NACPRO News

August 13, 2025

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Tailgate Grill Package
Courtesy of Pilot Rock

Tailgaters rejoice! Who doesn’t love a charcoal grilled hot dog or hamburger before the big game? We can’t think of anyone. During the month of August, get 15% off when you purchase both a grill & tailgate post. Choose between the CBP-135 and CBP-247 charcoal grills, then add in the CBP-TG1 tailgate post to your shopping cart!  Order today, and both are ready to ship just in time for the season opener.

Offer good through August 31, 2025. 

Read more:
https://www.pilotrock.com/tailgating/

Goochland County Parks and Recreation to Debut New Concessions Trailer
Courtesy of Goochland County

VIRGINIA - Goochland County Parks & Recreation is thrilled to announce the debut of their new mobile concession trailer. This innovative solution will replace the aging brick-and-mortar concession stand at the Goochland Sports Complex.

The former facility had reached the end of its useful life and needed extensive, costly repairs. Rather than replacing the stand with another structure, the department identified a cost-effective and flexible option. Funded through the County’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget, the purchase of the mobile trailer saved the department approximately $275,000; savings that will be redirected to other high-priority projects at the Goochland Sports Complex.

Read more:
https://goochlandva.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1289


County Opens Revitalized Outdoor Space at Heritage County Park
Courtesy of County News Center

By Donna Durckel

SAN DIEGO, CA - The County officially opened a newly revitalized outdoor space at Heritage County Park today. The park’s upper lawn has undergone a transformation to include more inclusive, accessible pathways, an outdoor meeting space and a new wedding gazebo in anticipation of upcoming Heritage Park Historic Inn renovations.

Read more:
https://www.countynewscenter.com/county-opens-revitalized-outdoor-space-at-heritage-county-park/

Great American Outdoors Act marks 5 years of park improvements
Courtesy of US Dept of Interior

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), signed into law in 2020, marked a significant investment in the nation's public lands and parks. The legislation has two main components:

1. The National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF): This fund provides up to $1.9 billion annually for five years (FY2021-2025), to address the extensive maintenance and repair backlog on public lands. The Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), is set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2025. This expiration is leading to efforts to reauthorize the LRF to ensure continued funding for the critical maintenance and repair needs of national parks and other public lands.

2. Permanent Full Funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): This ensures the LWCF receives its full authorized funding of $900 million annually, which is used to acquire essential lands for conservation and recreation, and to provide grants to states for local conservation and recreation projects.


Return of wolves to Yellowstone has led to a surge in aspen trees unseen for 80 years
Courtesy of Live Science

By Chris Simms

Yellowstone's wolves are helping a new generation of young aspen trees to grow tall and join the forest canopy — the first new generation of such trees in Yellowstone's northern range in 80 years.

Gray wolves had disappeared from Yellowstone National Park by 1930 following extensive habitat loss, human hunting and government eradication programs. Without these top predators, populations of elk grew unfettered. At their peak population, an estimated 18,000 elk ranged across the park, chomping on grasses and shrubs as well as the leaves, twigs and bark of trees like quaking aspen. This stopped saplings from establishing themselves, and surveys in the 1990s found no aspen saplings.

Read more:
https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/return-of-wolves-to-yellowstone-has-led-to-a-surge-in-aspen-trees-unseen-for-80-years

Changes in PFD Regulations for U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada
Courtesy of the River Management Society

In early 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) updated its life jacket classification system to make it easier to choose the right life jacket for different water activities and conditions. 

The new system uses Performance Levels instead of the old Type I–V classifications and aligns with international standards (ISO). As regulatory bodies in North America move toward a harmonized approach to personal flotation device (PFD) classifications and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) phasing out traditional ‘Type’ designations in favor of ‘Level’ classifications and Canada adopting the same levels. Mustang Survival has published a comprehensive article breaking down the key changes in PFD regulations.

Read more:
https://mustangsurvival.com/blogs/resources/understanding-new-changes-in-pfd-regulations


Bike and Scooter Shares are up Again, This Time by 31%. Has the Future Arrived?
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Benjamin Schneider

Across North America, people are taking to bikeshare and scootershare systems in record numbers. In the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, riders took 225 million trips on bike and scooter share systems in 2024, an increase of 53 million, or 31 percent, from the year prior, according to a new report by the North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association. The growing popularity of e-bikes on docked bikeshare systems like Citibike was a major driver of the increase. But scooters and dockless bikes saw growing ridership as well.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/features/135763-report-bike-and-scooter-shares-are-again-time-31-has-future-arrived


The Great Lakes Could Be a Key Source of Wind Energy
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

In an op-ed in Governing, researchers Cora Sutherland and Melissa Scanlan highlight the potential of the Great Lakes as a source of wind energy. As the authors explain, “the states, not the federal government, handle leases and permits for wind power on the Great Lakes, though federal agencies are involved in the overall process.”

According to the piece, “A 2023 analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that the Great Lakes states have enough offshore wind power potential to provide three times as much electricity as all eight Great Lakes states use currently, which would mean plenty left over to meet increasing demand or send power elsewhere in the country.”

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/08/135733-op-ed-great-lakes-could-be-key-source-wind-energy

Help Build a Better Cost Database for Walking and Bicycling Projects
Courtesy of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center knows how challenging it can be to find current, reliable cost estimates for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. That’s why we’re developing a shared resource to support better planning, scoping, and estimation for facilities like sidewalks, bike lanes, crossings, and more.

To make this effort as useful as possible, we’re seeking real-world cost data from practitioners across the country. We understand it’s not always easy to contribute. Here are a few common challenges and what you can do:

• Don’t have the data? Ask or forward this request to colleagues in planning, engineering, or public works.
• Not sure the data is complete? Partial or rough estimates are still useful.
• Short on time? Just email what you have to [email protected]. No need to format it.

Please consider contributing by August 31, 2025, by filling out the online form or contacting us directly at [email protected].


Interior Department Announces $102.9 Million for Wetland Conservation Projects
Courtesy of US Dept of Interior

The Department of the Interior today announced $102.9 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act funding has been approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, providing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners the ability to conserve, restore or enhance 548,242 acres of critical wetland and associated upland habitat for migratory birds across North America. Partners will provide more than $201.2 million in matching funds.

Read more:
https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-us-standard-grants

August Topic for Somebody Should: Pu-leeze make it easier to know the value of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act
Courtesy of ActivEnviro

Topic Leader: John McGovern, Principal, Accessibility Practice, JD, WT Group

August 14, 2025, 3:30 - 5:00 ET

This session will discuss how to make it easier to understand the value of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Topics covered will include an introduction to: What is the ADA? Who Benefits from the ADA? And cover some relevant details regarding the local government requirements, reasons, and application to parks, programs, projects, and policies.

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

2026 Active Living + Outdoor Health Summit
Courtesy of ActivEnviro

March 8 - 13th, 2026, Minneapolis, MN 

Call for proposals closes September 8, 2025

ActivEnviro, along with our local hosts through the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, along with Lacy Consulting and other partners, invite you to a week-long gathering to bring together the best elements of the former Active Living Conference and the Global Outdoor Health Summit into a unified, multidisciplinary event called the Active Living + Outdoor Health Summit. The conference explores how physical activity and nature experiences can contribute to preventive health, well-being, equity, and environmental sustainability.

Read more:
https://www.activenviro.org/aloh2026

NEW - Deputy Director
Bernalillo County Parks, Recreation & Open Space
Albuquerque, New Mexico
$89,128 - $140,733 Annually
Application Deadline: Sep 2, 2025

NEW - Human Resources Administrator
Great Parks
Cincinnati, Ohio
$20.23 - $29.25 Hourly
Application Deadline: Aug 29, 2025

Asset Management Technician
Charlotte County BCC (Parks & Natural Resources)
Port Charlotte, Florida
$23.31 - $30.88 Hourly
Application Deadline: Aug 18, 2025

Senior Program Coordinator
Charlotte County BCC (Parks & Natural Resources)
Port Charlotte, Florida
$24.70 - $32.73 Hourly
Application Deadline: Aug 18, 2025

Deputy Director of Operations and Strategic Development
MetroParks of Butler County
Hamilton, Ohio
$84,515 - $105,645 Annually
Application Deadline: Aug 8, 2025

Landscape Designer - Parks Planner III
Sarasota County Government
Sarasota, Florida
$67,247 - $80,018 Annually
Application Deadline: Aug 29, 2025

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 1200 parks and recreation professionals for a fee of $125 for NACPRO members and $250 for non-members.