the age of 55, a person with an ethnicity different than yours, a person with a gender different than yours, or a person with a different religious belief than yours.  And if someone told you that inadvertently you were doing so, I suspect, knowing many of you, that you would be embarrassed.  You would then stop the inadvertent discriminatory practice, implement staff training on the issue, and move on to a great swim season.
 

So why is disability different? 
 

The swimming facility requirements are a part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a very "young" civil rights law.  The ADA is only 21 years old, and the swimming facility requirements are younger than that.  Perhaps in time we'll see a pool lift, or an accessible locker room bench, or locker controls that don't require tight pinching, twisting, and grasping, and not even think twice about it.  But today, in many pools, locker rooms, hot tubs, and zero depth pools, these usually are not compliant. 

 

So it is time for change, time for action.  
 

Ask yourself: 
 

1.  Did my agency conduct an access audit of sites and facilities, especially aquatics sites?  If not, when are we moving to do so? 

2. Did we acquire pool lifts or make sloped entries compliant?  If not, do we have a plan for by what date we will do so? 

3. Have we reached out to our public with disabilities for their preferences and to make them aware of our progress in this area?  If not, by when are we doing so?
    

Yes, change does require that we think about issues or circumstances differently.  We in parks and recreation are good at that though.  Access and inclusion are here to stay.  The sooner we embrace and exceed the requirements, as opposed to resisting the minimum requirements, the more quickly we'll serve all of our communities, including people with disabilities. 
 

 I urge you to move ahead quickly.  I invite you to reach me at john.mcgovern@rac-llc.com with questions, suggestions, great ideas, and success stories.  Let's lead, not follow, on this important issue.
 

Written by John N. McGovern, J.D. , president of Recreation Accessibility Consultants, LLC.  Read the open letter on the ADA Requirements for Existing Title II Swimming Facilities here.  

I’ve spent countless hours with my two year old son at playgrounds on the weekend and it is not only fun for him, but fun for me as I soak up all his laughter and file all the wonderful memories made together. But one thing I wasn’t really sure of is how to stay safe while on the playground and what things I should look for when we approach a new play area.

This morning, Caroline Smith, NRPA’s playground safety manager and expert, was a guest on the Martha Stewart “Morning Living” radio show on SiriusXM satellite radio. Caroline took listeners through five important tips to keep in mind when going to the playground (audio clip follows).

These tips are available on the playground safety section of NRPA.org. Feel free to share these five tips with parents in your community as well!
 

1. Check the surfacing material beneath the equipment to ensure it is acceptable. Improper surfacing material under playground equipment is the leading cause of playground-related injuries.
   
    
2. Check the temperature of equipment surfaces. Hot surfaces in direct sunlight can reach temperatures high enough to cause serious contact burn injuries in a matter of seconds.
   
    
3. Be observant of the conditions of the playground. After falls, the next leading cause of injuries on playgrounds is related to breakage, tip-over, design and assembly of equipment.
   
    
4. Supervision and proper clothing can reduce risk. It is estimated that 40 percent of playground injuries are associated with a lack of supervision.
   
    
5. Ensure the equipment is age-appropriate. Preschool-aged children (2 to 5) have developmental needs that differ greatly from school-aged children (5 to 12).
   
    

• April 26,2012: Listen to the interview. 

And don’t forget to visit both www.nrpa.org/playgroundsafety and www.nrpa.org/CPSI to learn more about the Certified Playground Safety Inspector program.

Tell us, what are some ways you keep playgrounds safe for the families and children in your community?

Written by: Lauren Hoffmann, Senior PR and Communications Manager at NRPA 

I interviewed Dan recently on current developments in public-private park partnerships—and he shared his insights on new trends in partnerships, projects and programs to steer clear of, and California’s budget-dictated state park sponsorships.

As a third-party consultant who has helped bring many well-known parks together with private partners, what do you see as the most exciting trend taking place in public-private park partnerships? 

The most exciting trend in partnerships is simply their growth into areas that traditionally have looked askance at private funding and control: the East and West coasts, and older cities specifically. Governments have a lot of money, but they tend to spend a lot of it on very expensive labor arrangements. Bringing in a private manager allows a return to closer-to-market arrangements, as well as more streamlined contracting and RFP processes.

Are there developments you’re seeing in this arena of public-private partnerships that you’d advise parks to embrace wholeheartedly? Any that they should be cautious about? 

First, diverse revenue streams: you can’t count on any given revenue source to continue strong forever, including tax levy funding. Second, programming is critical, not just design and rehabilitation—a few well-placed daily programs (we use chess, yoga, a carousel, a reading room/outdoor library, ping pong, a park piano, and more) can draw large engaged crowds at low cost.

I think there are some costly trends in the field to be avoided: over-priced monumental sculpture and over-fussy water features in particular. Also, some landscape architects are falling in love with their symbolic gestures, which rarely produce many happy visitors.     

You work primarily with urban parks. But do you have any comments or advice regarding the partnerships being formed to help state parks stay open in budget-challenged states like California?  

California’s state parks commissioner is moving in exactly the right direction. The state has no alternative to trying to recruit some private sponsors, and it is well placed to do so given its status as a media capital. I’ve spoken with Commissioner Coleman, and we’re facing the same old arguments against private funding on each coast, including a very “cartoonish” exaggeration of the amount of attribution these sponsors generally require.

Earth Day Inspirations: Lessons from Mecklenburg County

With the coming observance of Earth Day on April 22, this week you may want to take some time to think and reflect on the role of parks and recreation in conservation and sustainability. Perhaps you’ll take this as an opportunity to set some conservation goals for yourself and your agency.  

If you haven’t read it already, the April Parks & Recreation feature story, Natural Leaders: Parks and recreation agencies lead their communities in conservation, provides a good look into the varied ways parks and recreation are taking up conservation. Each profile lends inspiration and insight into how communities (and Earth!) benefit from the leadership and innovation of parks and recreation agencies.  It also provides ideas on how you can advance your conservation and sustainability efforts.  

One spotlight in the article is on the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department in North Carolina and their Natural Resources division.   Few U.S. park and recreation agencies have divisions staffed entirely by natural scientists, and Mecklenburg’s team of natural resources specialists might seem at first blush like a costly way to invest in conservation. Michael Kirschman, who directs Mecklenburg’s Nature Preserves and Natural Resources division, says the lessons his agency has learned—from dollars saved on consultants to increased national credibility—point to the opposite conclusion.

Kirschman shared with us five key lessons his agency learned from implementing a division of natural resource specialists.

1. Cost savings and then some - Cost savings to the county continue to mount because of having professional ecologists, foresters, and natural areas managers on staff. Instead of hiring consultants for issues that arise, the team is able to address them. For example, last year we had an issue at a park where an earthen dam spillway was not functioning properly at an active athletic park facility. We could have hired a consultant to address the situation; however our internal Natural Resources section was able to repair the dam at the cost of just a few hundred dollars in materials. This likely would have cost the agency thousands to hire out. We fixed it internally in two days. 
2. The expertise is needed – There is public support out there for this type of expertise.  When you don’t have it, you don’t think about it or address it, but once you get into managing your natural areas, you start to see just how critical it is.
3. Increased credibility - I’ve learned that having professional Natural Resources staff on board GREATLY increases the agency’s credibility when embarking on nearby development projects, land acquisitions, or wildlife management issues.
4. Expanded constituency groups - Having a Natural Resources section, that has partnered extensively with outside agencies and organizations (e.g., National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and Audubon Society) GREATLY expands our constituency and advocacy groups.
5. A little goes a long way - and in a relatively short amount of time. Our program started roughly 20 years ago, with one staff person. When I think of what we’ve accomplished in that short amount of time it’s amazing. In terms of natural areas management, a little bit of money and the right people can make a huge difference.

What are your thoughts about the benefits of a Natural Resources division within park and recreation agencies?  Is this something you do or would like to try to implement?  What do you think are ways park and recreation agencies can lead conservation efforts in communities? Will you set conservation goals this year?

Free webinar on April 19^th will bring together physicians, health administrators, and parks professionals to share successes and challenges of new initiatives 

A growing number of physicians and pediatricians are looking to parks as natural partners in the fight against chronic disease and obesity.  These physicians are recognizing the exceptional health benefits of using parks and trails to improve one’s health.  Many have embraced the concept of “Park Prescriptions,” that is an actual prescription from a doctor to direct patients to engage in a specific amount of daily physical activity, which can be achieved by walking in parks or on public trails. Additionally, some doctors are putting skin in the game by coming out to parks and showing by their own example that walking and spending time outdoors is great for one’s health.   

Parks and public lands have long been associated with higher physical activity levels, but are now also associated with greater feelings of revitalization, energy, and perceptions of improved health.  Prescribing parks as a solution for improving health offers affordable, accessible health benefits to people of all ages, abilities and incomes, and it can produce outstanding results in promoting healthy behaviors and preventing chronic disease conditions. 

The Children in Nature Partnership, a working group of parks professionals composed of representatives of the National Park Service, the National Association of State Park Directors, and the National Recreation and Park Association, have been looking at ways that parks can do more to tangibly improve the health of children and adults.  A number of local, state, and national parks have begun to partner with pediatricians and physicians in innovative ways to design trail systems to promote health outcomes, prescribe walking or biking as a way to get daily physical activity, and to create better examples of ways to promote regular physical activity to achieve improved health, fitness, and appreciation for our nation’s natural and cultural heritage. 

The Children and Nature Partnership will sponsor a lively and informative webinar on April 19^th, 2pm-3:15pm EDT (11:00am PDT, 12:00pm MDT, 1:00pm CDT) to share examples of innovative ideas and programs that are being implemented around the country to connect doctors to the public in parks and to encourage them to prescribe the use of parks, trails and public lands for physical activity as a means to improve health. Presenters will include Dr. Maria Brown, a pediatrician and pediatrics instructor from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in MD; Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist and founder of Walk With a Doc in Columbus, OH; Kathryn Stephens, Executive Director of Walk with a Doc; Jean Rystrom, a health care administrator for Kaiser Permanente in Portland, OR; and Terry Bergerson, outdoor recreation planner from the Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation in Salem, OR. 

The webinar presenters will examine innovative programs such as the extremely popular “Walk With a Doc” program that is engaging thousands of people to join regular hikes in parks in their local communities; how pediatricians and physicians in Maryland have initiated “Docs in the Park” programs to engage families, children and youth in healthy and educational activities in parks; and how healthcare professionals and park planners are working together in Oregon to connect physicians who are prescribing physical activity in parks as a means of reducing obesity with park and recreation agencies to help in implementation. If you are interested in learning more about how to connect physicians, parks, non-profit organizations and volunteers in creative ways to promote physical activity in parks, this webinar will provide invaluable information and resources. Registration is free, but preregistration is required.    

To register, go to:  http://ipv.nrpa.org/store/events/registration.aspx?event=WDOCPRK412 

This webinar is hosted by the Children and Nature Partnership of NRPA/NASPD/NPS with support from the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program of the US Department of Health and Human Services.  

For others, conservation is an all-encompassing worldview. They look at the natural world and see a richness and an unfolding narrative that most of us have not been trained to see. For those folks, a short hike through a valley is a biodiversity adventure. A tree planted in between blocks of cement is the launch of a stormwater collection mission deep into the ground.

And then there is the language of conservation. Conservationists use terms like “invasive species” (which, unlike boring “weeds,” contain action-packed tales of clashing natural cultures).

Conservationists, because they have learned to see the world as a rich and animated place, are also quick to perceive the worth of cultural artifacts. To value intersections of nature with human experience. Nevada's ancient Native American rock art, for example, belongs to the fuller landscape—and merits protection and preservation as much as the landscape itself.

When my colleague Beth Beard and I dived into research for the April cover story, “Natural Leaders,” I expected to hear about a lot of best practices and finer points of water re-use, master planning, and land acquisition. And I did hear about those things. But what I learned was that, when you are talking with a true, dyed-in-the-wool conservationist, you always hear the story behind the practice first.

Species inventorying in North Carolina, for example.  It all began with the discovery of an endangered sunflower native to the Charlotte area.  Fields of vivid yellow wildflowers captured the imaginations both park leaders and the public—and staff scientists then led the effort to study and protect hundreds of other species native to the county.

And in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, invasive species management in forested areas became a youth camp exercise in “battling the invaders,”—complete with war paint and “weapons.”

In New York City, each tree planted drives toward the thrilling goal of achieving a million-tree-strong urban forest.

In Columbus, Ohio,  prairie habitat restoration means the return of bison to a land they had vanished from more than 200 years ago.  

The practice of conservation happens in a thousand different ways. But true leadership in that area, I learned, occurs when the vivid “conservation imagination” intersects with opportunities  to educate and engage the public.

 And park leaders can do that like no one else. 

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

Legislative Forum “Virgin” Speaks About the Experience 

Is anyone ever truly prepared for their first time on the Hill? I thought that I was. I attended all of the webinars and educational sessions. I knew to be prepared: to only meet with staffers and not the representative or senator themselves, to be brief since the meeting won’t run longer than 15 minutes, to expect to have staffers that may not be excited about what you have to say or even agree with you. I was prepared for the worst – which in my opinion was that my message wouldn’t be heard and no amount of effort on my part would make a difference.

What I was not prepared for was the amazing experience I had on the Hill. I was paired for my visits with a veteran Leg Forum attendee for my state of North Carolina who knew how to present our information and stay to the point with “the ask”.

Our first visit was with a Congresswoman in her first term that ran for election with the Tea Party platform. She met directly with us and was very interested in one of our key priority issues for parks and recreation, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the 40 percent allocation for the State Assistance program. Since the program already had dedicated funding and would not contribute to the nation’s deficit, she was very interested in learning more.  After our meeting concluded, her staffer even followed us out to the hallway and continued asking questions about the program and what they needed to do specifically to support our ask.

My second meeting was with Senator Kay Hagan’s senior staffer. The Senator has always been a strong parks and recreation supporter and has consistently supported our priorities. What was so interesting to me about this meeting is that the NRPA’s legislative affairs team had been meeting with the Senator’s staffers to see if she is willing to author a bill in the Senate for Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities to match what has already been introduced in the House of Representatives. The NRPA team came with us to our visit and it was fascinating to watch them in action. We’ll have to keep watch to see what happens with this!

My third and last meeting for the day was with Congressman Mike McIntyre who was also a strong supporter of parks and recreation. He has been recognized for his efforts by the NRPA and also spoke earlier in the day at the NRPA’s educational briefing on the Hill. The meeting was jovial and his staffer took detailed notes as we spoke.

My meetings were better than I could have hoped. Of course, these meeting are just the beginning; there is follow up to be done to answer staffer questions, thank you notes to send to the staffers and the Representatives that met with us, and seeking them out when they are at home to make sure that they consistently hear from us, not just this one time a year. But what a great start and what a great way to have my first experience.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to have your “first time” yet, I highly recommend putting Legislative Forum 2013 on your to-do list for next year!

Today’s special guest blog post comes from Brad Armstrong, a student at Utah State University and a member in the NRPA Young Professional Network. Brad’s post provides great tips and veteran insight into NRPA’s annual advocacy event, National Legislative Forum. 

Experiences from a Student 

Does it really make a difference?

I have been attending the NRPA Legislative Forum and midyear meetings for the past seven years. I reside in a very conservative or “red” state. It has always been a challenge to find any support and we never have any commitment from Utah’s Senators and Congressmen. The Republican majority from Utah does not see the value of or need to invest more federal dollars into initiatives that they believe should be state-directed efforts. Our lone Democratic Representative does understand the need for and value of these programs, but supports them from a distance. Utah does not have a champion supporter for any of what NRPA advocates for. In the past three years, lobbying has been even more difficult to bring up the economic or financial perspective of what NRPA values to be critical in providing for healthy lifestyles. It is true that the federal government wants to tighten its economic belt. It is true that NRPA needs to show the economic value of this legislation we lobby for through sound data and results even just for the request of committed support.

I have taken time out of my schedule with my own money to attend the Legislative Forum. I have found that my interests and passions lie along the lines of NRPA. I am committed to help move these initiatives forward in both the state and federal avenues. I have written papers and completed many hours of research on the Land and Water Conservation Fund with emphasis on the state-side assistance program in my schooling. I have become very involved with the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) efforts, especially here in Utah. We are working towards an annual NCLI week during the second week in June. We are creating a state-wide NCLI coalition to promote environmental education and literacy, and to provide opportunities to get the youth outdoors. My educational pursuits changed from just parks and recreation to parks, recreation, conservation, and sustainability as a direct result of attending the Legislative Forum.

Some tips I have learned from my experiences:

1. Study out and understand in depth two issues that NRPA is advocating for. The critical issues are LWCF (state-side assistance), No Child Left inside, and the Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities initiatives. They may be in a different format, but essentially the same.  
2. Know the relationship between those issues you have studied and the needs of your state. Provide concrete data, personal and third-part experiences, and real examples about how these issues affect you and your community.  
3. Be on time and respect the office that Your Senator and/or Representative holds. The country views Congress as less than favorable with the partisan politics. This should not influence the respect of the office and the timely importance of NRPA’s message.  
4. Be concise and succinct with your delivery and be prepared to answer any questions they or their staff may have. Be able to commit to following up with any questions after your visit on a timely basis.  

Does it really make a difference?  

I say YES! You have to believe that it does make a difference. 

Is it worth the effort of taking time out of your life to be there?  

I say YES! It is our duty as citizens to voice what we believe is right.

We can influence those in power to understand that, although these initiatives may not be understood by all or favorable, they should listen, study, and evaluate them in order to make the best decision for their constituency possible.

One of the best ways to see the legislative branch of the U.S. government in action is to take in a Hill hearing. This is particularly true with the federal appropriations process, which, we all know from high school civics, originates in the House of Representatives. It’s a time-honored and well-oiled process that begins soon after the President introduces his budget in February for the coming FY13 fiscal year. Soon after, various House Appropriations subcommittees hear testimony from key funding recipients within their purviews. Only key organizations are invited, and NRPA takes great pride in its place at the table. For the NRPA, it’s an important opportunity to make the case directly and personally to the House Sub Committee, Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies on the importance full funding of the states’ share in the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Yesterday, March 22, NRPA President/CEO Barbara Tulipane testified before this committee not only on the importance of full funding for LWCF stateside program, but also to advocate for exclusion of an onerous competitive grant program proposed by the Department of the Interior. Like the 47 other representatives of organizations receiving funding influenced by this committee, Barbara had five minutes to testify. For those brief five minutes, many hours of work by NRPA’s Government Affairs and Communications teams went into crafting and refining her message. Barbara is always at ease in front of even the toughest audiences, and her testimony yesterday morning was no exception—even when the committee’s time nearly got derailed by a call to a floor vote.

As requested, Barbara, NRPA board member Brian Knapp, and NRPA Government Affairs staff arrived half an hour early–which actually means 45 minutes early, since the line of people going through the security apparatus of the Rayburn Congressional Office Building stretched out the front door and half block down Independence Avenue. Fortunately, Brian knew tunnel shortcuts into Rayburn from an adjoining building. Then it was just a matter of locating the hearing room in the cavernous building. Unless it’s a Supreme Court nomination or a hearing on the level of Watergate, chances are the hearing room will be intimate. Room B308 was indeed cozy.

The room is square in configuration—you enter through heavy, wood double-doors from the side, guaranteeing that half of the 50 or so people there will glance over at your arrival. With its thick burgundy colored carpet and high ceiling, the acoustics are good and muffled at the same time. Anyone whispering in the back can be heard. Yet microphones are essential. Large photos from National Parks are arranged in a collage on the front wall (Chairman Simpson assured everyone they were from his home state of Idaho). Logo medallions of some of the larger federal agencies represented by the committee adorn the right wall—the National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, for examples. A portrait of three Native Americans in ceremonial dress takes up a large part of the opposite wall. And in front, arrayed around a 15-foot-long table sit the Congressional Representatives: Republicans, Michael K. Simpson (chair); Idaho, Jerry Lewis, California; Ken Calvert, California; Steven C. LaTourette, Ohio; Tom Cole; Oklahoma, Jeff Flake, Arizona; Cynthia M. Lummis, Wyoming; and Democrats James P. Moran (ranking member), Virginia; Betty McCollum, Minnesota; Maurice D. Hinchey, New York; and José E. Serrano, New York. On this day, only a portion of the full subcommittee was on hand to hear testimony. Ostensibly, the staffs of the missing Members will study the written testimony submitted by the speakers.

Most striking about the proceedings was the air of civility and congeniality in the exchanges between visitors and hosts. That may have explained why the panel was behind a full 25 minutes when the NRPA group arrived. Not that it should be unexpected; it’s just that with toxic political environment of the previous 18 months one would have expected more tension in the air. Even when Rep. LaTourette reminded the panel of humanities and arts advocates about Congressional budget priorities the delivery had the feel of a barbershop conversation.

“The biggest threat is not a piece of objectionable art,” LaTourette said. “If we don’t have more people engaged in things like Medicare, these things will go away. You’ve got to get them to think about the Big Picture. And we don’t have enough elected officials engaged in this.”

“Unfortunately, you cannot solve the debt problem by focusing on discretionary spending,” Rep. Simpson added.

That was as political as the conversation got. More often, the post-testimony discussion centered on each other’s affinity for speakers’ causes. When New York Times bestselling author Deborah Tannen explained how a National Endowment for the Humanities grant enabled her to write the first of her 20 books on linguistics, there was plenty of follow-up conversation on both sides of the table on whose kids were majoring in linguistics and whose were teaching languages around the world. For the most part, though, the conversation stayed on topic. When an aide entered though a service door to indicate the committee members would be needed for a House floor vote, the pace accelerated sharply.

Barbara’s panel, “LWCF, National Parks, Public Lands,” included leaders representing Civil War battlefields, National Parks, trails, and historic preservation. With the clock running down (literally, since a timer with a time-is-up red light sits front and center on the table) she was able to deliver NRPA’s main message.

“This subcommittee and Congress have the rare opportunity to achieve national goals without increasing spending or adding to the deficit, and can do so by adopting three simple recommendations,” she testified. “Do not zero out the LWCF; allocate a minimum of 40 percent of LWCF funding to the State Assistance Program; and prohibit any diversion of formula funds to a DOI competitive grant program.”

Two speakers followed Barbara, but it was clear the Representatives had a floor vote on their minds and could not devote the attention she received.

The timing could not be better. Next week marks NRPA’s annual Legislative Forum, when members can personally visit their Congressional representatives to further reinforce the message delivered yesterday.

Written by:  Phil Hayward, Editor of Parks & Recreation 

Barbara represented the powerful network of public parks and recreation at all levels – city, county, township, and state.

NRPA outlined three main requests to the subcommittee, who are currently crafting the Fiscal Year 2013 Interior Appropriations Bill:

1. Provide ample funding for the LWCF – this program has resulted in numerous benefits and helps park and recreation agencies continue to address some of the nation’s most critical problems like health and protecting the environment.
2. Allocate 40 percent of total LWCF appropriations to the State Assistance Program – and invest in local communities. Over the last 25 years the State Assistance program has received only 11 percent of total LWCF funding, yet the places and services this program funds are where the most people recreate every day and where the funding is most needed.
3. Specify no State Assistance dollars are to be used for a DOI’s proposed competitive grant – A competitive grant controlled by the DOI will diminish the current ability of the LWCF program to serve the most communities and most people in an equitable way.

Her testimony emphasized how absolutely essential public park and recreation services are to all communities and affirmed the importance of LWCF and the State Assistance program.
Barbara’s message was loud and clear to the committee and in good timing too, with the Legislative Forum next week.  Now, it is time for all advocates to echo her message when taking to the Hill. 
More on the day’s hearings and other testimony will be reported tomorrow on the blog by Editorial Director Phil Hayward.

Is Your Special Events Protocol Practical? 

Hosting an information table to promote your agency at a special event doesn’t have to be a burden for staff or a mundane task that just gets someone out of the office for a few hours. Whether it is a company wellness fair for employees, a magazine’s summer camp event for parents, a chamber business expo or cultural festival, it is always a positive brand showcase to have a booth with a colorful look and promotional literature to raise awareness among residents or customers.

Regardless of the type of event, there are several procedures to embrace when preparing a booth. It is beneficial to approach each event with an open mind and no specific expectation for traffic volume. Even if it turns out to be disorganized, poorly attended or not a good fit for your organization, you can still garner value if staff is tuned into peripheral details.

Below are 10 recommendations that may contribute to your agency’s satisfaction from exhibiting at special events:

• Arrive 30 minutes early so you can have your booth set up and ready for visitors. Consider having a branded table cloth and signage to complement your table and the materials being distributed.
• Take photos of your booth to show staff what it looked like within the context of the event layout. These images can be used for employee newsletters or future marketing collateral.
• Before the event is opened to the public (or employees if it’s a company health fair), spend 10 minutes visiting other vendors and asking them how they heard about the event and what their experiences have been with similar events.  
• Collect vendor cards and brochures to expand your network (even if they are not in your line of work; you could be a resource by sharing the information with your colleagues).
• By collecting information from vendors, staff can augment your database for future considerations when you are seeking vendors or sponsors for your events or programs.
• Staff should always stand up and be proactive in greeting every visitor to the booth. It is acceptable to sit down for short breaks if there are no approaching visitors in the vicinity.
• Staff should not eat while working at the booth (beverages are fine, especially to stay hydrated in warm situations. If there is more than one employee, they should alternate walking the event space and taking short breaks when the foot traffic subsides. When there is only one person, ask a neighboring vendor to cover the table for a few minutes.
• Stay to the end of the posted time. It can be tempting to pack up when traffic slows, making the last 30 minutes seem really slow. However, it looks bad for the organizers when tables are empty or there is a commotion from vendors heading for an early exit.
• Inquire with the event host about leaving behind brochures, fliers or business cards for the employee break room, community information area or administrative offices.
• Follow up and thank the organizers the next day. Give them kudos (and constructive feedback for improvement) on some specifics and request to be notified for future events.

Let us know how you promote your agency in the comments. Any other tips to share?
 

Wow! This is great news for our industry, especially looking at the growth percentage and number of expected for the recreation field – right?!  Sure it is! 

But what does this mean for you?  Depending on where you fall in the spectrum of experience in the Park and Recreation field, this report may send a different message.  You may need to think about getting prepared to set yourself apart or, if you are new to field, prove yourself.  

What it says to me is:  the field is booming, the future looks bright… AND… there will be more competition for jobs! 

How will professionals stand out when applying for jobs?  One of the ways to do this is through certification.  Certification may help set you apart and above other applicants and will validate you as a certified professional; someone any smart employer would want on staff.  We are already seeing an increase in job descriptions that include Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) as a requirement or a preference at the least.

So… What are YOU going to do in response?  

What do you think about the predicted boom in the field? Do you have your CPRP or thinking about it? Or if you already are a CPRP, do you need to advance your certification with the Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE)?  How has certification given you a leg up? 

Written by: Anne Nevel, NRPA Senior Certification Manager
 

• Economic Models
• Conservation
• Grass Roots Advocacy

The “Economic Models” is a tough one.  We agree; with the sense that we need to move away from general funds money.  And it seems that many members have slightly different models and success stories.  We want to capitalize on this opportunity to accumulate these successes and share them with others who are looking for answers to their own challenges.

We will in essence set up a virtual library, a place to house these best practices and models.  NRPA and our members will become a fantastic resource.

Check out examples from Houston, Los Angeles and Charleston in Parks and Recreation magazine, Fiscal Blues – Park and recreation agencies begin the difficult process of redefining how they serve the public.

Next Steps:  

Please take a few minutes to send examples of what you are doing to gain support and funding outside of general funds to leadership@NRPA.org. These could be partnerships, foundations, creative grants, etc. any models that you have been successful in acquiring. It could also be legislation that you have helped create to benefit parks and recreation.

From my conversations and limited travels, NRPA members are a very creative and resourceful bunch. Send us your stories.

Written by:  Robert C. Johnson, NRPA Board Chair
 

So why all the flurry now? 

In 2010, the United States Department of Justice amended the regulations which became effective on March 15, 2011. This included a recreation design standard effective for new sites on March 15, 2012 and a mandate for agencies to have conducted an accessibility audit on every existing site and to have a plan in place to address deficiencies. This is a MUST!

As park and recreation agencies we have the responsibility to provide recreation opportunities for ALL people of all abilities. In all agencies across the nation, we must make inclusion a goal to strive for and a reality.  

For a complete list of changes and regulations visit: www.ada.gov.  You can read more about park accessibility here.  If you need help with accessibility audits, NRPA has a member business solution you may find helpful too.

Written By: Kellie May, NRPA Program Manager    

Questions to Ponder.  Share your Thoughts: 

1. What does inclusion really mean to you?
2. Is inclusion the norm at your agency?
3. How do you ensure you are providing recreation opportunities for all people of all abilities?
4. Have you conducted accessibility audits?

Many of you are familiar with PRORAGIS, NRPA's cutting-edge, online management tool designed specifically to aid public park and recreation agencies with benchmarking, best practices, and decision-making. If you haven’t had a chance to work with PRORAGIS, we highly recommend checking it out and getting started on your profile here. To fully take advantage of all PRORAGIS has to offer, we’ll be highlighting the practical ways you can use the database and benchmarking standards to help you every day. 

The first is our series of "Unlocking the Secrets to PRORAGIS" is on per capita cost of services and programs.

In recent years in light of the economic conditions, park and recreation departments have increasingly been asked for the per capita cost of services and programs. Elected officials seem to particularly deride or exalt this seemingly simple and straight forward ratio. Those who are supporters of parks and recreation services in their communities may want to see the ratio as above median (the national median per capita cost is $77.00). Those looking for cuts can see the same number as entirely too high. There are several variables that affect the per capita operating cost and they provide valid comparisons only when the differences and similarities are considered. Variables include:

1. Calculating annual operating expenditures
2. Defining and calculating relevant operating revenue
3. Department land base size
4. Department functions performed
5. Geographical and environmental location of department
6. Demographics of jurisdiction served including:

                       a.  Population
                       b.  Age
                       c.  Cultural character
                       d.  Economic capacity

PRORAGIS can best help you understand how these variables come into play for your operation and enables you to make valid comparisons among your peers so that you can best position yourself when elected officials come calling for your per capita cost of service. 

We will go into greater depth on each of these variables so you can understand why they are important in comparing your per capita cost to others.

First up, the Total Annual Operating Expenditures. When working in PRORAGIS, this is found in the Budget and Finance tab.

We ask: what are your department's Total Annual Operating Expenditures for this fiscal year? Seems like a simple question, but how do you calculate this figure?

Total operating expenses include all annual operating dollars that are expended in any given fiscal year. It does not include capital funding sources except for any function that is paid from operations but is charged to Capital funds.

The chart below, sourced from current PRORAGIS profiles, shows the aggregated amount of 2011 profile operating expenditures. The median indicates the 50 percent mark on expenses. The FY 2011 profiles indicate slightly less than $2.8 million as the median amount of Total Annual Operating Expenses.

Two other critical components of annual operating expenditures include the sources of revenue – such as jurisdiction general fund and fees and charges – and the core trio of:

• Personnel
• Operations; and 
• Operating capital.

To learn more about these factors and what they are, and to see the FY2011 distribution of total operating expenditures, read the latest report from PRORAGIS expert, Bill Beckner, who breaks these factors down further in NRPA Connect. If you are not a member of the PRORAGIS community on Connect, it is FREE and easy to join and is a great place to exchange ideas and ask questions among your peers on a variety of topics.

Next we’ll address the definition of relevant operating revenue. But before then, we want to hear from you. What are your thoughts about measuring per capita operating costs and the use of this factor as a metric for public parks and recreation?  What questions do you have about annual operating expenditures? When you look at the median annual operating expenditures, where do you fit in? What questions do you have about the variables associated with per capita cost of service?

Use the comments to share your thoughts – any comments and questions are welcome.

If you have kids, you may have taken them to see the new Dr. Seuss movie, The Lorax, this weekend.  I have a six-year old daughter and we caught the matinee showing of this inspirational “movie with a message” on Sunday.

The Lorax movie is based on the 1971 book of the same name.  It was written long before the concepts of “global warming” and hybrid cars.  Even back then, Dr. Seuss understood the importance of conservation and standing up for what you believe—just like those in the park and recreation field.

The mission to celebrate the world by conserving parkland and by saving energy at recreation facilities is shared by all who choose to work in the park and recreation field.  We understand that one seed can make a difference. 

After the movie, I asked my daughter if she understood the message and what did the movie mean to her?  She thought for a second and answered, “That we need air to live and that trees make air.  And Mom, I don’t want to have to buy canned air when I’m older.”

"Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."   

Written by: Lisa Vega, NRPA Marketing Director 

Inspirational questions to ponder.  Share your thoughts:

1. Thinking about the message of the Lorax story, what conservation efforts do you think are important to teach younger generations? 
   
    
2. In what ways does the Lorax inspire you to promote conservation in your community? 
    

One of the illuminating things about producing content for the web is the step of identifying key word phrases. It’s a kind of reverse engineering of content—an anticipation of what researchers and readers might logically search for in the process of finding our articles online. It is an exercise that reinforced for me just how wide-ranging Parks & Recreation’s coverage is. And, more importantly, how dynamic and multi-faceted the field of parks and recreation is. Especially as park professionals take on more and more leadership in the drive to conserve natural resources. And as they continue to tackle critical health issues like our national obesity epidemic.

Want a sampling of the variety of key word phrases that define the March issue? Here are 10 (with links to the articles themselves so that you do not have to go through that inconvenient process of searching for them):

• Green Building 
• Obesity Research 
• Parks and Recreation Purchasing 
• Conservation Best Practices 
• Park Accessibility 
• Girl Scouts Centennial 
• Respite Programs 
• Golf Trends 
• Senate Appropriations Process 
• Wounded Warriors 

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the new web edition. What improvements should we plan for? What’s working well? What “web exclusives” would interest you? Feel free to post your comments below after taking a look around the brand-new parksandrecreation.org web magazine.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

The roundtable was with invited experts, but many NRPA members tuned in to the live-streamed webcast of the discussion.  The purpose of this event was to explore the role and impact of parks in America’s cities, counties and urban metropolitan areas as these traditional public services face ever greater financial constraints and the rapidly changing social landscape of contemporary America.

With eight in 10 Americans now making their home in metropolitan areas, urban parks have become a critical part of urban infrastructure.  However, the viability and sustainability of urban public parks and recreation resources are increasingly in question for those who need them the most.

The summary report succinctly outlines the discussion of the diverse group of experts from many disciplines including urban planning, tax policy, real estate health, education, and conservation who attended the roundtable.  The summary of their discussion regarding the needs of urban cities and counties points to future research and action steps to address critical funding issues facing urban parks. Click here to review the report .

Eight questions are raised in the report under four major topical areas: Equity, Fiscal Viability, Impacts and Outcomes, and Partnerships:

1. What parks and recreation services should be offered for free?
2. How can equitable access to parks and recreation programs be maintained in times of fiscal constraint?
3. How can parks and recreation departments ensure short payback periods for “greening” of facilities?
4. How can outside funds be raised to support capital retrofits as well as ongoing maintenance and management?
5. What metrics should be used to measure success; how can park and recreation professionals shift to metrics focused on outcomes?
6. Can the value of parks and recreation as a “front-end investment” in public health and safety be quantified?
7. What is the appropriate role of corporate donations and/or corporate involvement?
8. Should parks and recreation departments play a role in building the stability of nonprofit organizations that are entrusted with programs?
    

NRPA is very interested to hear your opinions regarding these questions, and any other comments you might have on the report.  Do you agree these are the most important questions regarding issues related to long-term viability of funding for urban parks?  Do you have other suggestions for possible solutions for urban park funding or perhaps a successful approach you’ve implemented?  Please share your thoughts on the report and your thoughts on the most important issues facing urban parks today by leaving your comment below. 

NRPA’s highly anticipated Green School opened with a buzz this week.  Nearly 50 park, recreation, and conservation professionals from across the country arrived in Oglebay Park in Wheeling, WV, for the inaugural edition of NRPA’s latest professional development school.  

The opening banquet featured Mayor Elizabeth Kautz of Burnsville, MN, who is the immediate past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  Mayor Kautz welcomed the students and endorsed the idea of the Green School.  She noted that in the present economic climate, the focus is on activities that result in “jobs, jobs, jobs,” and she said that “parks are assets that are great for driving economic success.”  She highlighted the importance of sustainability planning for all cities saying, “Sustainability must be an essential part of your system if you are to provide for the present and future needs of your citizens.”

She went on to identify fourteen planks in her vision for a sustainable city including sustainable land use, renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction, and more. 

“We believe that modeling sustainability starts with us—and all of you in parks can make the difference,” said Mayor Kautz.

The first sessions of the school included a primer on Environmental Management Systems (EMS ) taught by Kevin Fletcher and a thoughtful overview of the importance of community connections by Susan Trautman, Executive Director of Great Rivers Greenways in St. Louis, which included small group discussions of how to connect diverse communities.

Evie Kirkwood, Director of St. Joseph’s County, IN, held forth on the Power of the “green message,” and the challenges of marketing “green” to your communities.  Participants created a “green message” campaign for their own communities based on real life challenges posed to them.

But the show stopper of the early sessions was the “trash audit” conducted by students on their hands and knees as they sorted and classified trash collected that day by staff of Oglebay Park in Brendan Daley’s informative and useful session, Moving Toward Green Waste.  As Director of Green Initiatives for the Chicago Park Department, Brendan said,  “If there is one thing you get out of this presentation today, it is that getting to zero waste is as much about changing thinking as it is about reducing waste.” 

Clearly, the students of the Green School were engaged in lively and spirited discussions on how they could apply the lessons learned.  Sharing stories of their own experiences in their agencies and jurisdictions enabled many to see possible solutions for problems that they encountered in differing, yet similar situations.  Jenny Doty, Recreation Supervisor for the City of Lenexa, KS, said at the end of the day, “I loved the first day’s sessions and really learned a lot.” With a laugh, she said, “I’ve already sent back some ideas to my colleagues.”

For more information about Green School and for future dates please visit http://www.nrpa.org/greenschool/. 

As Congress considers its priorities for 2012; one piece of pressing business is the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act.  The current law, known as SAFETEA-LU is set to expire March 31, and the House and Senate have announced plans to debate and vote on their respective reauthorization packages in the coming days and weeks.
 

Congress is now considering plans which would effectively eliminate funding for two successful and popular programs, known as TE and the RTP, that benefit recreation through a variety of transportation-related projects such as paths, trails and bicycle facilities.   
 

What follows is Christopher’s explanation and informative links for learning more about these important programs.
 

Integrating Transportation and Recreation Infrastructure

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991 established new programs that can benefit recreation and access to recreation: the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), and Transportation Enhancement (TE) Activities. These programs were reauthorized into their current format in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 1998, and continued in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005. SAFETEA-LU expired in September 2009, and these programs have been operating under extension acts; extension #8 expires March 31, 2012. The funds for these programs are apportioned by statutory formula to the States, and the States solicit and select projects for funding.
 

The RTP provides funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP funds come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and represent a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from nonhighway recreational fuel use by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-highway light trucks. In most States, a State resource agency (parks and recreation) administers the RTP, and each State develops its own procedures to solicit and select projects. See the State RTP contacts. FY 2012 funding is $85 million (about 0.2% of the Federal-aid highway program). About 1,000 RTP projects are funded annually.
 

The TE activities offer funding opportunities to help expand transportation choices and enhance the transportation experience through 12 eligible TE activities related to surface transportation, including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and safety programs, scenic and historic highway programs, landscaping, historic preservation, and environmental mitigation. State Departments of Transportation administer the TE activities, and each State develops its own procedures to solicit and select projects. See the State TE contacts. Some delegate this role to Metropolitan Planning Organizations or State highway districts. FY 2012 funding is about $850 million (about 2% of the Federal-aid highway program). About 1,500 TE projects are funded annually. Perhaps 500 to 1,000 benefit parks and recreation directly or indirectly. Since 1992, 57% of TE projects have benefited nonmotorized transportation, and half of those projects have been for rail-trails or other off-road trails that often benefit recreational use. Other TE categories also benefit parks and recreation, such as rehabilitation of historic bridges or canal towpaths that provide access to recreation areas, and scenic and historic highway programs that tie into recreational facilities.
 

To learn more about how Federal Transportation Funds Benefit Recreation, see www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/overview/benefits/.

Ok, so we used a couple of words… but nonetheless, take a look!
 

Green School does just that, offering training and education for park and recreation professionals seeking to adopt energy conservation, sustainability practices, green purchasing and adaptive management strategies.  

Yesterday, the school kicked off with an inspiring keynote on sustainability from Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, of the City of Burnsville, MN, immediate past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  In addition, there were two other presentations from Paula Sliefert of the Toro Company and Eriks Janelsins, Green School Director. 

The school also made the news in Wheeling on both the local NBC and CBS affiliates! Check out the photos from the opening and video from the CBS newscast:
 

Paula Sliefert of the Toro Company and Mayor Elizabeth Kautz

Eriks Janelsins addressing the attendees




News report from WTRF, CBS.

We certainly are excited for a week full of green inspiration and will continue to bring you updates along the way.  If you aren’t already, follow us on Twitter (@NRPA_News) and like us on Facebook to stay updated.  And don’t forget to subscribe to NRPA Now using the RSS feed so you never miss a post!

Share your thoughts! 

1. Has your community expressed a desire for more conservation efforts?
2. Have you implemented sustainability or conservation practices in your community and if so, what has been successful?  
3. Where do you go to learn about the latest on conservation efforts in parks and rec?

Use the comment box below to share.  

A bit dramatic?  Perhaps.  But, that feeling of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is shared among many who work in the park and recreation field and attend their first NRPA Legislative Forum.  Even those who have attended year after year and advocated on behalf of our park, recreation and conservation priorities to our country’s legislators understand the importance. This year, with numerous critical pieces of legislation on the table, we must understand the importance of attending Legislative Forum and why it is so important to have our voices heard.

I recently interviewed several past Legislative Forum attendees and asked them why they recommend attending, why they feel this event is so important and why they keep coming back:

What sentiments expressed in these videos resonate with you?  Veteran attendees, what would you share with those considering coming to Legislative Forum?  First timers, what are you looking forward to experiencing?  Perhaps walking down those majestic marble hallways and that first opportunity to be heard?

Parks and recreation facilities across the U.S. need you and your voice!  Join us and be heard. 

Click here to learn more about NRPA Legislative Forum.  

Written by:  Lisa Vega, NRPA Marketing Director 

In Washington, once-routine legislation has become ground zero for partisan showdowns. Two of the most obvious are the debt-ceiling debate of last summer and the payroll tax extension fight that concluded the First Session in December. Unfortunately, despite all of the energy expended on both sides of these battles, neither albatross was resolved in any meaningful way. The payroll tax holiday was grudgingly extended for a mere two months, making it Issue Number 1 when Congress returns to Washington in a few weeks. The debt ceiling was eventually raised last summer, albeit in a press-played panic attack that made Chicken Little look like an amateur. It took nine months of debate, an 11th hour compromise, and threats of government shutdown, treasury defaults, and millions of unemployed Americans suffering the casualties, before the deficit hawks in the House agreed overwhelmingly to raise the debt limit by $2.4 trillion in a vote that lasted 20 minutes.

 

As we know, the super compromise created the Supercommittee, which then spent months deliberating over the task of identifying $1.2 trillion in spending cuts only to chicken out of doing anything. This will now trigger a series of painful across-the-board cuts to virtually the entire federal government, effective January 2013. Some in Congress are already making plans to recall the sequestration. President Obama has vowed to veto any legislation which seeks to circumvent the mandated reduction schedule. It will take all year to learn whose goose gets cooked on that one.

 

And if those two issues alone don’t make one crazy as a loon, consider this: the Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of this year, the Highway Trust Fund is expected to require a bailout unless additional revenue streams are found, and the annual appropriations battles will begin again in February. In any year, these issues would be contentious and hard-fought, but this is not just any year. It’s a presidential election year. Politics trumps all and ideology reaches a fever pitch, with every issue a soapbox for the two parties to emphasize the righteousness of their party’s view - in stark contrast to the apocalypse their opponents’ policies seek to invite. Think Aflac duck on steroids; lots of squawking with nobody listening.

 

Then there’s the infamous lame duck session to look forward to at the end of this second half. Not so ironically, Wikipedia defines that “the phrase lame duck was coined in the 18th century at the London Stock Exchange, to refer to”……wait for it….”a broker who defaulted on his debts.”

 

If you could choose just one of these things that Congress had to complete, what would make you happy as a lark?

 

Written by: Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group
 

One piece of legislation which has been highlighted as a priority this coming session is a new transportation bill. House leadership, including Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL), had planned to produce a long-term replacement for SAFETEA-LU during the last session; the House Republicans have now been joined in their efforts by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who has vowed to make a new highway/transit bill one of the Senate’s highest priorities in 2012. Reid specifically singled out the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee’s MAP-21 as “a very, very good bill” – unfortunately, the legislation as drafted by the EPW committee would eliminate the 10 percent set-aside for Transportation Enhancements currently in SAFETEA-LU in addition to giving states the ability to ‘opt-out’ of funding TE projects entirely. Several senators, including Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) who serve on EPW and withdrew amendments during markup that would have reinstated the program, have expressed hope that more recreation-friendly language can be inserted into MAP-21 prior to the bill’s introduction on the Senate floor. Make your voice heard in supporting these lawmakers’ efforts to maintain funding for vital TE and parks resources.

And last but not least: a recent Time magazine online piece by Anthony DeBenedet and Lawrence Cohen provided a nice boost to NRPA efforts. Entitled “Funding Public Parks Could Save Lives,” the article cites several academic studies which posit that parks and recreational areas are not only great places to exercise and commune with nature; they may also actively contribute to lower rates of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other health-related issues. The Time article’s authors summed it up well, so to borrow from them and propose a 2012 Resolution: “It’s time to get involved, go to parks, and vote for funding them as if your life depended on it. Because it just might.”

Written by:  Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group 

The last few months, and especially the last few weeks have produced partisan battles and gridlock that far exceed what has become the norm. If we think about all that has, or has not, happened during just these last few weeks, we can appreciate even more how significant NRPA’s advocacy accomplishments really are.

So, to summarize, in the spirit of the season and with apologies to the traditional version, here are the Twelve Days of Gridlock.

Twelve days before Adjournment,
My Congress gave to me… 

Twenty-Twelve appropriations
Eleven incumbents challenged
A dropping ten percent approval rating
Ninety angry freshmen
Eight pundits crowing
Seven Sunday talk shows
Sixty days to approve the Keystone pipeline
FIVE INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS!
Four non-agreements
Three stalled nominees
Two-month extensions (or not)
And a hike in Fannie Mae’s fees 

Written by:  Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group 

Last week, I sent out a message asking for input from you on some of the topics that the NRPA Board will discuss at our meeting in January. 

These topics, listed below, resulted from a prior board meeting when discussing “future trends” for parks and recreation. While a few of you responded, many more of you did not. I am giving it one more try.

Please take a moment and let the board know what we should consider as we move forward to plan for our future.

Do you have a particular insight or point-of-view on one of these topics? Do you have a success story to share on your grass roots advocacy efforts? What views do you have on the role of parks and recreation on conservation? How can we, as a field, develop smart economic models – maybe you have one that works?

We want to hear from you – this is a great opportunity to have a say in the future of the field.

Here are the topics:

1. Conservation, sustainability-stewardship
2. Economic models for parks, recreation, and conservation
3. Grass roots advocacy, engaging at the local level

Leave a comment below in the box and I will collect and share your feedback with the board.

Your views are critical to shaping our future.  Seize the opportunity to be heard and share with us the great ideas you have.  We know you have them, so speak up.

Bob Johnson
NRPA Board Chair

Despite assurances of its defeat in the Democratic-controlled Senate as well as a veto threat from the White House, the House passed its version of the payroll tax extension bill Tuesday evening by a near party-line vote of 234-193. This sent the legislation to the Senate floor, where the unexpected is to be expected. Senator Reid called for a Senate vote on the House bill he had previously pledged to defeat. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) immediately blocked the request for a vote on the tax cut extension that his own party had just passed in the House. It is all part of a dangerous game, where each side hopes that the other will blink first.

Yesterday afternoon the emails were flying with news that the House will vote on the Omnibus Conference Report today, the Senate will then pass that bill on Saturday and send it to POTUS for law. This will complete the nine remaining spending bills. Reid and McConnell are apparently close to a deal on the payroll tax and expect to have it on the Senate floor Saturday. The House will take up that bill on Sunday and send it to POTUS for law. Then, and only then, the First Session of the 112^th Congress will adjourn. We can only be sure when the fat lady sings “Halleluiah!”

Written by Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group 

• An extension and expansion of the Social Security Payroll Tax break which expires December 31^st. Democrats have proposed paying for the proposal, which would expand the current benefit from a 4.2 percent rate to 3.1 percent and extend it through 2012, by instituting a ‘surtax’ on $1 million-plus earners. Republicans favor the extension, but have proposed to fund it by an extension of the federal wage freeze and a gradual shrinkage of the government’s civilian workforce by 10 percent. 
   
• Debate over pending cuts to Medicare payments for physicians. Some House Republicans are seeking a two-year freeze at current reimbursement rates; there is substantial bipartisan support for a one-year freeze, which would incur costs of $21 billion in comparison to the estimated $38.6 billion price tag for the longer freeze. 
   
• An extension of jobless benefits, set to expire in early January. The main hurdle to the passage of this renewal is funding, with Democrats saying the program is a major priority and should not be subject to offset provisions. Republicans, on the other hand, have refused to support the measure without funding set aside for it and have hinted at pushing for reform of the overall program as part of a deal. 
   
• Last but certainly not least, nine FY11 appropriations bills continue to languish amidst controversial policy riders and provisions, despite the fact that the current Continuing Resolution (CR) for these appropriations is set to expire on December 16^th. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) have both signaled an unwillingness to prolong the appropriations process further with another CR, so a deal to wrap up FY11 appears likely if the Republican leadership can rein in its caucus. Some House Republicans have insisted upon spending cuts far deeper those sanctioned by this summer’s debt limit deal, specifically calling for reductions in or elimination of funding for provisions to the 2010 health care bill, environmental and financial regulatory programs, and the President’s education initiative. Nevertheless, given the time constraints which lawmakers are now facing, it is entirely possible that all of these key items will be rolled into a massive $900 billion omnibus bill that is put to a vote next week.
  
  
  Written by Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group 

 

Programs are usually born in a House or Senate Committee as part of an authorization bill. An authorization is the actual legislation that establishes a department, agency, or program, as well as its scope and function. The job of drafting the authorization is delegated to the committees that will eventually provide oversight of the new entity. On occasion, authorization bills are funded within the authorization itself; these are usually mandatory spending items and include major entitlement programs like Social Security. More often than not, however, the authorization is little more than a promise until it reaches its next stop: Appropriations.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees hold the ultimate ‘purse-strings’ in Congress, responsible for doling out the money for the programs authorized for discretionary spending. This is typically done via what is referred to as a regular appropriations act, providing budgetary authority to these programs for the coming fiscal year, which begins October 1. In addition, Congress may pass supplemental appropriations, which are designed to cover unforeseen funding needs during the year, and continuing appropriations (also known as continuing resolutions), which provide interim funding for items not appropriated for under the regular or supplemental acts. Sounds straightforward and simple enough, right? Not so fast …

Remember the ‘flip-flop’ tag John Kerry wore around his neck like an albatross during the 2004 election? That moniker was a direct result of an authorizations/appropriations bait-and-switch maneuver that has become all too common among our elected representatives. What Sen. Kerry and many others, both before and since, have done is vote for an authorization bill and subsequently against its appropriation to score points from both sides of an issue. This may make for great politics but seldom achieves great results. It’s like having a lot of casings but refusing to put in the meat. It might not be pretty, but the meat is what makes the sausage so darn good.

Next time you read about a bill creating new authority for a p&r program or the annual appropriations measure that is supposed to fund it, hopefully you will find yourself armed with a better understanding of the terms and what it means at that moment. Embrace appropriations as a victory, especially these days when the nation is starving and Congress is pushing low budget diets. When it comes to authorizations, don’t be afraid to ask for extra pepperoni.

By: Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group
 

I find the most interesting part of the project is a keen awareness by park staff of how important future park users are to the project. Keeping citizens interested and therefore advocating for the continuation of development is key during these tough budget times. So park professionals host “sneak preview”days, conduct weekly recycling and environmental education programming near the future park site, and even host a blog, social media and a smart phone application. (The blog and social media are being managed by college interns.)

The first phase of the development will not actually be on the former landfill but will be across the street with a neighborhood facing park and soccer fields, adding value to the neighborhood in the short-term. Eloise Hirsh, park administrator said in a recent phone interview “We want to attract walkers, local mountain bikers, dog owners, and the entire community to participate in recycling efforts and education around Freshkills. We want to invite all to participate.” When asked what advice she would give to other cities considering starting this process, Hirsh says “Come talk to us and fully understand where you are at in the regulatory process.” She adds that what has helped their project was fitting in to the city’s sustainability agenda.

Shelley R. O'Brien
NRPA Senior Manager, Fundraising

By:  Leslie Mozingo with The Ferguson Group 

 
Despite this setback, we must continue to urge our Senators to speak out and offer a corrective to the MAP 21 bill as it currently stands. Though Senate EPW Chairman Boxer effectively squelched any serious markups to the bill in order to retain bipartisan support (one sanitized package of amendments received a voice vote), several Senators referenced the amendments they were withdrawing during the meeting today. Two Senators who specifically spoke in favor of TE, RTP and SR2S were Sens. Merkley and Cardin, Chairman Boxer called those programs “the toughest, toughest areas of negotiations” but promised to keep working with both Senators to find resolution before the bill’s consideration on the Senate floor.

 
Although MAP 21, as it now stands, places TE, RTP and SR2S in its crosshairs, these programs are extremely popular with communities. It is imperative that park and recreation advocates convey to their elected officials the intrinsic value of TE funding to their community and their constituents IMMEDIATELY and to keep repeating the message. Speaking of value, did you know that a new HOV lane typically costs upward of $100 million per mile? Under the bill that passed through the Senate EPW Committee earlier today, the $900 million provided for CMAQ funding would be wiped out in just nine miles. How many miles of safe and accessible pedestrian and cycling pathways could $900 million buy instead?

By:  Leslie Mozingo with The Ferguson Group 

Leslie Mozingo, The Ferguson Group
 

“Absolutely!” said 92 percent of the Arizonans surveyed.

“Do you visit parks at least a couple times a year?”

“Yup,” said 86 percent.

“How about once a week?”

“Sure do,” said 41 percent.

“Are parks just important to you personally—economics aside?”

“Yes,” said 74 percent.

And then the clincher: “Do you know where the money for your parks comes from?”

“Well, uh…not really,” admitted 82 percent.

These were the findings of Arizona Forward, a park-supporting coalition of citizens, businesses, and universities recently formed in Arizona. The group was chartered after state lottery monies dedicated to parks and wilderness protection were swiped by the general appropriations fund—resulting in one state park shutting down and many others teetering on the edge of closure.

Arizona Forward is an offshoot of a 42-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to general sustainability issues—so its leaders know a bit about advocacy. Did they recruit volunteers and launch fundraisers? Did they scout out public-private partnerships? Did they propose revenue-enhancing alternatives?

The answer to all of these questions is no.

Arizona Forward instead began with more fundamental goals:

1. To understand Arizonans’ views of their parks’ economic (and intangible) value.

2. To assess public awareness of where park funding comes from.

3. To use their findings to educate citizens on both the economic impact of parks and the funding required to sustain them.

The Arizona Forward survey findings are, I suspect, typical of many states across the country. Citizens know parks enrich their economies. They use and value their parks. And yet, they may not know exactly where the money comes from to keep them going. They hear of the need to cut public services in a bad economy, and so they may just accept park closures.

After all, we’re in a recession, the reasoning goes. And amenities must be sacrificed.

But what about when lawmakers ransack funds designated for parks? Is that an acceptable approach to budget appropriations? Arizona Forward says no—and they are hoping that, with some education, millions of Arizona voters will adopt a zero-tolerance policy for such practices. So far, as director Diane Brossart told me in an interview, the public response has been overwhelming.

What might happen if citizens across the country understood the economic impact of their parks? What might change if legislators who raided park funds could count on voters’ wrath?

To read Arizona Forward’s resource on the value of parks, visit http://www.valleyforward.org/about/90/ 

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

So why isn’t PE more like summer camp? Where is the spirit of adventure in learning something new in PE? How are kids supposed to develop a lifelong love of fitness and physical activity when the experience is often regarded as communal misery? No wonder school systems are tempted to cut PE back to the bare minimum or even eliminate it entirely.

Meanwhile, a number of sports groups and associations are keeping a wary eye on national physical activity statistics, especially for children. They know that the future of their sport depends on young people picking it up, but how do they pry them away from the Xbox? Surely if every kid just tried their sport a few times, they would be hooked.

This is where park and recreation agencies can help. On the one side, we have various sports organizations such as USTA and PGA, and most of them have “player development” programs designed to recruit new people into their particular sport. On the other side, we have schools that need help keeping their PE programs engaging for kids despite budget cuts and the squeeze placed on class time by standardized tests. Park and recreation agencies can act as the bridge between the two, bringing new sports into the schools either during PE or after school.

New indoor versions of outdoor sports such Ten and Under Tennis, Quickball baseball, SNAG golf, and Olympic Archery in Schools are already being used in schools to get kids hooked on sports while they’re still young, enthusiastic, and unafraid of failure. Even schools with tiny athletic facilities can squeeze these games into small gyms or multipurpose rooms. And outdoors, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Soccer for Success program goes even a step further, working with schools to help insure academic success as well as physical fitness. Parks and recreation benefits too, by developing a new generation of customers for tennis centers, golf courses, and other types of recreational facilities.

So maybe schools have a thing or two they can learn from park and recreation agencies—how to have fun, how to recreate, and how to keep learning fresh and exciting. It’s a lesson plan that keeps the spirit of summer camp going year-round and maybe even through a lifetime.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

Historically payroll tax cuts were popular among both parties. Republicans now fear expanding or extending payroll tax cuts, which reduce Social Security tax rates, will hurt Social Security trust funds and effectively create a tax increase in 2013 when the cuts expire. House Republicans seem to like President Obama’s proposal to expand tax incentives for companies that hire unemployed veterans. Both parties seem interested in a “tax holiday,” which would temporarily reduce taxes on earnings that companies bring home from their operations in other countries, but the President opposes that idea. Currently, multinational companies can delay paying income tax on most of their offshore earnings indefinitely, until they bring that money into the United States. Tax incentives or tax holidays mean loss in tax revenue, and thus an offset is required by way of cuts to something else or new revenue.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing Wednesday to debate the merits of the National Infrastructure Bank component of the American Jobs Act. During the debate some spoke of the need for a gas tax, vehicle miles traveled tax or a tax by way of tolls to help offset the costs of desperately needed national infrastructure investments.

With all this talk about changes to the tax code in so many different ways, can any of us really be sure we will not ultimately pay more taxes in some form or another in order to help our country crawl out of debt? Is a pledge of no new taxes under any circumstances, and only cuts to spending, realistic? If funding to create and maintain parks, for example, is cut drastically or eliminated and local, state and federal parks were forced to initiate or raise park fees as a way to fill the void, is that not a form of new taxes? Call them fees, tolls, tariffs, levies, dues, or duties, the question remains the same. Are you willing to pay more taxes?

Leslie Mozingo from the Ferguson Group

 

NRPA and the Urban Institute, with cooperation from the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities, partnered to bring high level decision makers together in one setting to tackle this most vexing of issues facing parks today—how to ensure that there is sustainable long-term funding for public parks.

Having the four current and former mayors discussing their struggles to reconcile idealism with political reality provided the dimension needed to ensure the conversation stayed outside the much lamented “box.” With representatives from the highest level of virtually every corner of the world affecting parks—agency directors, citizen advocates, think tanks, vendors, the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, philanthropists, architects, the White House, hospitality, and the National Park Service—no idea went unexamined, but many were challenged.

The organizers, NRPA and UI, intend to take the lessons learned and the questions posed in the day-long roundtable sessions to craft a research and action agenda for moving forward. This working discussion will serve as the basis to craft new knowledge and resources for parks and recreation professionals and advocates.

Following are 15 key take-away points from the day. There were many more. And not all of these key points are outright prescriptions—some are deeply considered questions posed by urban park directors. Look for a full-report on these and other points of discussion in the near future from NRPA and its monthly magazine, Parks & Recreation. Also, on or about Oct 12, check the NRPA website for the audio recordings of Sessions 2, “Making Market Based Approaches for Parks and Recreation Work,” with a panel from the private sector, and Session 3, “Tackling Fiscal Challenges: Case Studies of Cities and Counties,” with a panel of park and recreation directors from large urban park systems.

Fifteen key take-aways from the Roundtable:  

1. Do not rely on continued direct federal funding. Those days are gone.
2. Even when municipalities want to do the right thing, it's difficult. Former St. Petersburg, Florida, Mayor Rick Baker reported having to lobby the state capitol to obtain permission erect a stop sign. 
3. It is possible to do joint ventures with school boards, if you are creative, cooperative, and sometimes willing to meet it more than halfway. 
4. With regard to maintenance, if you commit to a public/private partnership, you must commit to funding the long-term care and maintenance of the project. If that can't be done, don't do it. 
5. Selective targeted real estate development can influence population growth and other development in cities when and where you want it. 
6. Beware of research as a single solution—elected officials often ask for yet more data when plenty is available. Equally, be prepared for the unintended (and sometimes unwanted) results of research. 
7. Creation of a land bank from distressed real estate could simultaneously create more parks and green space while reducing the oversupply that has depressed real estate values and thus the economy. 
8. Corporations and organizations often choose to relocate to municipalities with the highest quality of life—and parks and recreation are a key factor.
9. When a state or municipality cuts the components that contribute to its quality of life, it can expect to see important segments of its population to relocate to where quality of life is valued more.
10. Knowing the true cost of your services is a competitive advantage. This is critical knowledge for businesses, and it must become critical knowledge for public parks and recreation.
11. It is possible for a park agency to be 100 percent self sustaining, but becoming so can mean having to cut services and programs to those least able to afford it.
12. Every dollar raised is a dollar that does not have to be cut. 
13. Government has been here for 250 years; others who come and go won't always be around.
14. Volunteers are not a threat to unions and some are the best advocates for parks and recreation. 
15. Legislators and elected officials need to look beyond the “collection gate” to the overall economic and social impact of parks. These are the reasons people support parks, not just the revenue collected.

Visit www.nrpa.org/urbanroundtable for video and audio streaming of the day’s discussion sessions. For more information and to offer your contributions to the discussion, contact Rich Dolesh at rdolesh@nrpa.org.

Phil Hayward 
Editor
PARKS & RECREATION Magazine

 

I remember reading that prediction by Wired Magazine futurist John Perry Barlow in 2003. The internet was careening from infancy to a wild toddlerhood, Napster was pummeling the music industry, and in-your-face pirate file-sharing sites with names like Demonoid, Pirate Bay, and Poisoned were springing up like toadstools after a July rain.

Wouldn’t the economy of the future be based on everyone protecting all their digital goodies? And holding on tight to their ideas and data? “The future will be based on relationship….” Uh, sure. Maybe relationships among happy intellectual property lawyers.

But Barlow was, of course, correct. And I thought that was pretty obvious to most of us at this point. From Facebook to Wikipedia to OpenStreetMaps, we’ve all seen the power of shared data, shared instruction, shared news, shared maps. Haven’t we?

Recently, in researching NRPA’s new industry-wide, user-driven database, PRORAGIS, I heard there were critics of the project. I was surprised, so I asked why. The criticism from some members, I learned, went something like this: “Our agency data belongs to us. If we share it to a central association platform, then others besides ourselves might profit from it.”

Hmmm….

I could spot a few flaws in this logic right from the get-go.

• Parks are not Microsoft. Last I checked, this is all public information. Public agencies. Public land. Public programs. Publicly approved budgets. Anyone can find an agency’s info and populate a database with it. But the thing is, you’ll probably benefit a whole lot more if you make sure it gets entered correctly. On a database set up to guarantee standards and designed for agency use.
• One party’s gain does not necessarily mean another party’s loss. Maybe with a budget or an acre of land—but not with data. If you data benefits your peers, or if it boosts your industry as a whole, does that mean there’s less of it available to benefit you? Nope. In fact, the more folks who go treasure-hunting in the database, the more valuable your little corner of it becomes.
• Park data will always be most valuable to park professionals--no matter who else might come along with ideas for how to turn a dime from PRORAGIS. Who else will ever have as much reason to compare agencies, show program impact, plan future facilities, or publicize the stunning array of services parks and recreation professionals provide?

Read the cover story on PRORAGIS to see how park leaders across the country are spinning the “straw” of basic park data into gold.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

Following news that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had enough funding available to sustain disaster relief efforts through the end of the current Fiscal Year on Friday, the Senate reached a deal Tuesday night to fund the federal government through November 18th. FEMA's announcement that it would not require additional funding to continue relief operations this week defused a potential confrontation between Senate Democrats and House Republicans over how to provide additional disaster relief funding. Republicans had insisted that emergency funding be offset by cuts to other federal programs, while Democrats argued that disaster relief funds should not require a specific offset. By pre-empting the need to provide funding in Fiscal Year 2011 for disaster relief, FEMA's declaration enabled Congress to avoid the issue of offsetting disaster funding and allow FEMA to begin immediately drawing down its Fiscal Year 2012 funding on Saturday.

With the House in recess this week and the Fiscal Year ending on Friday, there was concern that Congress would be unable to pass a stopgap measure to prevent a government shutdown on Saturday. The two bills approved by the Senate on Tuesday will allow the House to remain on recess while keeping the government running. The first bill, which is expected to be approved this week by voice vote in the House, will provide federal funding through the end of next week. The second bill, which the House is expected to debate when it returns next week, would extend funds through November 18th. Both bills enforce the cap on Fiscal Year 2012 spending that was agreed to in the debt ceiling debate. The House and Senate are expected to put forth an omnibus bill to fund the federal government through the rest of Fiscal Year 2012 within the next few months, and to try and pass this legislation by the November 18^th deadline.

But, what if FEMA had not found enough funding left to get them through the rest of this Fiscal Year while aiding victims of disasters that have already occurred? Either the federal government would have to borrow the money if it were declared emergency spending, or an offset would need to be found elsewhere within the federal budget - one that could very well at some point be taken from a program that benefits park agencies. Like other local agencies in disaster-impacted areas, park and recreation agencies share in local disaster recovery efforts, including debris cleanup and repairs. What are you willing to give up to fund disaster recovery efforts? Would you rather see the federal government declare all disaster aid as emergency spending and continue to raise the deficit, or would you rather Congress provide offsets for these disasters, even it means that such funds would come from accounts that are of great benefit to your local needs?

By Jon Wisbey, The Ferguson Group
Leslie Mozingo, Contributer, The Ferguson Group
 

One of the new programs included in the Jobs Act is a “Pathways Back to Work” initiative that would establish a $5 billion fund at the Department of Labor to support subsidized employment for low-income youth and unemployed adults. A total of $1.5 billion would be made available to subsidize summer jobs and year-round employment for low-income youth, $2 billion for the employment of unemployed, low-income adults and $1.5 billion for work-based training of either low-income unemployed adults or low-income youths. Since this funding will be distributed first through States, and then through local Workforce Investment Boards (local WIBs), local parks and recreational agencies will need to work in partnership with their local WIBs to access these grants. In addition, although local government agencies are ineligible for many of the tax incentives proposed in the legislation, including a temporary payroll tax cut and a new tax credit that rewards organizations who increase their overall payroll costs, nonprofit organizations are eligible for these incentives and may be willing to partner with local agencies to take advantage of these new incentives.

Transportation Investments  

The Jobs Act also would also provide significant investments in transportation projects that could be utilized to enhance local open space and provide access to non-vehicular modes of transportation. A total of $27 billion is included in the bill for highway, bridge and rail projects, 3% of which is reserved for Transportation Enhancement projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation efforts and landscaping/streetscaping initiatives. Furthermore, the legislation would provide an additional $5 billion for the TIGER discretionary grant program, three times more than this program received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The TIGER program is especially popular among localities because it provides competitive grants directly to local governments for a wide variety of transportation projects, including bike and pedestrian networks or greenways.

Click here, to find more information about the other initiatives included in the American Jobs Act.

What federal actions do you think would be most effective at spurring job growth and economic investment?

Jon Wisbey
The Ferguson Group  

Richard J. Dolesh 
NRPA, Chief Public Policy Officer

 

Guest contributor Shane Mize is the Recreation Superintendent for Missouri City Texas. Has a B.B.S. in Sports, Fitness and Leisure Management from Hardin-Simmons University and a M.S. in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University. He is a former TRAPS Tex-Tern, NRPA Young Professional Fellow and AAPRA Young Professional Extern. He is currently the TRAPS Young Professional of the Year, chair-elect of the Young Professional Network and serves on the Congress Program Committee. When he is not working he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children.

Millennials, as defined by Wikipedia, are the generation after Generation X--anyone born from the mid-to late 70s to the early 90s. That would put the current age range of the Millennials to be anywhere from 20-35. That age range also accurately describes what a young professional is, as defined by NRPA’s membership page; any professional, 35 and younger, who is working at least part-time in the parks and recreation field. The young professionals in the field now are defined as Millennials and share a lot of the same characteristics, but there are differences as well. Knowing the differences will help you understand the young professional you are working with, supervising (or perhaps even being supervised by), a lot better.

Like most Millennials, current young professionals have the highest student loan debt of any generation coming into the workforce. Due to the current economy, many Millennials find it difficult to obtain an entry-level job. As a result, many work part-time jobs and live with parents after college; but the current parks and rec young professional is different. The majority of NRPA’s young professionals (non-students), do have at least an entry level job and are living on their own. And they are driven to make an impact. This drive, combined with their high student loan debt will cause most young professionals in the field to take anywhere from 12-15 different parks and recreation jobs during their career. This inclination toward "job-surfing" will bother almost all Baby Boomers, who averaged two to three jobs in a career, as well as many Generation X’ers, who will average 5-8 jobs across a career. Yet, with the expected retirements of so many Baby Boomers in the next four to five years, the opportunity to "promote up" and grow professionally will be both appealing and possible.   

The typical Millennial has never had a VCR, has always had hundreds of channels to choose from, and would give you a blank stare if you referred to a walkman. She has had a cell phone since middle school (or maybe even earlier) and has had access to the internet as long as she can remember. He is very aware of social media, his mobile devices keep him well connected, and he texts/chats/emails contacts and friends far more often than he talks to them. As a generation, they are thoroughly wired into technology, used to receiving and balancing a lot of information at once, and skilled in processing information quickly to make decisions.These young professionals will use these skill sets to lead a changing parks and recreation industry in the upcoming years.

Peer-to-peer networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and even Napster hve fostered a more “community-oriented” mindset with the Millennials. Current young professionals are likely to live in urban areas or apartment settings, and they are more “civic minded” than their parents. In their spare time, they might volunteer at social and community revitalization projects. These characteristics are important when trying to predict where our parks and recreation agencies are headed. With churches, local sports associations and both neighborhood and home owner associations all offering the same park and recreation programming that park and recreation departments do, we as an industry will need to decide whether we want to continue to compete with these other recreational programmers or let the current young professionals lead us in a new direction. Considering that most (due to their entry-level positions) are in charge of the park and recreation programming, they will be very influential in deciding where our industry goes from here. With the knowledge that this generation is, by and large, more community-oriented than the X'ers and the Boomers, expect to see famer’s markets, community gardens and informal recreation in the future.

Will this generation continue to do camps, sports leagues and fitness programming? Yes--those programs are the backbone of most departments. But I believe we are entering an era in which nature walks, park revitalizations and community service projects will change the way the next generation of children experiences parks and recreation. 

Shane Mize
Recreation Superintendent
Missouri City, Texas

Stacey Pine
NRPA, Chief Government Affairs Officer

Additional contributions made by Leslie Mozingo, Partner, The Ferguson Group
 

In its heyday, the track at Hialeah, Florida, was the “Grand Dame” of the horse racing world, attracting celebrities and world leaders ranging from the Kennedys to the Rat Pack. But, like many race tracks around the country, it fell into decline and closed for several years. Now plans are in the works to revive the historic property, which recently began hosting races again, pending an economic upturn to give it a little jump start.

The actual city of Hialeah was not on my radar screen at all, until NRPA Senior Manager of Corporate Grants Jimmy O’Connor and I arrived to tour some of the summer feeding sites established with the help of Walmart grants and NRPA. Established in the 1920s, this bedroom suburb of Miami evolved into a largely Cuban-American community during the 1960s. Flat, rectilinear, and crammed with strip malls and blocks of tiny bungalows, Hialeah depends on its parks and recreation system to an extent that was eye-opening to this Washington suburbanite.

Feeding kids? Check. Feeding seniors? Check. Supervised and unsupervised sports? Check and check. Keeping kids off the street and active in the summer? Check. Keeping seniors active and socially engaged? Check. Counseling teens and providing community service opportunities? Check. Community theater? Check. Sports teams good enough to reach the state finals? Check. And at some facilities, all of these activities are going on at the same park on the same day. The suite of social services offered in Hialeah parks turned my notions of parks as primarily providers of passive recreation upside down.

The most vulnerable populations in Hialeah—the young, the old, and the at-risk teens—are lucky to have a capable caregiver in the Parks and Recreation Department. But it’s not that surprising, given how many of the park employees told me they grew up in Hialeah’s parks and now are returning the favor by providing recreational opportunities and vital social services to another generation.

The park system’s deep roots in the community are evident in every program at every site. Hialeah could have been a city with a hole in it where the track used to be but with the help of parks and recreation, it’s a real community with a caring heart.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

$115: The average price per square foot of those condominiums just before Olympic Park was built.

1,000: The percentage rate of return the Commonwealth of Virginia enjoyed in 2010 ($189 million) on its $16.5 million state parks appropriation.

Just a few facts from the August issue of Parks & Recreation. They speak for themselves, and many of our readers (being well versed in all things park-related) probably found them unsurprising. After all, the real estate before-and-after is pretty typical of the kinds of boosts great parks give to surrounding real estate values. And distinctive state parks are perennial tourist magnets. But, while the nation’s realtors, chambers of commerce, and park devotees (among others) recognize that parks are economic drivers, much of the rest of the country continues to regard parks as sheer expense. A nice luxury, but one that is best reserved for times when public coffers are full.

A quick Google News search on the term “parks budget cuts” yields the following snippets, for example:

From Fort Smith, Arkansas:

“Our budget has been cut the last three years pretty substantially,” Mike Alsup, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said. “So far, we’ve been able to absorb the cuts, and the public hasn’t noticed so much. They have some this year. We’ve had a few complaints this year. If some of this goes through, people will definitely see a difference. We’ve trimmed all we can from accounts. Now, we’re talking about staff.” 

And from Port Townsend, Washington:

“We had our busiest July ever,” park manager Kate Burke told a chamber luncheon at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge…. [Vehicle] pass sales are expected to generate $57 million a year, according to Burke — but even if those projections are met cutbacks will be required.” 

The list goes on an on. In the name of recession-era austerity, cut follows cut. And, in the name of keeping parks running, park managers continue to figure out ingenious ways to absorb those cuts. All the while, budget “savings” are trumpeted by localities or states—and the considerable opportunity costs of depleted agencies and postponed park projects are all but ignored.  

Perhaps a change in the public funding of parks begins with a shift in terminology. I learned a long time ago in Economics 101 that funds fueling a time-tested wealth generator are not properly referred to as “cost.” Nor is it quite accurate to call the appropriation of those funds “spending.” The correct term is, I believe, “investment.” And while the availability of investment capital will always fluctuate from one economic season to the next, bad times only multiply the reasons to invest in the assets that yield a whopping return. Assets like parks.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

At ASU, the early iteration of nonprofit studies was in the Department of Leisure Studies, where the recreation major was housed. Students interested in youth agency administration majored in recreation but took their emphasis in the youth development arena that placed them squarely into the world of nonprofits (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, Scouting programs--all nonprofits). Over time, and with the explosion of the nonprofit sector, a distinctive field emerged within nonprofit and philanthropic studies. In the case of ASU students who might have gone ahead with a recreation degree, many flocked to our major in nonprofit management and that was the case across many of the universities where youth agency administration was rooted in recreation departments. The growth of the nonprofit sector meant that students were exposed to a host of job possibilities that included recreation but also causes involving education, arts and culture, environment, health, etc.

So, the story is incomplete if only talking about sports management or tourism as drivers that evolved parks and recreation degree programs. ASU evolved its Department of Leisure Studies to a Department of Recreation Management and Tourism to what it is today, the School of Community Resources and Development, inside of which remains an increasingly shrinking (in student numbers) undergraduate and graduate degree in recreation. The name change was a direct result of the explosion of growth in nonprofit leadership and management, given the number of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels interested in nonprofit management, philanthropic studies, and social entrepreneurship. The growth of jobs in the nonprofit sector, way beyond those directly tied to recreation, along with the shrinking number of jobs in public parks and recreation, is one part of evolving university-level programs as well.

Lastly, the final paragraph to your story is, in my opinion, the future for parks and recreation. Phoenix, among other cities, is asking nonprofit organizations to “take over” many local parks, visitor centers, etc. Collaboration and strategic alliances/partnerships are both the future and the present for many public parks and recreation departments. Tomorrow’s public parks and recreation professional may actually have a degree in nonprofit management rather than recreation.

Robert F. Ashcraft, Ph.D.
NRPA Board Member
Executive Director, Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
Associate Professor of Nonprofit Studies, School of Community Resources and Development
Arizona State University, Phoenix

Earlier this month, NRPA gathered a panel of accessibility experts from many fields for a roundtable on access to parks. Panelists included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health equity specialist Carolyn Brooks (who showed a presentation on the trending of the national obesity epidemic that drew gasps from panelists and attendees alike); University of Georgia professor and researcher Gary Green, accessibility consultant John McGovern, Virginia Tech researcher and rural communities expert Shelley Mastran, landscape architect and Miami-Dade park planner John Bowers, and CDC community planner Dee Merriam. The event was part of a series of roundtables--an outreach effort made possible by the Department of Health and Human Services' Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant funds. Those participating in the Atlanta policy roundtable came ready to expand their thinking about the vital, timely, and hard-to-define issue of park accessibility. Getting to parks, moving freely and safely within them, taking advantage of their health-enhancing features—and yes, even being aware of their existence.

NRPA senior program manager ErikaTerl. Terl said the roundtable had opened her eyes to how much creative, resourceful work is being done to improve accessibility with limited resources. For example, efforts to effectively survey the people living in communities, she says, allow park planners and programmers to learn what the obstacles (or perceived obstacles) confront park users—and, just as importantly, what people want from their parks. Once areas of improvement have been identified, parks can channel resources and enhance facilities and programs to meet those needs.

Another great lesson from the roundtable presentations was the level of compassion, imagination, and commitment many communities are investing in accessibility—efforts that often go far beyond compliance checklists, Terl explained. She refers to a slide featured in one of the panelist presentations depicting a hospital-grade bed with raising and lowering controls in the changing room of an aquatics center. The equipment, she says, was more than an accessibility investment—though it was certainly that. It was a gesture to the community as well. A way of saying that people with disabilities and those caring for them were welcome there—and that the dignity and privacy of those patrons mattered just as much as wheelchair ramps and other ADA-mandated features.

Zarnaaz Bashir, another of NRPA’s public health specialists, said she was struck by the diversity of the group attending the roundtable. Planners, transportation administrators, architectural and engineering consultants—even an epidemiologist. She wondered aloud how many communities across the country are forging creative and untraditional kinds of relationships in order to make their parks as accessible as possible.

The next—and final—conference in this series of free policy roundtables will focus on joint-use agreements. It will take place September 20 in San Antonio, Texas. If it is anything like the others in this series, it will stimulate both panelists and participants to see, in Bashir’s words, “unlimited creative opportunities for untraditional relationships.”

(Contact Kellie May at kmay@nrpa.org for any questions about the policy roundtables held in 2011.) 

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

Some college students bounce around majors like pinballs – they start out in one direction and often get bounced in several other random directions before gravity eventually takes hold. Others doggedly stay the course, refusing to be distracted from their Big Goal in life. But as I heard while interviewing some of the nation’s well-known parks and recreation academics for our June cover story, students today have much different interests than they did just a few decades ago.

College majors are very much on my mind lately as my own teenage son has started visiting schools and exploring various types of curriculums. He wants to be a chef and we are struggling with similar label issues (culinary arts vs. culinary science vs. food science vs. hospitality management) as is being seen in some parks and recreation academic programs. Does a soufflé by any other name taste as sweet? And will he come away with the right business management skills to be able to keep selling those soufflés?

But I wasn’t prepared to hear a familiar refrain a few days ago at the open house for Goodwin College at Drexel University in Philadelphia, which houses Drexel’s culinary, hospitality management, and education programs, among other offerings. There the question-and-answer session was dominated by one topic: Why was the school limiting the number of sport management majors? As I attempted to control my eye rolling, the college staff patiently explained (several times) that co-op job placements are mandatory at Drexel and there simply weren’t enough potential internship slots among the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, etc., to place more than 35 students per year. Multiply that by the other universities in the Philadelphia area also offering sport management degrees, and you can see how even low paying or unpaid internships are in short supply. Left unsaid were the long-term career prospects.

I’ve got nothing against sport management majors – some of my best friends have sport management degrees (okay, that’s not really true but I have met a few and I really enjoyed my interview with Dennis Howard at the University of Oregon, who founded one the nation’s most respected sport business programs). Whether sport management graduates who have specialized in sports as entertainment are fully prepared to work in a parks and recreation environment based on sports participation is a question that I was disappointed to find out that no one can fully answer yet.

What parks and recreation academic programs may need to compete is that “cool” factor that journalism or parks and recreation used to have. If adding tourism or sport management to a program’s offerings can lure in a few pinballs who may bounce into parks and recreation, then it’s hard to argue with their success. As long as parks and recreation agencies offer essential services, then there will always be career options, according to Geof Godbey at Penn State. Dale Larsen at Arizona State University and the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department told me that today’s parks and recreation agencies need to find partnerships to keep those essential services going, whether that means allying with tourism, sports, health, or some other field. And I heard from several other agency administrators that they are seeking potential employees with a variety of backgrounds and skill sets to help manage these partnerships. In this case, too many cooks may actually help the soufflé.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

Along the way, the W&OD links numerous villages, towns, developments, and even a small small city. Growing up in the far western part of the region, I can remember when trains ran along this route and then the many years of stagnation as municipalities tried valiantly to acquire the land from its new owner, Virginia Power. I guess power companies run a close second to railroads when trying to work out such arrangements. It would take from 1974 with the first stretch of trail in Falls Church to 1988 when the entire W&OD was completed under the auspices of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. If there was ever any doubt about whether people would use the trail, just check out any portion of it on any weekend. Today the Park Authority is initiating work to make it a commuter trail—no small undertaking, considering such details as making it safe during the dark winter months. When completed, the additional purpose will be yet one more benefit that trails and greenways provide their communities.

In a short and sweet column in the July issue of PARKS & RECREATION, NRPA Senior Program Evaluator Melanie Chansky discusses the benefits of bicycling. She also provides best practices and valuable web resources links. I also suggest checking out Great Rivers Greenway, a St. Louis-based public organization devoted solely to developing an interconnected system of trails and greenways.

I recently had the pleasure (and physical challenge) of trying out some of the GRG's 19 greenways. GRG Executive Director Susan Trautman invited NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane and me for a two-day tour of her greenway system. And what an education in greenway development we got. For starters, we learned that GRG prefers the term greenway to trails because of its all-encompassing nature. Trails, for all their worth, often have specific uses—say, hiking or mountain biking. Greenways tend to offer a much wider range of uses—walking, running, biking, and certainly the preservation of natural spaces. In St. Louis we rode on some clearly urban trails that ran through residential neighborhoods and parks broken occasionally by busy streets and roads. And we also rode on some trails so natural that you'd never know you were in a major metropolitan area. Each greenway had its own history and story; yet they all share common traits: the foresight, patience, resourcefulness, and political savvy to accomplish difficult deals. At an average cost of $450,000 per mile to acquire and develop a greenway, it could be no other way.

One example stood out. GRG had the foresight to lay the groundwork to acquire a 12-acre parcel of forlorn land along the Mississippi riverfront in north St. Louis. The parcel, which will link with the North Riverfront Trail, was originally destined as far back as 2002 as the site of the last casino to be developed in Missouri. When the state's gaming commission instead chose another site, GRG was able to follow through last December with the pre-negotiated purchase of $1.5 million. It doesn't look like much now, but it will be one more link in the interconnected trail system of the St. Louis area. Foresight, patience, resourcefulness, and political savvy—indeed.

Another GRG linkage also occurred recently when it connected with the granddaddy of rails-to-trails projects, the 235-mile Katy Trail spanning the width of the state. We biked a magnificent 40-mile portion along the Missouri River leading into Jefferson City (this was the physical challenge of our visit). With us were leaders from the state park system, the state parks and recreation association, Kansas City parks and recreation (another area blossoming with linked greenways). If I needed one more bit of proof of the benefits of bicycling on interconnected trails, the Katy Trail provided that in awesome quantity. Not only do state residents enjoy it, but cyclists from around the country flock to the Katy Trail in all seasons. To see some of our routes and for background on the Great Rivers Greenway, visit www.grgstl.org. You'll be impressed.

Phil Hayward  

Editor

PARKS & RECREATION 

There has never before been anything like it—at least, nothing that is intended to be specific to (and supportive of) our nation’s systems of state, regional, and local parks.

Each month, after realizing that there is still more to the system that I did not know about, I enjoy the chance to hear something new from the team responsible for the design and launch of PRORAGIS. And, over the past six months, I’ve also gotten to talk with members who are using the system and enthusiastically testing it to its limits.

In the July issue, realizing that we had focused quite a bit on the ins and outs of completing agency profiles, we turned our attention to all the stuff that PRORAGIS can actually do for its users. And the list is dizzying. So much so that our Knowledge and Learning intern, graduate student Hayley Jackson, gave a big chunk of her time to compiling (and rendering into plain English) a comprehensive outline for me.

And, reading over Hayley’s list, I started to understand just how big a deal PRORAGIS is for the park managers and planners, citizen advocates, and facilities operators who belong to NRPA. For the first time, I was out of “how-to-enter-your-profile-data” articles and into the guts of a powerful (and richly visual) reporting and data-crunching machine. Do a sophisticated benchmarking comparison—in minutes—using the best nationwide data available. Make a case for a new facility in an underserved neighborhood. Explore new, untapped sources of revenue. Discover new ways of using existing facilities. Contact those who have already invested in the equipment you are considering buying. The potential for all of these uses is there—and, in this age of “wikis” and peer-to-peer collaboration models, it’s exciting to think that PRORAGIS will evolve as park departments from all over the country enter their own important pieces of the database.

“PRORAGIS: Oh the stuff you can do,” I typed at the top of the page as I prepared to send the final version to Hayley for a fact check. And it really is true. This tool will be as good as the users who invest in it—and once the data is in place, this blend of data and mapping tools could transform the way parks plan, attract visitors, bring in revenue, and serve the people in their communities.

Have you completed your profile yet? 

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation 

Let me be frank—the magazine staff were not eagerly anticipating our annual celebrity feature for Park & Recreation Month in July. Previous experience had taught us that we could be scrounging for weeks or even months and only come up with a token athlete or two. Luckily we were able to switch tactics this year and asked Rachel Roberts to create a piece on how local parks can recruit local celebrities. Rachel has interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, including our NRPA Congress keynote speaker, Tony Hawk.

While many celebrities will come out and advocate for their local parks (Central Park being a prime example), it seems no major, household names will step forward for parks and recreation as a national cause. That national vision for parks appears to be lacking among today’s top celebrities, philanthropists, and political leaders.

But efforts like America’s Backyard can fill that void with grassroots power instead. This is 2011, after all, the age of social media and the long tail. We don’t need a celebrity white knight to ride in and save parks and recreation; we need millions of white knights. And although we don’t have space on the library walls to honor them all of the local advocates and volunteers we’ve featured recently, like Andi Oustalet in Gulfport, Karen Kidwell in San Francisco, Helene Mills in Atlanta, Richard Toussaint in Harlem, or Missouri’s State Parks Youth Corps….they are rock stars to us and hopefully to all of you too.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

As a longtime reader of books and blogs on health, nutrition, and the nation’s worsening overweight problem, I thought I knew a lot about obesity. The people I talked with, however, were so passionate and creative in their approaches to helping people that I realized I knew much more about the nature of the problem than I did about the solutions offered by individuals and communities.

Here are five things I learned—and where I learned them from.

1. Something as seemingly insignificant as putting bike racks near public transportation stops and high-density apartment complexes influences people’s physical activity levels across an entire city population. (Andrea Ramos, North Miami)

2. Many people (especially many minorities in this country) really are unaware that small changes can lead to better, longer, healthier lives. They need to be schooled and coached and encouraged. There are ways to help people overcome obesity (and the chronic diseases that go with obesity) without making them feel stigmatized. (Dr. Kelly Moore, University of Colorado, Denver)

3. Sensitivity and creativity can overcome the “exercise anxiety” of many people with disabilities—and can lead to a well tailored fitness plan and happy participants. Even when they begin a program, for example, by saying they only want to play Bingo! (Bernard Preston, Las Vegas)

4. Entire communities can make small dietary changes together around a single excellent book like Eat This, Not That. (Kerry Bittner and Polly Brannon, St. Petersburg, Florida)

5. Public perceptions of safety can make or break a community’s efforts to encourage greater physical activity among its residents. The bike trail may be beautiful, and it may even be safe—but if the people who live around it don’t believe it is safe, it may as well not have been built. (John O’Brien, North Miami).

People like Ramos, Moore, Preston, Bittner, O’Brien, and Brannon apply ingenuity and compassion to helping people fight obesity. They serve as a refreshing reminder that, in the battle against this national epidemic, many small changes at the community level can have an impact.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation 

As any parent knows, the shortest distance between two points isn’t always a straight line. The more important the point to be made, the more this axiom applies. Rather than decreeing self-evident truth to young people, the planting of the seed of an idea and leading by example more often yields the desired result. One simply cannot tell a child, You will enjoy such and such a sport or other activity. This is especially true in imparting an appreciation of nature. Sometimes the best we can do is provide the entre—be it a field trip to a nature center, a canoe trip, or even a week at summer camp. Chances are the parents won’t be present when the epiphany occurs—or it might take years to take hold. But it will.

The cover story of the July issue of Parks & Recreation explores the emergence of youth conservation corps across the country. “Corps” tends to be a catch-all term describing the summer programs that put young people to work in parks in exchange  for minimum wage and significant experience. On a superficial level, it’s a summer job. Which is a little like saying Central Park is just another park. They also learn job skills—from the typical, such as punctuality and responsibility, to the task specific, working with tools to accomplish meaningful tasks. At the same time, they are truly out of doors—in all kinds of weather soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. The Missouri State Parks Youth Corps even teaches its members how to become nature interpreters, and in turn they work with younger kids to foster an appreciation of nature. As Missouri State Parks Director Bill Bryan explains in the article, some kids return the next summer for more exposure while still others become seasonal employees for his park system.  

Bryan describes the emergence of Youth Conservation Corps as a growing trend—state by state. When you consider their ancestral roots, the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, such an assessment is refreshing. The CCC helped a generation of young unemployed men and produced a physical legacy of parks, trails, and other outdoor features that we appreciate to this day.  That's a tradition that may well see new life going forward, if a proposal sent to members of Congress by the National Recreation and Park Association and the National Association of State Park Directors this week gets the attention it deserves. NRPA urges the creation of a Conservation Construction Corps--a national employment program to put Americans back to work and revitalize local, state, and national parks in the United States.  The reborn corps would create jobs for skilled, out-of-work citizens, while providing needed repairs to the country's aging public parks and recreation facilities, including sanitation systems, deteriorating building exteriors, and access roads/bridges. That's no small order, but then again, the presnt-day precedent is there in the youth corps.  

We’re a richer country for the tradition created by the CCC, and just perhaps we can regain some of that conservation esprit de corps with today’s youth organizations. The seeds of appreciation for nature and the outdoors have been planted and hopefully will yield a larger generation of nature-savvy citizens.   

Phil Hayward 

Editor 

Parks & Recreation  

If one snow day has such serious consequences for children in the District, then what must 50 in a row be like? And not just 50 days in one place, but many. Across the country this adds up to about 15 million. In fact, that’s the number of children receiving free and reduced-price school lunches but who lack access to such meals with the arrival of summer. Fifteen million—not just toughing it out for one, long, difficult, stomach-rumbling day—but 50?

Parks and recreation people are no strangers to child hunger. For decades, parks and rec agencies have been the single biggest provider of summertime free meals to children in low-income areas in the United States. Few people are aware of the staggering social services that local rec centers and community centers provide in feeding the neediest of children during their summer vacations. I certainly didn’t know this until I came to work for NRPA last year.

Yesterday, I attended an event that showcased the work that parks and rec folks do quietly, behind the scenes, for the children in their communities. At the Columbia Heights Recreation Center in D.C.,Walmart kicked off its summer giving campaign—an initiative that will, through various grants to partnering organizations, direct $25 million to expanding summer services for kids. NRPA is just one of those 350 partners, and the $2.1 million NRPA grant will, for the second year in a row, go directly to parks and rec feeding programs in 30 cities around the country. As a result, 2.5 million nutritious meals will be served to low-income children this year. It is, perhaps, the most sweeping national private philanthropic effort ever to tackle child hunger in this country.

And it comes at a time when park agencies, with slashed budgets and reduced staffs, most need the private assistance if they are to continue feeding the children who live in their communities and play in their parks.

Speakers at yesterday’s event—including D.C.’s mayor Vincent Gray, NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane, and representatives from hunger and child advocacy nonprofits—emphasized the ties between child nutrition and overall healthy physical and mental development. One speaker after another thanked Walmart and its foundation for their efforts.

In between speakers, some of the children who will be benefitting from this summer’s Walmart grants performed in a dance, shouting the refrain of “Exercise! Exercise!” All eyes were on the children—their energy, their smiles, their grace, their clear enjoyment of the crowd, and their own carefully rehearsed dance moves. And later, when the kids sat down at tables with tablecloths and flowers to eat their boxed meals, their good appetites were equally evident.

Yesterday’s kickoff event offered a fitting reminder that childhood hunger is no abstraction but rather a threat to the most vulnerable and promising members of our communities. A threat that must be fought daily. Parks and recreation people are already fighting child hunger. And now corporations like Walmart are coming to their assistance. This can only be good news for the 15 million children and youth who’ve learned to dread the hunger that comes with summertime.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation 

It’s fees and charges. No question about it—fees and charges.

The subject is on everyone’s mind as budget woes for parks and recreation agencies deepen. Systems of every size from the smallest to the largest—from Massachusetts to California--are in a desperate search for new sources of revenue. And one of the most reliable (and sometimes only) short-term fixes is to raise fees.

Developing long-term sustainable new revenue sources for parks and recreation is still a viable proposition and there are some sparkling examples to point to from cities and counties and states around the country—but it takes a long time to build partnerships, secure grants, and leverage private sector funds for new sources of revenue. For park and recreation agencies coping with annual double-digit budget cuts while trying to maintain services and programs, raising fees and charges is often the only immediate practical option.

Establishing the need for fees and setting them at reasonable price points is part and parcel of the business of public parks and recreation. The rationale for charging fees (and against charging them) can be found with clarity and detail in Chapter 19 of the profession’s “bible”: Management of Park and Recreation Agencies, 3rd edition (M. Moisechek, editor).

The searing reality for most park and recreation agencies—a reality that has developed just in the past two years, is that park and recreation agencies must raise their fees and charges, and in some cases, to the maximum that the market will bear. The stark alternative is often to simply stop providing those programs and services.

Over the past year, I have found it difficult to find an agency this year that has not already raised fees or made plans to do so soon. Across the country, agencies are grappling with how to raise fees in reasonable increments without inflaming public opinion. And how to meet their revenue requirements without pricing traditional recreational experiences out of sight for regular families and users.

Thinking more entrepreneurially is not a bad thing, and in fact it is part of the “new normal” for park and recreation administrators and managers. A new willingness on the part of administrators to look at revenue-producing ideas can stimulate creative public/private partnerships, improve opportunities for local business development, and even add entirely new services and amenities to parks and facilities.

But deeper, more fundamental issues coming to the forefront in this debate touch the core mission of public parks and recreation. Will our public park and recreation systems become “pay-to-play” recreation resources that serve only those who can afford to pay? Will those who can pay be the only ones who will be able to use and enjoy park facilities and programs? Will only traditional recreation programs be capable of turning a profit? Will agencies be able to maintain a good balance of programs, services, and experiences for the public that remain free? What about nature centers and historic and cultural parks—what will happen to them, for surely they cannot turn a profit even in the best of times? Will unforeseen consequences result from a rush to raise fees? Consequences such as a loss of recreation immunity in the event of accident or injury—or worse, a loss of public support due to widespread regard of park and recreation services as profit-driven commercial enterprises?

Of course, fees and charges are a reality—a practice that is economically necessary no matter how valid some of the philosophical and legal concerns may be. And it’s worth examining how park and recreation agencies are implementing them at their facilities and in their programming.

Part Two of this series explores the fees and charges landscape with various real-life examples from several very different agencies. Stay tuned…

Richard J. Dolesh
Chief of Public Policy
National Recreation and Park Association

As Richard Louv points out in his new book, The Nature Principle, that “the more high-tech our lives become the more we need nature—for our physical, psychological, and spiritual health, as well as our ability to think clearly and creatively.” Not only will increased exposure to the water do us good, but it might do the water some good also. The EPA estimates that 28 percent of the U.S. coastal zone waters are impaired for aquatic life and 22 percent are not suitable for fishing or swimming. Our June cover story introduces two heroes of successful waterfront development, Richard Toussaint and Sylvia McLaughlin, but we can’t just rely on advocates like them to care about waterfronts for us. All of us need to be involved to effectively fight runoff, invasive species, and pollution--including air and noise pollution, which also affect aquatic life.

Places like Harlem River Park, Berkeley Meadow, and Juanita Beach are providing a necessary interface between people and the water. That they can do that while at the same time providing a home for shoreline wildlife ranging from algae to salmon to shore birds is a testament to the dedication of their advocates, the community as a whole, and the park agencies. Waterfronts may be home to many of us, but parks are helping to make room for nature too.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

I met Rabbi Brenner on a beautiful spring day at one of the newest and largest parks in Rockville, Maryland. Mattie Stepanek Park has it all—sports fields, dog park, memorial garden, playground, and lots of wide open green space. And I mean really wide open, since the park is part of the King Farm development.

King Farm was still a farm when I moved to Rockville in 1993–an agricultural anachronism in a sea of urbanity. When the farm defaulted on its property taxes, it was annexed by the city of Rockville but its fate had been sealed years earlier when the Shady Grove Metro station opened nearby. Although we are supposed to cheer this sort of smart growth near mass transit, it was still sad to see the old farm disappear beneath townhomes and garden apartments. So I was glad to see the broad fields are at least still preserved in a fairly substantial park.

Out of these fields rises a very strange clump of what appears at a distance to be colorful trees. Upon closer examination, you might revise that to a modern art installation, perhaps a Cubist interpretation of a basketball court. Out in the open fields of the park, the Bankshot court draws the eye like some sort of Basketballhenge.

Because it is a school day, the park is dominated by very small children, most of whom are too young to play basketball and instead swirl around the playground like a flock of starlings. I must admit that I had always thought of Bankshot as something one only did during lifeguard breaks at the Rockville Aquatics Center, where there is also a court. Amusing enough but a groundbreaker for inclusive recreation? A few minutes with Rabbi Brenner and you will become a believer, at least in Bankshot, that is.

Intentionally or not, inclusiveness became my mantra for the May issue, whether it was making room for off-beat sports like bike polo or far more gentle sports like the Miracle League and Bankshot. And the wonderful thing about parks is that they can accommodate everyone, from the strong and athletic to the meeker and weaker to those who just want to play with their friends and family despite their physical limitations. The field is open for all of us.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

I was told in advance that she would not be easy to get a hold of. The 80-something-year-old juggles a full schedule of meetings, interviews, senior center visits, and assorted community-oriented activities. But somehow I managed to get onto her calendar. “Just wait. You are going to love talking to her,” remarked Jay Tribby, the city council member advisor who made the introduction.

When we began our phone interview that morning, I could see right away that I was conversing with someone equal parts activist, orator, local historian, and community advocate. Her clear, clipped syllables and carefully chosen words testified to her experience as a communicator. And her emphasis on the freedoms and privileges denied her parents influenced all her reflections on her own activism.

She does not wait to be invited to public meetings on issues that affect her, she told me, because she knows it is her job to find out and simply go. And she spreads the word to others affected by proposed changes in the community because she is free to do so. Free to speak, to share, and to advocate.

“People don’t always want to know my opinion,” she laughs, “but I always do have one.”

Helene Mills embraced the initiative to rebuild Selena Butler Park not because she sees her calling as that of park advocate. She is championing the effort because that neighborhood park is just one of many pieces in the rich patchwork that makes up the community she loves. And because she knows what it could mean to the quality of life for those who live close by. In that respect, Helene Mills is a lot like all the others who have fought to rebuild the park as one of many revitalization efforts.

The difference lies in her sense of history. When Helene Mills sees that fenced-off park, she thinks of the Yonge St. Elementary School that once stood right by the site before there ever was a park there. It was the place where Martin Luther King Jr. began his schooling. And it was also the school where, under the leadership of Selena Sloan Butler, African-American mothers began advocating formally for their children’s education. Helene Mills looks at the park and remembers when it was opened in the 1960s—and of the hopes that were eclipsed when it became a drug-dealing outpost soon after. She thinks of the time when the abandoned houses around her in the 1990s dominated so much of her time and attention that little energy remained for dreams of a vibrant public space. And, always, she says, she thinks of the children she watched grow up who eventually came to mark out their turf as crack dealers in Selena Butler Park.

Helene Mills is, like all the other stakeholders in that Atlanta neighborhood, interested in an improved quality of life, opportunities for recreation, and a richer sense of community. The difference is, Ms. Mills knows best of all how a piece of land in the middle of the city can be intricately connected with personal freedoms. And how much careful guardianship both the little piece of land and the larger freedoms require.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation
 

But the one video I kept putting off watching was the one that I knew in the end I really needed to see – the “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” segment on the Miracle League. This 2001 broadcast is largely credited with the league’s rapid expansion across the country and now even around the world. (BTW, how does a show as consistently excellent as “Real Sports” manage to stay on the air and why don’t I ever think to DVR it?) I don’t consider myself an overly sentimental person and tend to prevent myself from wallowing in self-imposed misery by avoiding at all costs the Lifetime channel, romance novels, and even random puppy cams on the Internet. But would I really need tissues just to watch a 10-year-old sports story online?

Consider yourself warned: despite opening with a deliberately light and matter-of-fact tone, this video may make you cry in 30 seconds or less. I can’t even say exactly what about it makes me tear up since it really is a happy story and not a sad one. But I can say that it does point to two universal and ultimately intertwining aspects of the human condition – the desire to play and the need to feel accepted. And this is what parks and recreation are all about.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

Study after study shows how parks keep the young fit and healthy and older generations fit, healthier, and younger than their non-indulging counterparts. (Check out NRPA’s synopses of its newest five white papers articulating all this.) Our profile on Tony Hawk this month captures this duality in spades. At 37, the iconic skateboarder straddles that tenuous and shifting line between young and young at heart. Still intrepid on a skateboard 28 years after his first try, Hawk has not only made a commercial career in the sport, but has also created a nonprofit foundation to promote and fund skateboard parks. In this article Hawk advises prospective developers of skateparks to make them reflect public properties—for the sake of the skater, who will tend to take a more active interest in his or her community. At the same time, by involving the young users in the overall development process, planners and community leaders will teach youth to care more about their communities.

It shows that enlightened communities listen to their fellow citizens, young and old(er). Like our Rip van Winkle of 1980, you cannot anticipate recreational trends very far into the future, but you can have an open mind as they evolve. As Hawk tells PARKS & RECREATION this month, “Parents are encouraging kids to skateboard; dads are out there skating with their kids and having fun; skateboarding is the most diverse sport in the world, and this is something communities can stand behind.”

What if communities and park advocates hadn’t cooperated in recognizing the merits of these new additions to their recreation offerings, from skateboarding to bike polo? My guess is that those communities would instead be dealing with a generation of disconnected youth and dissatisfied young at heart. Parks have come too far for that.

Phil Hayward
Editor
PARKS & RECREATION 

May is National Bike Month and according the 2010 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, bicycling is the most popular outdoor activity among children in the United States, involving 14,652,000 children. Many environmental and urban planning advocates think that the time is also ripe for bikes to play a larger role in transportation in the U.S. Parks are an obvious place for kids to have a safe place to ride and for commuters to avoid crossing paths with traffic, but getting to the park can be a hazardous journey in itself.

NRPA’s Maggie Cooper wrote about how parks can work with planners to create more transportation alternatives, including bike paths, in our April issue, and Kellie May followed up on that in our May issue with an article about how communities are working to make their parks more accessible to residents in surrounding neighborhoods and beyond. One source of funding for projects like these is the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Program, currently known as SAFETEA-LU. SAFETEA-LU funds these grants through its Transportation Enhancements, Recreational Trails, and Safe Routes to School programs using gas tax revenue. Rich Dolesh, NRPA’s Chief Public Policy Officer, says the reauthorization process for SAFETEA-LU has dragged on for years. With declining gas tax revenues and competing demands for that shrinking revenue, he fears that programs regarded as less essential may not be funded. To find out more about the current status of park and recreation-related transportation funding, see the April Advocacy Insider. Cycling advocates need to make sure that policymakers understand the great record of success of parks as transportation partners. Hopefully then this reauthorization will stop going around in circles like my nephew on his cross bike and start making some real progress.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation

It’s natural, if not inevitable, that new and different people should be moving into the Fourth Ward. With its proximity to Georgia Tech University, downtown Atlanta, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, dormant Selena Butler Park was bound to catch the imagination of these diverse, young urban enthusiasts. Perhaps in another time and place, these parties would never have come together if not for the common denominator of a belief in the community-building qualities of parks.

Getting from a neglected, closed-off park that residents deliberately avoided out of concern for personal safety to what will be this fall a three-acre wonderland featuring a playground, tennis courts, a ball field, community garden, walking trail, and community garden began with small steps. Residents, city officials, government leaders, and local business owners met a number of times to design a park that met all their needs and wishes. Then they voted on it. But it was a slow process that involved a lot of collective pushing. Their aspirations got important traction with the involvement of the National Recreation & Park Association.

Fresh off its success last year with its inaugural Parks Build Community project, the Playground at Marvin Gaye Park in Washington, D.C., NRPA found a natural candidate in Selena Butler Park. Like Marvin Gaye Park, the Atlanta project has demonstrable community benefits that can be captured in university studies and packaged into park- building toolkits. “The Parks Build Community initiative is based on the principle that good parks create a level playing field for all community members,” NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane told PARKS & RECREATION.

The research conducted by George Mason University on usage patterns following launch of the Playground at Marvin Gaye Park showed dramatic positive results (visit www.nrpa.org/parksbuildcommunity for more information). Construction on Selena Butler Park began this spring for a fall opening. Everything we learned from Marvin Gaye Park and for the our cover story this month on Selena Butler Park indicates the Atlanta edition will succeed tremendously. Build it right, and they will come.

Phil Hayward
Editor
PARKS & RECREATION Magazine 

Sometimes it takes a little while for any over-arching story to emerge. This certainly proved to be the case with Selena Butler Park. NRPA’s newest Parks Build Community project is an urban revitalization partnership involving two municipal government departments, federal funds, commercial vendors, civic groups, elected officials, and (of course) a national nonprofit association. Add to that the “unofficial partners”—local business owners and new and prospective residents—and the landscape began to take on the look of a tangled mass of facts, hopes, cautionary tales, and good intentions.

There were two moments, though, when that neglected few city acres sitting amidst a swirl of discussion and change took shape for me as a vibrant, multi-faceted, compelling story. The first came while sitting in Noni’s Deli, around the corner from the park. The official part of the project kickoff had ended for the afternoon, and a few of the Friends of Butler Park invited me to chat over a cold drink. There was no one thing I heard that day that stood out in my mind—this was simply a chance to see and hear what a small, fenced-off park meant to the people around it. The friends told me what it had been like to watch the park decay and then be shut down. And what an uphill climb it had been advocating for a neighborhood park during a span of time (following the 2008 tornado and the demolition of the nearby housing) when there really was no fixed neighborhood.

While we were chatting, the deli owner chimed in and talked about all the impromptu meetings he’d hosted concerning the future of that park. And while I was scribbling down notes, the local city council member stopped by long enough to say, “Hey, exciting to be part of the change that’s happening, isn’t it?!”

One of the members of the friends group present that day talked about what it had been like to buy his very first house—a former crack den close to the park—and get accosted by drug dealers from all sides as he cut through the ball field on his way home.

It was still a tangle, but I began to see that this park represented a convergence of both hopes and fears. It is rare that a place long dreaded and avoided by all those around it can quickly become a rallying point for optimism. A symbol of all that could be vital and magnetic in a community. This, I realize, is part of the paradox of urban parks. The potential for waste, crime, decay, and even terror, balanced against the infinite possibilities held by a neighborhood park for healthy play, cross-generational friendships, happy children, and vibrant quality of life. In the case of Selena Butler Park, I felt the dream of the former and the electrical charge of hope in the latter—all as I sat in a deli and listened.

But it was Helene Mills who showed me the genuine story among those contrasts. The octogenarian activist, who had seen it all and done it all in the blocks surrounding Selena Butler Park, opened the door to the history and uniqueness of this corner of Atlanta. I will be posting more about Ms. Mills soon….

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
 PARKS & RECREATION Magazine 

Maggie Cooper, Health and Wellness/CDC Programs Manager at the National Recreation and Park Association, expresses the role of parks best in her article in the April issue of Parks & Recreation (“Partnering with Planners to Create Active Living.”) Quoting U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on the creation of livable communities, Cooper writes:

“Livability means a community where you can take kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, go to the grocery store, have dinner and a movie, and play with your kids in the park, all without having to get into a car.”

It’s all about rethinking the sedentary lifestyles of Americans.

“To achieve the goal of healthier, more livable communities, park professionals need to be at the table for all projects that could improve public health,” Cooper writes.

That’s no small order. But time and again, parks are demonstrating their integral role in transforming communities. In Fallon, Missouri; Newport, Rhode Island; and Greenville, South Carolina, parks are playing a key role in improving transportation and healthy living, Cooper writes. In Fallon, for example, the parks department led a coalition working with town planners to inventory and ultimately link streets, sidewalks, and trails. It’s an endeavor no single agency could have achieved on its own. Maybe 50 years ago, a towering individual could have made an attempt to decree it. But needs and knowledge in town planning, like physics, have evolved far beyond the scope of one individual.

Easy? No. Smart? Absolutely.

Phil Hayward
Editor
PARKS & RECREATION Magazine 

When I interviewed Koegler in March for some leads on budget-enhancing best practices across the country, he explained upfront that his methods do not provide short-term fixes or quick revenue bursts. Instead, Koegler encourages directors to consider how their agencies can adapt time-tested models that are standard to other systems and institutions. Case in point: the public university endowment model.

Koegler pointed out that, while public institutions of higher learning are expected to build endowments, public park agencies are expected to manage their infrastructure and programs through the tax dollars budgeted to them. Expected, in short, to hold their hands out at all times—and for all funding needs. Sure, foundation fundraising is encouraged—if only to set up a passive 501(c)(3) arm to accept charitable donations. But somehow this traditional parks system model leaves them vulnerable to fluctuations in giving and budget-cutting pressures.

“Why not concentrate on building endowment funds?” Koegler asks. Certainly, it is a long-range solution to protecting our parks at the municipal, regional, and state levels—and one requiring skill and patience. But the impact of endowments is all around us. Universities, by developing funds that earn a year-in, year-out return, protect staff positions, fund new buildings, maintain existing facilities, and allow for the adoption of new technologies. Oh, yes, and they also create scholarship opportunities—a guarantee that the critical services they offer will always to be available to those who cannot afford them.

Our April cover story, “Budget Blues,” addresses the budget shortfalls causing park closures and cutbacks in services and programs around the country. Koegler’s long-term thinking may not be exactly what most agency directors are seeking as they feel the pain of recent drastic cuts. It’s a good time, however, to ask how we can buffer our parks from future economic instability. Looking at how other major public institutions do it—and then asking “Why not?” can offer a good start.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation 

In a profile in the March 2011 issue of Parks & Recreation, Dan Biederman lays to rest the myths he sees thwarting the private partnership approach. After all, Biederman explains, “Why not let the private sector pay?”

“Corporations want to introduce products,” says Biederman, who led the restoration of Bryant Park in New York City and is currently working with the City of Boston to refurbish Boston Common. He’s become a master at monitoring the pulse of corporate giving for public spaces. “If you are lucky enough to have an attractive space for them to do that, then you can get their sponsorship dollars.”

There hasn’t been a better time in the past five years for park agencies to pursue corporate sponsorships, he says. “It took a couple of years after the recession hit for things to pick up again,” he says, but the funds are now flowing toward “place-based marketing opportunities.” In other words, Biederman explains, companies are looking to channel marketing dollars toward “identifying a product with a much loved space.”

In addition to a number of suggestions in the March issue of Parks & Recreation, Biederman has concrete advice for administrators and advocates alike for pursuing private dollars.

1. Resolve whatever ambivalence you may have about seeking corporate dollars. Remember that businesses that partner with parks usually aim to blend corporate branding and promotion with philanthropy. Corporations are willing to negotiate, and park directors who enter into dialogue knowing what they want can reach mutually beneficial sponsorship agreements.
2. Start approaching locally based corporations. If you need direction or coaching in this effort, try reaching out to another agency that’s already had some success in landing corporate sponsors.
3. Try approaching corporations that may not be locally based—but that are promoting new products or services in your area. Biederman suggests reading the Wall Street Journal’s daily reports on new products being introduced.
4. Remember that banks, in particular, are almost always eager for opportunities to gain new accounts by setting up tables and displays in public places.
5. Reach out to the event producers in your area. Most cities have at least a few well established event producers—professionals who have been retained by corporations to coordinate gatherings, product introductions and testing, and other kinds of promotions. “They are useful people to get to know."

Philip Hayward
Editor
Parks & Recreation 

Due to a spreadsheet error (and when haven’t we all been betrayed by Excel at one time or another?), the projected $100,000 profit at RedGate after five years of outsourced management was now forecast to be a $1.5 million deficit. Certain members of the city council went ballistic, and abruptly the conversation shifted from whether or not to outsource management of the course to whether Rockville needed a golf course at all.

This time attending the city council meeting in person would be particularly onerous due to a very full agenda including the entire 2012 city budget, which promised to drag on late into the evening. So I tuned in the next day to the online video, which is helpfully bookmarked to the meeting agenda, allowing you to click right to part you want to watch. Pretty slick!

To make a long story short, a motion to close the golf course within a month and “return it to nature” was quickly quashed by a 3-2 vote. No doubt the debate was colored by an earlier vote to cut the entire parks and recreation budget and raise athletic league fees. But the discussion still brought up an interesting point—under what circumstances should we expect that park facilities like golf courses will be self-sustaining? Is $400,000 out of a $7.5 million annual parks and recreation budget (or $108 million overall city budget) really that unreasonable? Isn’t it possible that the golf course provides at least $400,000 in benefits to the city, both economically and in quality of life? (See our January issue for more on this.)

I asked these questions of Richard Singer of the National Golf Foundation, author of the RedGate study (and subsequent mea culpa). He said that it is difficult to gauge the proportion of municipal golf operations which are self-sustaining due to so many differences in accounting and comparing expenses. RedGate’s operating overhead seems particularly high, which is why NGF recommends outsourcing the management. There is also no way to put a dollar figure on the quality of life issues, or even the economic benefit to the city. Fortunately, NGF is working on a major study of municipal golf courses that he hopes will provide some more quantitative data to answer these questions, with the results to be presented at the NRPA and NGF sponsored Municipal Golf Institute at Oglebay this September. Hopefully this apples-to-apples comparison will demonstrate when muni courses are on par with their peers and help them to avoid those financial bunkers.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation

It had been a long time since I had been in Washington on a regular work day, and I remembered part of what I’d loved about the city as a fresh-out-of-college paralegal. People in D.C. may be over-scheduled and tightly wound, but they do get excited about being close to world events—and to the President himself. And the friendly chatter on the street fed into my excitement about the awards reception I was heading to—in the Atrium of the Capitol Visitor Center.

For me, a writer who is often conducting interviews by phone or sitting behind a desk, it was a treat just to mingle with NRPA members and colleagues. But in that setting—and in between stirring speeches by the award recipients—it was a grand and lovely experience. An afternoon of going back and forth between, for example, chatting with Wyoming’s state parks director about skiing with his kids, and taking in sound bites from lawmakers passionate about parks and the outdoors. Here’s a pastiche from the various acceptance speeches:

From Georgia Congressman John Lewis: “Parks bind us together. They get us outside…get us moving. They create community. They serve all races, all ages and all abilities. They are sacred; they are special.”

And from Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Congresswoman: "I’m deeply grateful that you gather and that you represent the interests of parks and recreational opportunities for people all over our country, who have differing abilities to enjoy the outdoors, and you make it possible for so many to do that."

And, finally, this very personal reflection from New Jersey Congressman Albio Sires: “When I look back on my life on the things that were important…I realize that’s [in parks] where I made my friends, that’s what got me through college, that’s where I relaxed, that’s where I spent a lot of my time."

I looked around at my NRPA colleagues, most of whom have been working on behalf of parks a lot longer than I have—and I saw smiles of appreciation and enjoyment. And some standing on tiptoes to get a better view of each of the speakers. It’s wonderful when anyone really understands the value of what you are advocating for day-in, day-out—and even better when people with the power to make change understand. Acknowledging and commending the work of those legislators was encouraging, I think, for the recognizers as well as those recognized. Despite the fatigue that was setting in at the end of that jam-packed day. Despite sore feet from standing on marble floors and traipsing all over Capitol Hill.

During the two-hour commute from downtown D.C. back to Loudoun County that evening, I thought a lot about how worthwhile this work of preserving and protecting parks is. And, in a time when our nation is so polarized over what is worth spending public monies on, how good it is to see some agreement right inside the Capitol dome on the value of our open spaces, our trails, our health, our community bonds, and our children’s play.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation Magazine

In the March issue of Parks & Recreation, the facts all come from the 2010 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, the only detailed study of its kind tracking Americans’ participation in outdoor activities. (I’d love to take credit, by the way, for knowing all about this fascinating report as part of my regular reading and news-aggregating practices. But, as often happens, our resident NRPA research specialist, Bill Beckner, shouted this one out to me in response to a plea for help.)

I began reading the report, and one in particular grabbed my attention: 75% of children between the ages of 6 and 12 say their participation in outdoor activities was influenced by an adult.

Some might say this is just pure common sense. Of course adults influence kids’ decision to get outdoors and play. But I was a kid in the 70s, and in my experience of growing up, the influence wielded by adults in that department felt more like a straight command: “Hey, g’awn outside. Don’t expect to see you back in the house until dinner time!”

My kids have had a rather different experience: coaches who volunteer their time to develop their sports skills from a young age, planned hikes, ski weekends, 5K runs, and a neighborhood summer swim league. Their outdoor time is much more structured and goal-driven than mine ever was. And I often think about what vastly different philosophies about parenting my peers and I have from my parents’ generation.

But in reading that fact, I realized there is a big, important commonality. When kids are getting outside a lot for their recreation, there is usually an adult (or group of adults) helping to make sure that happens. Whether by command or by structured play opportunities.

Fact is, my best times growing up were spent outdoors with friends—though I recall it took the parental mandate (usually with arms folded) to get me away from the TV. My kids’ best times are (they would readily tell you) also spent outdoors with friends—though it takes planning and prodding to get them away from the Wii and the Kinect. Adults who command or who plan and prod make for healthy childhoods with treasure chests full of outdoor memories.

And a single bare fact tells that story pretty well.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation Magazine 

We’re already seeing that in parks and recreation in numerous ways—from the nimble agencies that transform into special park districts, alter their revenue programs, embrace new technologies, and simply find ways to cut expenses and increase revenues without endangering service delivery. Our March issue features two thinker-doers who interestingly hail from outside the field. Their visions have the potential to help, if not alter, how parks deal with bad economic times. They do it on a large scale. And, ultimately, they support parks for all the right reasons.



A former Wall Street hedge fund manager, Michael Messner observed the vast power of boom and bust in commercial real estate and he lamented the trillions of dollars spent to back stop them, as Senior Editor Maureen Hannan writes. Instead, Messner envisions economic and societal viability in demolishing buildings in the financial “red” and converting them to green spaces, with part of tracts slated for eventual re-development. His Redfields to Greenfields project currently is centered in Atlanta, where he has partnered with Georgia Tech’s School of Engineering. You can read about his ultimate plan for a federally backed land bank that has the potential to create many new parks while simultaneously (re)engineering the urban landscape across the country in environmentally responsible ways. Page 14.

Less complex, but just as compelling for our field, is Dan Biederman’s public-private approach to refurbishing tired and over-used parks and public spaces. The New York-based entrepreneur and former economic advisor to Singapore’s urban development authority first tested his approach successfully with the transformation of New York’s Bryant Park from an eyesore to a popular public space in recessionary 1991. His current project is Boston’s historic Common. Read how Biederman is working with the city, friends groups, and private enterprise to restore this much loved—and used—54-acre park. Page 11.

These are just two examples of what may—or may not—be the new order of how things will be done in parks and recreation. It’s hard to recognize much of this innovation as it forms around us. But it’s there and we will do our best to bring it to you. Keep an eye out for our April issue which will explore the economy and its impact even more deeply.

Phil Hayward
Editor
Parks & Recreation Magazine

Remarkably, the city council admitted to shouldering much of the blame for the course’s predicament, cutting the marketing budget in the course’s heyday in the 1990s when tee times were the course back to breaking even.

Although as a casual golf course user I found the report somewhat comforting (yay, RedGate is not a lost cause!), it seemed to cause a lot of distress for the course employees and even the citizens on the advisory committee due to one fairly typical recommendation—outsourcing the course management or even leasing out the course entirely. I recognized a lot of faces in the audience (hey, there’s the starter! hey, there’s the pro!) and began to see there was a lot more at stake for some folks than cheap and convenient evening golf rounds. Interestingly, the recreation and parks department staff seemed to be in favor of the outsourcing option, perhaps due to a budget set-up that never gave the agency full control of the situation anyway.

After a long and frankly frustrating discussion, the council decided to issue a RFP with the help of NGF for outside management and/or leasing of the course, but at the same time to also advertise for a savior—a director of golf who could come in and “run it like a business” while still keeping management internal. I’ll report on those developments when they’re ready in a few weeks, just about when it should be time to get back out to the driving range this spring.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation

The first visit was to Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office. Van Hollen’s aide ushered us in, seated us in a little conversational grouping around a coffee table, and motioned with his legal pad for us to begin the spiels.

The first to speak was Rose Colby, from Prince Georges County’s parks and rec agency. A well spoken, thoughtful, matter-of-fact woman, she prefaced her comments with an acknowledgment of how supportive Rep. Van Hollen has been of parks. She then outlined a few of the key issues we had all been briefed on by NRPA’s policy experts that morning. Glancing down briefly at the summary card from the folder, Rose addressed the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Healthy Communities Program. She outlined the position of NRPA (and her own agency) that Healthy Communities funding should be maintained at $22.7 million in FY12. The aide asked a couple of questions—questions that demonstrated that he had both a working knowledge of the legislation and a desire to understand better what was at stake.

So far, so good.

Rose handed the baton to Dalton Mann, a citizen member with a long history of park involvement. Dalton’s talking point was the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). True to the morning’s coaching, but in his own impassioned style, Dalton hit on the high points of LWCF, emphasizing the reasonableness of authorizing 40% of the fund for stateside funding. (When the LWCF was first created in the 1960s, 60% had actually been earmarked for stateside—and the message NRPA is working so hard to drive home is that 40% is both true to the intent of the original legislation and a perfect, tax-hike-free way to support parks.) The aide had no questions this time—he simply nodded noncommittally and took notes. (As a newbie, my take on all of this was that 40% is not a bad thing to shoot for at all—and that NRPA’s arguments are sound. But that, airtight arguments aside, there’s probably an all-out feeding frenzy going on around the LWCF pot.)

Dalton wrapped up his LWCF points, and then it was time for Paul Dial, head of Frederick County’s park department, to speak to some remaining points about transportation and environmental/outdoor education. Paul had the quiet authority of someone who really is just trying to do his job and serve the needs of his customers. He’s clearly not the kind of guy who gravitates toward politicking—but, as he told me later, he does make sure to make his voice heard at Leg Forum each hear. He talked to Van Hollen’s aide about the brand-new nature center his agency just opened—and how closely the nature center will be partnering with the county’s schools.

The upshot? Park and recreation agencies should be able to partner with schools for State Environmental Literacy Plans—and receive some of the funding that goes along with that functional relationship. As I sat there taking it all in, I gave Paul major points for bringing federal-level legislative issues down to something as concrete and immediate as the service a local nature center provides in educating schoolchildren.

Paul then told about all that Frederick County is doing to connect parks through trails—and to make for a healthier, more livable community. He also made sure to note what that enhanced quality of life does for home values, no matter what the economic climate. The aide, as it turns out, likes to camp with his family in a park that is located in Frederick County. He was unaware of all that is happening to connect parks through trails, and he seemed excited about the prospect.

A reminder that legislators and their aides (and their families) need and love parks and open spaces, too. Legislators at all levels of government, not just Capitol Hill. But, I must admit, I especially liked thinking about all of the bustling, appointment-minded Hill people shedding their suits for jeans and hiking boots to pack up the minivans and find a little serenity and family time. Parks humanize and restore us all—and at some level, I think we all recognize that.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation 

RedGate is Rockville’s only municipal golf course, set in a forest surrounding two 1970s Cold War era reservoirs. Although officially built for flood control, the local mythology is that the reservoirs were built to serve as Washington’s back-up water supply in case of catastrophe. Like most muni courses, RedGate is nothing fancy – the club house is really just a snack bar, and the air is filled with the humble scritch-scritch-scritch sound of fellow trunk slammers shuffling to and from the parking lot in their soft spikes. But the fairways and greens are remarkably well maintained and it’s comfortable playing golf somewhere no one is going to notice the brand of your clubs or demand that you wear a collared shirt in the sweltering Washington summers. As we documented in our January issue, this sort of casual, inclusive course is a vital recruiting ground for the sport if golf is to thrive in the future.

My husband and I have taught our three teenage sons a number of crucial life lessons at RedGate—adults ride in the cart while kids walk, please just pick up your ball and carry it around the lake before we lose them all, and most importantly, life is too short to keep score. And we’ve had our more contemplative moments too, on summer evenings when cool, misty air rolls out of the trees and onto the fairways, bringing along with it the tentative steps of deer. So it was with some alarm that I noticed a brief Facebook post from the golf course announcing the city council meeting to discuss “the future of RedGate.”

Given that the city council recently had to bail out the golf course from a debt of $2.4 million, it wasn’t a complete surprise. RedGate is a microcosm of the budget struggles found in public recreation facilities across the nation, and determining its future path means balancing the need for green space and affordable, healthy outdoor recreation with long-term fiscal sustainability. Fortunately, the city council had earlier contracted with the National Golf Foundation to perform an analysis, which included a suite of well-researched options. In my next blog, I’ll discuss some of these options (including outsourcing management of the course), what the city council and the citizens group called the RedGate Advisory Committee thought of them, and how this all relates to national trends and NRPA’s Golf Coalition.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

With this missive, Parks & Recreation magazine opens up a new venue for communicating ideas, issues, and trends. Now in its 45th year, the print edition of the magazine has brought NRPA members a wide range of information on a monthly basis. Yet, any editor will tell you: But, wait, there’s so much more that we want to say. In a digital, 24X7 society a publisher shouldn’t have to feel limited by the constraints of printers, paper, and time.

So, beginning this week the editors of the magazine and occasional guest contributors will be writing blogs on just about anything to do with the field of parks and recreation. Much of it will look behind the scenes of producing the issues of the magazine—not just the cutting room floor, but the stories behind the stories. We’ll be sharing our encounters with other sources of news and information in an effort to broaden your understanding and appreciation of the field. As we learn, you learn. Hopefully, we won’t be approaching this so seriously as not to have fun.

We view blogging as a key component in our three-part social media program that also includes the electronic flagship—the digital edition of Parks & Recreation—Facebook, and Twitter. Expect tweets throughout each week alerting you to every kind of news and information, much of it to be found in the blog and in the magazine along with day-to-day observations.

We believe we’ve got the social media bases covered. But all will be for naught without your participation. Blogs are conversation starters, so feel free to join in and share your thoughts and opinions. We’ll all be the better for it.

Phil Hayward
Editor
Parks & Recreation 

Early yesterday morning, I joined NRPA members and coworkers at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, where we gathered to begin the second day of the annual NRPA Legislative Forum. I was there to watch, listen, Tweet, learn, meet, greet, and shadow members in their visits with legislators. I went anticipating a day of good, solid “prepping” for writing about the Forum. And I came away with much more than context for an article. When I went home at the end of that jam-packed day, I took with me a fresh understanding of advocacy—and an even greater appreciation for both the sophistication of our members and the essential public policy role that NRPA plays.

Let me explain a little bit about what the experience was like, from the perspective of a writer who is still learning about the history, value, and power of parks in our country.

The morning session opened with a talk by NRPA’s policy experts, Rich Dolesh, Stacey Pine, and Joel Pannell. They outlined talking points on critical messages to lawmakers of the 112th Congress—but not before Joel discussed some Policy 101. Such important matters as the distinction between spending authorization and appropriation. We also got a crash course in the history of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the reasons why LWCF makes for such a magnificent talking point. (No tax dollars at stake here! Getting a 40% stateside authorization passed is about sticking with the original intent of a fund drawing from oil companies drilling from the Outer Continental Shelf.) Stacey and Rich then filled in some of the blanks about transportation and health issues affecting federal funding for the nation’s parks.

We were prepared for the next step: to take the glossy, information-rich NRPA talking-points folders in hand and climb onto buses heading over to the Hill. Time to fan out and keep appointments with legislators. My colleague, Managing Editor Beth Beard (a Maryland resident) asked me if I’d like to join up with the Maryland Recreation & Park Association members she’d connected with.

For the next two hours, I would watch our members in action, explaining passionately and articulately to Congressional and Senate aides the opportunities in front of the lawmakers of the 112th right now to protect parks and thereby enrich their constituents’ lives. I’ll tell you all about that introduction to clear-headed member advocacy in the next post.

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
Parks & Recreation 

We got hooked on this drug of spring by the Japanese back in 1912 when they sent us a gift of over 3,000 cherry trees, which were planted on national park land around the Tidal Basin. Similar gifts brought cherry trees to New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and other U.S. cities. But however much we may fuss over them, our fascination with cherry blossoms pales like a fading petal compared to the Japanese themselves. In Japan, the northward march of the blossoms is the only thing to rival baseball on the morning national news coverage each spring. And hundreds of thousands of people spread out their blue tarps in city parks like Tokyo’s Ueno Koen, take off their shoes, and kick back with a boom box, a light beer, and maybe some squid jerky. Even when the blossoms start to fade and fall, you’ll still see groups of office co-workers taking a rare and much deserved break in the park together, hoping for that lucky moment when a blossom petal falls into their sake cup.

This spring of course is a heartbreaking one in Japan. City parks served as a more literal refuge on that terrible day, much like San Francisco’s Dolores Park did during the 1906 earthquake. News coverage showed rattled office workers huddled together in Tokyo’s parks, looking for a place to rest, regroup, and perhaps attempt to call loved ones. The overall scope of the disaster is still unclear, except for the fact that it is very, very bad.

As we are prepare for our rites of spring, let us do what we can to aid in the relief effort for a people whose joy in this season of rebirth has been washed away like so many petals in a rainstorm. Let’s try to give some beauty and hope back this spring.

Elizabeth Beard
Managing Editor
Parks & Recreation 

This was certainly the case with Stephanie Murdock, whose efforts to build a skate park in the city of Baltimore reflect both her love of her sport and her commitment to the city's teens. The 28-year-old boarder with a master's degree in Political Management exudes confidence and conviction--and she has so much to say about her skate park plans that she barely stops for breath once she gets going.

As I listened to Stephanie talk about Skatepark of Baltimore, I admired her fundraising smarts and dedication. Hard not to. This woman just managed to win a $50,000 fellowship grant, which she is using to apply herself full-time to achieving her million-dollar fundraising goal. But there was something I liked even more about Murdock than her sheer competence--and that was her willingness to be a role model. Her desire to mentor teenagers in not just the ins and outs of half-pipes and concrete...but in leadership.

As a mother of four (two of whom are in college and two of whom are in their pre-adolescent years) I know how rare it is for a busy twenty-something to come alongside teenagers in a mentoring role. And even rarer to see them do it with skill and patience. And yet it is exactly that age group that most teens long to connect with.

And so, as Stephanie Murdock outlined her plans for me on the phone last January--and as she told her stories of street festival sales pitches and after-school design powwows--I realized I was talking with one of those rare people who has combined dedication to a cause with a teacher's mindset. Stephanie's going to get that skate park built, and she's going to impact a lot of kids' lives in the process.

As I said, I do get to meet the most interesting people....

Maureen Hannan
Senior Editor
PARKS & RECREATION

Unorganized activities included board games, ping pong, pick-up softball games, and other decidedly low-tech stuff. Periodically, there were structured short-term activities that I believe shaped who I am today—drama classes and competitions, archery and other competitions, art lessons (wasted on me, but what the heck), and plenty more. While I can’t remember where my keys are in the morning, I do remember the two kind and gentle staff members, Ron and Harriet, as if it was just yesterday. How they so smoothly inveigled goofy pre-teens to sample so many different activities is a marvel to me today.

What brings Macomb Street to mind today is the cover story of the March issue of Parks & Recreation which features what to an 11-year-old in 1961 can only seem otherworldly. This feature on the leading-edge recreation facilities showcases amazing architectural accomplishments. Form doesn’t just follow function in these facilities, it does so in great style. Still, I can’t help but contrast them with the two-room brick activities center and correspondingly small ball field on Macomb Street. Several years ago, I drove by Macomb Street, and what was a national park to me as a kid is as small and modest as a facility comes.

And this is good. Because it points up the importance of the spirit and good intentions behind a parks and recreation program. The magic that goes into a facility is what counts. My hunch is that my Macomb Street experience isn’t unique. It would be good to know what you, the readers of P&R Now, think. And you’ve got more than one line to describe your exposure to parks and recreation.