Supreme Court Upholds Unhoused Sleeping Ban
Courtesy of Planetizen
By Diana Ionescu
In a decision that will likely have major ripple effects on housing and homelessness policy across the nation, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the city of Grants Pass, Oregon in a case that hinges on unhoused people’s right to sleep outside.
As Jennifer Ludden explains in an article for NPR, “The justices, in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, overturned lower court rulings that deemed it cruel and unusual under the Eighth Amendment to punish people for sleeping outside if they had nowhere else to go.”
According to Ludden, “Today’s ruling only changes current law in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes California and eight other Western states where the bulk of America’s unhoused population lives.
Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/06/129932-supreme-court-upholds-unhoused-sleeping-ban
Transforming Oil Fields Into Parks: A Cornerstone of Just Transition
Courtesy of NRPA
By Clement Lau, DPPD, FAICP
CALIFORNIA - The transformation of oil fields into parks embodies the principles of just transition, offering a multifaceted approach to addressing environmental, economic, social, and historical challenges. It is a powerful example of how we can move towards a sustainable future, ensuring that the transition away from fossil fuels benefits all members of society. By investing in these initiatives, we not only heal the land and scars of the past but also lay the foundation for a greener, healthier, and more just world.
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/blog/transforming-oil-fields-into-parks-a-cornerstone-of-just-transition/
ORR Releases New Report Highlighting Funding Status and Looming Gaps for Recreation
Courtesy of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
On June 3 ORR released a report, “Recreation Funding in America: Current Results and Future Insights.” The comprehensive study conducted by Southwick Associates, Inc. aggregates and analyzes current federal funding streams for outdoor recreation and identifies potential future threats to these funding sources including changing energy demands, evolving participation, impacts of inflation, climate change, and stagnant appropriations trends.
The report highlights the pressing need for innovative solutions to ensure sustainable funding for the $1.1 trillion recreation economy and the millions of Americans, jobs, and communities who rely on access to the outdoors.
Read more:
https://recreationroundtable.org/priorities/future-of-recreation-funding/
One Last Play: A Former All Star Helped Kill Stadium Financing for His Old Team
Courtesy of Governing
By Jered Brey
MISSOURI - In late March, some of the biggest names in professional sports appeared in a TV ad urging residents of Jackson County, Mo., to vote. It wasn’t an anodyne appeal to civic duty. Instead, the stars — including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, fresh off the latest of their three Super Bowl wins in the past five years — wanted voters to back a sales tax to fund renovations for the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium and help pay for a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals.
One of the few elected leaders to publicly oppose the deal, and the one who arguably played the biggest role in its defeat, was Frank White, a hometown hero who played 18 seasons for the Royals, appeared in five All-Star Games, won the 1985 World Series, and now serves as the third-term Jackson County executive. How did a Royals Hall of Famer become one of the biggest obstacles to the team’s vision for a new stadium in downtown Kansas City?
Read more:
https://www.governing.com/magazine/one-last-play-a-former-all-star-helped-kill-stadium-financing-for-his-old-team
An Unsettling Trend: Paddling Deaths See Increase In Latest Coast Guard Report
Courtesy of the River Management Society
The U.S. Coast Guard recently released their 2023 Recreational Boating Statistics. The annual report is a bellwether of boating safety, measuring how well everyone who recreates on the water is handling priority number one—returning home safe. In 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard reported a record drop in year-over-year boating fatalities, going from 636 in 2022 to 564 last year. The 11 percent decrease would be cause for celebration if it weren’t for one disturbing detail for our sport—deaths involving paddlers actually increased in 2023.
A large part of the equation is finding a way to provide basic safety education, and the best venue for this may be meeting entry-level paddlers at the point of sale.
Read more:
https://paddlingmag.com/stories/news-events/an-unsettling-trend-paddling-deaths-see-increase-in-latest-coast-guard-report/
NYC Launches Public Swimming Plan
Courtesy of Planetizen
By Diana Ionescu
A new plan to open up public swimming on the Hudson River will create more public beaches and swimming areas, reports Sarah Amandolare in Fast Company. “With its emphasis on municipal pools and natural waterways in communities that are underserved or vulnerable to extreme heat, the $150 million plan underscores how access to swimming addresses equity, public health, and climate resilience.”
The city is piloting a $16 million filtered floating pool in the East River, and “the State Department of Health issued guidance for new beaches in January aimed at helping communities throughout the state create their own floating pools in rivers and lakes.” The initiative also includes funding for lifeguard training and expanded access to swim lessons.
Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/06/129797-nyc-launches-public-swimming-plan
More Cities Banning Right Turns on Red in Response to Rising Pedestrian Deaths
Courtesy of NPR
Reports that cities across the U.S. are considering banning right turns on red or have already done so. Notes that San Francisco, CA experienced an 80 percent decrease in close calls and a 70 percent decrease in vehicles blocking or encroaching on the sidewalks during red lights in an experiment that banned right turns on red in a busy urban neighborhood.
Read more:
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/nx-s1-4928000/more-cities-are-banning-right-turns-on-red-in-response-to-rising-pedestrian-deaths
Leave No Trace - Open Nominations for Spotlight Program
Courtesy of SORP
Spotlights are designed to energize local Leave No Trace efforts by rallying the community, connecting partners, and inspiring continued action. This free program provides opportunities for Leave No Trace training, community outreach, and volunteer stewardship. Selected areas receive up to 3 days of Leave No Trace on-the-ground programs for staff, partners, and the local community.
Nominations are open July 8 - August 23.
Read more:
https://lnt.org/our-work/protecting-parks/spotlights/
2024 NOHVCC Annual Conference - Call For Award Nominations
Courtesy of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
Each year as part of the Annual Conference, NOHVCC honors individuals and organizations that have contributed to the success of the OHV community. NOHVCC is currently seeking nominations for these awards to be presented at the annual conference in Minneapolis, MN on October 18-19 (registration is now open).
If you work with an individual or organization that deserves recognition for their contributions to OHV recreation, we urge you to nominate them for an award.
Please submit your award nominations to [email protected] by 7/31/24.
For more information:
https://nohvcc.org/2024-nohvcc-annual-conference-call-for-award-nominations/
