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Welcome New Member
Ms. Sabrina Landreth, General Manager
East Bay Regional Park District
Oakland, California
Best Practices Forum
Got an issue you need advice on? Or a best practice you want to share? Send us the details and we will publish it in the next NACPRO News.
Member News
Online series will show impact of MetroParks on Dayton region
Courtesy of wdtn.com
OHIO - A new online series will show how Five Rivers MetroParks has impacted the development of the Dayton region not only in the past but in the years to come.
The series, called Decoding Nature, will debut in June on a local streaming service called Nearu TV. Decoding Nature shares the past, present and future of Five Rivers MetroParks and the role access to nature has played in the Dayton region’s development.
Read more:
https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/online-series-will-show-impact-of-metroparks-on-dayton-region/
Research and Resources
Rochester Parks and Recreation Launching 'No Mow May'
Courtesy of KIMT.com
MINNESOTA - If you don't like cutting the grass, you might have a good excuse to keep the lawnmower stored. Starting May 1st, Rochester Parks and Recreation is launching "No Mow May", encouraging homeowners not to mow their lawns for a month.
"Pollinators are an integral part of our ecosystem and we really want to be able to encourage the health and habitat of the future for pollinators," said the city's urban forestry program coordinator Alison Litchy.
Read more:
https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Rochester-Parks-and-Recreation-launching-No-Mo-May-574294311.html
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Parks and Recreation Report
Courtesy of NRPA
Park and recreation professionals are essential, serving on the front lines of many of today's most pressing challenges. Through their park and recreation agencies, they advance community health, resiliency and overall well-being. Given their mission to make communities better places to live, learn, work and play, park and recreation agencies are in a unique position to champion efforts that advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). By assuring representation of diverse life experiences and voices, park and recreation professionals will better reflect the communities their agencies serve. Inequity is the ultimate challenge facing our nation, and parks and recreation can make a profound difference. Read this new report, which highlights the role park and recreation professionals and their agencies play in championing DEI efforts.
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/deireport/
Health Benefits of Nature and Fresh Air for Outdoor Adult Fitness Parks
Courtesy of PlayCore
It is widely accepted that being outdoors often is good for people. Several studies have shown additional benefits to outdoor vs. indoor exercise, including improved mental well-being and physiological health, along with emerging evidence of benefits at the physiological, psychological, and social levels, which suggests that outdoor exercise is important for disease prevention. In addition, evidence shows that people who partake in outdoor exercise may improve adherence rates to regular exercise, thereby driving positive health behavior change.
Read more:
https://www.playcore.com/news/health-benefits-of-nature-and-fresh-air
ADA Checklists for Recreation Facilities
Courtesy of the New England ADA Center
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments, businesses and non-profit organizations to provide goods, services and programs to people with disabilities on an equal basis with the rest of the public.
Some people think that only new construction and alterations need to be accessible and that older facilities are "grandfathered", but that's not true. Because the ADA is a civil rights law and not a building code, older facilities are often required to be accessible to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate.
The ADA has different requirements for state and local governments and for places of public accommodation (businesses and non-profit organizations that service the public).
For more information:
https://www.adachecklist.org/checklist.html#rec
TPL Unveils a New Interactive Map showing all LWCF Project Sites
Courtesy of NASORLO
Today, the Trust for Public Land, in collaboration with LWCF Coalition partners, launched the first-ever interactive map showcasing the tremendous impact of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the nation’s most important program to create and develop parks, trails and outdoor recreation areas, conserve nature and protect cultural sites, across its 55 year history. LWCF has funded projects in nearly every county in the nation, and in every U.S. state and territory — from Yellowstone National Park and the Appalachian Trail to ballfields and boat launches across the nation.
The map allows users to zoom in on their own neighborhood and find their favorite local park or outdoor recreation destination and learn more about how LWCF impacted their access to the outdoors close to home. Or they can take a virtual trip across the country to see how LWCF protected some of America’s most iconic national parks and historic sites.
For more information:
https://lwcf.tplgis.org/mappast/
Transforming idle acres into a biking destination
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business
By Nate Grinzinger
With 124 acres of open space that hosts 400,000 total visits, 67,000 athlete visits, and 120,000 dog visits a year, Crown Mountain Park (CMP) in Colorado is a treasured community asset. Located in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley, CMP serves a broad area on the state’s western slope, including the communities of Aspen, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Basalt, New Castle, Rifle, and Edwards. This area has a population of more than 135,000, with hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
In 2018, the Crown Mountain Park and Recreation District (CMPRD) board and staff members proposed a plan to create the most diverse and progressive bike park in the region. The goal was to transform this area into a biking-centric destination and bike-training ground for all ages and abilities.
Read more:
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/crown-mountain-bike-park
GP RED Presents... Episode 19: Bouncing Back Part 1
"What we know now is completely different than what we knew in July." In this episode 1 of a 2 part series, Thomas Venniro (Director of Parks and Recreation, Hilton-Parma, New York), Jay Tryon (Superintendent of Community Recreation, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina), and Chris Nunes (Director of Parks and Recreation for The Woodlands Township, Texas) discuss how each of their communities have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they plan on pushing forward through the next coming months. They talk about the increase in parks usage and awareness, challenges to different levels of comfort among community members and staff, as well as new trends that have emerged (such as the "reservation" model for using facilities and attending events).
Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6g5XUXsEYUllwJYwE-OhAQ
In the News
Treasury Opens Portal for Counties to Receive Fiscal Recovery Funds
Courtesy of NACo
Today, the U.S. Department of Treasury released guidance on the State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The bill includes $65.1 billion in direct, flexible aid to every county in America, as well as other crucial investments in local communities. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury opened the new portal that counties must complete to receive Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Included in the guidance is the flexibility to use Recovery Funds to invest in broadband infrastructure, services and programs to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including capital investments in public facilities, investments in housing and neighborhoods and other guidance counties advocated for.
Helpful downloads:
- U.S. Treasury registration portal (Request Your County’s Funding)
- Interim Final Rule for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
- FAQs for general and common questions about use of funds
- General fact sheet on the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For more information:
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds
Secretary Haaland Announces $150 Million to Create Public Parks, Expand Recreation Opportunities in Urban Areas
Courtesy of US DOI
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced that the National Park Service will distribute $150 million to local communities through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program. The program, established in 2014, enables urban communities to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors in economically underserved communities.
Read more:
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-haaland-announces-150-million-create-public-parks-expand-recreation
This Colorado Ski Area Turned a Coal Mine Into a Power Plant
Courtesy of skimag.com
By Samantha Berman
COLORADO - Here’s a big number to chew on: There are 48,528 abandoned coal mines in the U.S. that continue to release methane into the environment.
Nearly a decade ago, Aspen Skiing Company gambled that repurposing one of these old mines into a plant that converts methane into electricity would pay dividends over the years.
Turns out, they were right. The power plant at Elk Creek Mine, south of the ski resort in Gunnison County, has produced more energy than the resort has used at its four ski areas combined.
More importantly, Ski Co. has kept 250 billion cubic feet of methane from reaching the atmosphere—roughly the equivalent of getting over 500,000 cars off the road for a year, according to an Aspen Times article. Methane is a greenhouse gas, so it readily absorbs the sun’s heat and contributes to overall warming.
Read more:
https://www.skimag.com/news/aspen-skiing-company-coal-methane-project/
Can a Community Park Turn a Post-Industrial Zone Into an Urban Oasis?
Courtesy of Capital and Main
By Allison Torres Burtka
Many of us have found respite in parks and other natural spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. But some people have much easier access than others to these oases.
“We’re dealing with sort of this awful trifecta of crises: We’ve got this climate crisis, where people are experiencing extreme heat and erratic rainfall patterns and flooding; there’s this health crisis with the pandemic; and we have this economic crisis as well,” said Linda Hwang, director of strategy and innovation at the Trust.
One example is the Urban Orchard in South Gate, California. This Trust project is building a 30-acre park along the Los Angeles River and next to the Long Beach Freeway, in an area that encompasses Superfund sites and many industrial facilities. The area has high levels of pollution, asthma and childhood obesity. The Urban Orchard will be within a 10-minute walk of 2,500 people’s homes.
Read more:
https://capitalandmain.com/can-a-community-park-turn-a-post-industrial-zone-into-an-urban-oasis-0426
To Permit or Not to Permit?
Courtesy of Outside Online
By Shawnté Salabert
Last May, a collective of outdoor brands, land managers, organizations, and thought leaders attempted to answer it with a series of guidelines, reflecting both COVID-19 safety precautions and the general tenets of Leave No Trace, called #RecreateResponsibly. More direct user-education tactics are being employed in places like Minnesota’s popular Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, where paddlers who want to overnight during its peak season (May through September) will now need to view a trio of short videos covering responsible visitation when requesting a permit. And in Eaton Canyon, Bosell looks forward to the day—hopefully soon—when the park’s roughly 150 volunteers can return and sit trailside to offer tips on trail etiquette and information on the natural environment.
Hunting and fishing are two outdoor pursuits that thrive on a mentorship model; it’s time for trail enthusiasts to do a better job of taking newbies under our wings.
Read more:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2422749/how-public-lands-healed-me
Six Sacramento Counties Plan Biking Highway System
Courtesy of Governing.com
CALIFORNIA - Fifty years ago, the state transformed Sacramento by creating an interconnected highway system through the capital region. Now it's time to do the same for bicycles and pedestrians, a group of regional planners says.
"The demand for safe spaces to walk and bike for families and kids is not going away. It's a way to connect low-income people to jobs. It's a public health issue."
Read more:
https://www.governing.com/community/six-sacramento-counties-plan-biking-highway-system
Op-ed: Outdoor infrastructure is more important than ever
Courtesy of Outside Business Journal
By Tom Dempsey
Infrastructure is a hot topic right now. Federal, state, and local elected leaders are considering budgets that contemplate how much financial attention our various forms of infrastructure require to maintain, improve, or expand. Fortunately, through our efforts in the outdoor, RV, and marine industries over the past decade, we have a voice in these discussions.
Throughout the dialogue with our legislators and governor, I frequently shared this equation: Public lands are to the outdoor industry as roads and bridges are to the automotive or transportation industry. We’ve considered traditional infrastructure like highways, bridges, airports, and rail systems to be essential to our national economic wellbeing for centuries. It is important to understand that public lands like national parks, state parks, forests, rivers, and monuments carry the same level of essential economic importance to the outdoor industry. Where else can our customers use our products?
Read more:
https://outsidebusinessjournal.com/brands/leaders/op-ed-outdoor-infrastructure/
Congressman Gomez and Senator Booker Introduce Transit to Trails Act of 2021
Courtesy of Representative Gomez
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced a bill in the House and Senate that promotes equitable access to parks, green spaces, and public lands and waters. The Transit to Trails Act creates a grant program to fund projects that make transportation to green spaces and public lands more accessible for critically underserved communities.
A lack of transportation options often excludes those in underserved communities from accessing our public lands, which are national resources that should be readily available to all Americans. The Transit to Trails Act takes an equitable approach to help communities nationwide with the highest need for better sustainable public transportation options, making access to these public lands more affordable and accessible for all.
Read more:
https://gomez.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2388
Nominate outstanding RTP projects for CRT awards
Courtesy of NOHVCC
The Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT), representing the nation’s top leading trail-related organizations, is pleased to announce plans for the 2021 Tom Petri Annual Achievement Awards recognizing outstanding trail projects funded by the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), administered jointly by the Federal Highway Administration and state trails programs. These awards are key to CRT’s effort to build awareness and appreciation of RTP, which has greatly enhanced the quantity and quality of trail experiences available to the public since 1991 and has made possible over 30,000 projects and programs.
CRT plans to hold the awards ceremony in September 2021. The very successful 2020 awards program was virtual. CRT hopes to return to an in-person format in the future but is now anticipates a hybrid event for 2021, partly in-person and partly virtual. We will include virtual and pre-recorded video elements in the ceremony – even if we meet face-to-face! Special guests, including Members of Congress will once again participate in the celebration.
For more information:
https://www.americantrails.org/crt
Training
How to Tell #OurParkAndRecStory: Storytelling Through Video
Courtesy of NRPA
Tuesday, May 25 at 2 p.m. EDT
Free
This July’s Park and Recreation Month theme is “Our Park and Recreation Story.” To kick things off, we’re offering a free learning opportunity on Tuesday, May 25 at 2 p.m. EDT, that will give park and recreation professionals the skills needed to effectively interview community members, capture their stories, and share them through compelling video. Join Casey Stein — a filmmaker who has directed projects for Nike, The New York Times, IBM, American Express, David Bowie and more — as he shares the basics of storytelling, tips for how to interview members of your community on camera (or your cellphone), and best practices for capturing compelling video you can use to help amplify the stories that show the impact parks and recreation has in your community.
For more information:
https://learning.nrpa.org/products/how-to-tell-ourparkandrecstory-storytelling-through-video
The Walk/Bike/Places Conference Program is Live
Don't forget, Monday, May 17th is your last chance to register to attend Walk/Bike/Places in person in Indianapolis! Virtual registration will still be available, however, at a higher late rate. Register now.
This year, we took a bottom-up approach to our conference tracks for Walk/Bike/Places, synthesizing common topics that came up again and again into six big categories:
- Technology Innovations
- Health Equity & Access
- Street Adaptation
- Justice, Advocacy & Policy
- Creative Programming
- Economic Opportunity
For more information:
https://www.walkbikeplaces.org/2021/program
Registration for the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference Is Now Open
Courtesy of NRPA
Join us September 21–23, 2021, for the first-ever hybrid experience of the NRPA Annual Conference. This fall, park and recreation professionals, champions and industry suppliers will have the opportunity to attend the conference in person or virtually. By offering a hybrid experience, we look forward to providing even more people with the opportunity to network with peers, learn from experts in the field, and connect with industry suppliers. The 2021 NRPA Annual Conference will feature thought-provoking keynote speakers, more than 80 education sessions, an exploration-worthy exhibit hall, and plenty of unique ways to network and connect with peers from across the country.
For more information:
https://www.nrpa.org/conference/registration/
SORP May Webinar Series: Outdoor Recreation Policy
Time: 10:00 to 11:00 am Pacific
Cost: Free
Every Wednesday in May, SORP will host policy discussions relevant to outdoor recreation professionals.
May 12: Equity
An interactive discussion about the myriad of exciting bills and policy initiatives related to equity in outdoor recreation. Specifically we'll cover the Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative; Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act; Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) & more.
Register:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mFwlG7mOTnCCIbkbdzD7iQ
May 19: Land and Water Conservation Fund
With the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act in the 116th Congress, along came full and permanent funding of LWCF! We'll level set with a quick 101 of the program then shift focus primarily to the LWCF state & local assistance program - opportunities, SCORP planning, challenges in scaling to the new funding levels, prospective updates to this amazing program established in 1965.
Register:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p26KnE_VRc-ETlGHdz9oDg
May 26: Infrastructure
The Biden Administration has put forth a major, multi-trillion dollar infrastructure package. How can outdoor recreation be at the table? Where is the intersection with outdoor recreation within the various components of the package? We'll round up the outdoor recreation policy experts to help us break down the opportunities.
Register:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cbQUl3S-TFyk6o6iYsbu0g
City Parks Alliance Summer Series
June 14 – June 25, 2021
We've announced our list of headline speakers and cannot wait to share it with you. Our speakers represent a wide range of perspectives and leadership across sectors. We'll explore solutions for cities focused on racial justice, inclusive workforces, equitable economic recovery, and leveraging parks and public spaces to create stronger, more resilient communities.
This year, in lieu of an in-person Greater & Greener conference, City Parks Alliance is pleased to present the Summer Series, two weeks of virtual programming that addresses the most pressing issues faced by urban park and recreation leaders in light of the crises of the past year.
For more information:
https://web.cvent.com/event/b1c49eb6-5104-4894-8536-590f7149d09d/summary
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