NACPRO News

March 4, 2025

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The Thermo-Plastic Advantage
Courtesy of Pilot Rock

Many of our steel products and components can be finished with a thermo-plastic coating in your choice of available colors. Thermo-plastic coatings offer more durability and weatherability than standard powder coat finishes. Thermo-plastic finishes are PVC free, phthalate free and Includes a superior level of UV protection. Thermo-plastic does not support mold or mildew growth and is impact resistant. Available on many of our perforated steel, expanded steel & steel plate components.

Learn more:
https://www.pilotrock.com/material-options/

Newly acquired 30-acre site will enhance public access to Appomattox River
Courtesy of Yahoo News

VIRGINIA - Through a regional partnership many years in the making, the Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) has transferred ownership of more than 42 acres of land and islands along the Appomattox River to Chesterfield County and the nonprofit Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR). Most of the property, approximately 30 acres, is in Chesterfield and will be owned, developed and managed as a riverfront park by Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation. The portion of the property along the former Battersea Canal in Petersburg has been transferred to FOLAR.

Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chesterfield-newly-acquired-30-acre-093128848.html 


Los Angeles County leaders award $17 million in grants for more parkland
Courtesy of cbsnews.com

By Julie Sharp

CALIFORNIA - Los Angeles County is expanding its parkland and open space territory by 623 acres, thanks to $17 million in grant funding. The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District announced funding awardees Tuesday morning, with most being in communities that lack open space or parks – totaling 13 projects. Funding comes from the 2016 voter-approved 1.5-cent per square foot parcel tax -- Measure A, which generates revenue for parks, open spaces, beaches and waterways.

Read more:
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/los-angeles-county-award-17-million-grants-more-parks-open-space/

Bipartisan Bill Would Reauthorize and Increase Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Courtesy of SORP

U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) are leading bipartisan legislation to extend federal funding and protections for the Great Lakes. The senators introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through 2031 and increase the program's annual authorized funding levels from $475 million to $500 million. 

The GLRI combines federal and nonfederal efforts to stop the spread of carp and other invasive species, restore coastline and habitats connecting streams and rivers, clean up environmentally damaged Areas of Concern, and prevent future contamination. While providing vital support for these efforts, the GLRI also helps ensure we can address new and emerging threats to the Great Lakes. 

Read more:
https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-and-young-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-extend-federal-funding-and-protections-for-the-great-lakes 


COVID pushed a lot of kids outdoors. Now teens have taken to birdwatching
Courtesy of WLRN.org

By Kerry Sheridan

Sophia Haakman says she's been birding "more than half of my life." That's saying something, considering she's only 15 and became interested in birds around age 7. 

The number of 16- and 17-year-olds observing wildlife near home increased from 1 million in 2016 to 3.2 million in 2022, according to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

Birding can be an escape for teenagers, at a time when social media use and screen time spark concerns for their mental health. "I have seen nationally of expansion with the interest in youth birding and young birders, I would say, in particularly the last three years," said Laura Guerard, director of youth programs with the American Birding Association.

Read more:
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2025-02-10/pandemic-pushed-kids-outdoors-now-teenagers-take-to-birdwatching 


Playing without Limits
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business +

Today, one in five kids living in the United States - more than 14.5 million children total - has special healthcare needs, according to the National Survey of Children's Health. Unfortunately, parents across the country still struggle to find inclusive recreation opportunities. Over the last decade, Can Play fine-tuned its programs and developed a following among families. Licensing its adaptive programs will help communities across the country create safe, supportive and accessible environments.

Read more:
https://flipbooklets.com/pdfflipbooklets/prb-march-2025-camp-business-idea-book?ref=prbplus.com#page18


Supercharging Data with AI
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business +

In collaborations between GovTech Innovators and Erika Devore, Executive Director of the Kansas Recreation and Park Association (KRPA), she highlights how the agency uses data to provide economic-impact calculators for members. This showcases a powerful use case for data analytics in parks and recreation, demonstrating the economic value departments bring to their communities.

Additional use cases include using AI for various functions:

• Predictive maintenance for facilities and equipment
• Smart irrigation and water management
• Automated inspections and reporting
• Energy management
• Waste-management optimization.

Read more:
https://flipbooklets.com/pdfflipbooklets/prb-march-2025-camp-business-idea-book?ref=prbplus.com#page28 


Poll Shows Residents of Western States Prefer Conservation Over Oil and Gas
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Christine McLaren

A bipartisan poll of voters in eight western states shows nearly three quarters of respondents support conservation and environmental protection on public lands over resource extraction.

The report, titled Conservation in the West, also covers westerners’ support for federal and state climate change policies, public land decision-making authority and more.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/02/134416-poll-shows-residents-western-states-prefer-conservation-over-oil-and-gas 


Sustainability in Practice Program: Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Clement Lau

At Pennsylvania’s Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center, thousands of soldiers train annually in live-fire exercises, yet the base also serves as the last natural home of the eastern regal fritillary butterfly. Rather than relocating military activities, conservationists and military land managers have embraced the disturbances caused by training exercises as essential to the butterfly’s survival. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, biologists track butterfly populations, analyze habitat conditions, and implement land management strategies such as prescribed burns, mowing, and planting violets—the butterfly’s primary host plant. The controlled environmental disruptions help maintain the open grasslands required for the species to thrive, preventing reforestation that would otherwise eliminate its habitat.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/02/134361-balancing-bombs-and-butterflies-how-national-guard-protects-rare-species 


Sharrows Are Ineffective, Potentially Counterproductive
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu  

Dave Snyder, senior director of People For Bikes and a formerly passionate advocate for sharrows, has admitted that they haven’t worked. “Today, we know so much more about what it takes to make our streets safer for bicycling. We need separate bike paths; we need protected bike lanes on busy roads; and where the lanes are shared, we need actual speeds reduced to 20 mph or slower.”

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/02/134402-sharrows-are-ineffective-potentially-counterproductive 

Trump Wants to Force Homeless People Into ‘Tent Cities.’ Can He?
Courtesy of Planetizen 

Louisiana's controversial handling of homelessness during the Super Bowl — spending $17.5 million to bus people to an unheated warehouse — may signal a troubling shift in how cities address visible homelessness. Roshan Abraham of Shelterforce and Next City reveals growing momentum for more aggressive approaches nationwide. The chief mechanism for change could be HUD funding, which advocates fear will be used to incentivize states and cities to adopt more aggressive approaches. Those who previously resisted criminalization may soon claim they have no choice. 

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/02/134354-trump-wants-force-homeless-people-tent-cities-can-he

Somebody Should...
Courtesy of ActivEnviro

March 13 - 3:30 - 5:00 pm ET

Topic Leader: Daniel Hatcher
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Alliance for a Healthier Generation

This gathering and discussion will highlight collaborations across a variety of organizational types, with a focus on fostering improved youth health in communities. Featuring a new collaboration between Healthier Generation and ActivEnviro, we will highlight cross-sector partnerships between park and recreation professionals, preventive health researchers, and youth health and wellness leaders.

Register:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdeyrqTwuH9wLuKERuG8oleA_5tZxNmtL#/registration 


Sustainability in Practice Program: Last Cohort of 2025
Courtesy of NRPA

Enhance your parks' environmental sustainability plans and practices alongside a partner community-based organization (CBO) through NRPA's Sustainability in Practice program. This 16-week, cohort-style program provides technical support and peer learning for park professionals in rural and suburban communities at the early stages of their environmental sustainability processes. CBO partners will receive a $10,000 stipend, and park agency participants can earn up to 0.3 CEU. Applications are due by April 11.

Learn more:
https://www.nrpa.org/sustainability-in-practice/ 


Upcoming Webinar Series: Sustainable Funding for Outdoor Recreation
Courtesy of SORP

Join us for a dynamic four-part webinar series exploring sustainable funding strategies for outdoor recreation and stewardship initiatives. This webinar series brings together experts in economic and community development, conservation finance, and recreation management to share practical tools and successful case studies for creating lasting financial solutions in the outdoor recreation sector.

All webinars are at 12pm PT / 1pm MT / 2pm Ct / 3pm E

April 2 | Outdoor Rec Economic Development
April 9 | Collaborative Management & Implementation
April 16 | Conservation Finance Toolbox for Outdoor Recreation Projects
April 23 | Leveraging Private Investments for Recreation Infrastructure and Trails

Learn more:
https://www.recpro.org/professional-development/webinars 


2025 International Trails Summit - Detailed Agenda Available
Courtesy of American Trails

April 15-17, 2025 - Madison, Wisconsin

View details for the 80+ sessions including 60-minute concurrent sessions, trail talks, tech talks, and poster presentations, as well as our pre-ITS caucuses for horse trails, motorized trails, and water trails (free to attend, no registration required). Details on the welcome and general sessions, including our keynote, that will kick things off on Tuesday morning will be coming soon.

Learn more:
https://www.trails-summit.org/program?blm_aid=24243

NEW – Executive Director
Winnebago County Forest Preserve District
Rockford, Illinois
$130,000 - $160,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Mar 28, 2025

NEW - Chief Financial Officer
Five Rivers MetroParks
Dayton, Ohio
$101,462 - $152,194 Annually
Application Deadline: Mar 28, 2025

UPDATED - Park Ranger Supervisor
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
San Jose, California
$121,927 - $148,237 Annually
Application Deadline: March 12, 2025

Superintendent of Parks and Golf Courses
Johnson County Park and Recreation District
Shawnee, Kansas
$51.62 - $77.43 Hourly
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Deputy Director, Parks and Recreation
County of San Diego - Parks and Recreation
San Diego, California
$162,000 - $165,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Mar 19, 2025

Park Ranger
Metroparks Toledo, Ohio
$22.66 - $33.57 Hourly
Application Deadline: Open until filled

For more information:
https://nacpro.mcjobboard.net/jobs

Got a vacancy to fill? 
NACPRO will post your vacancy on our website and email a copy to our mailing list of over 1100 parks and recreation professionals for a fee of $100 for NACPRO members and $200 for non-members.