NACPRO News

June 3, 2025

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Work Order System for Maintenance and Operations

We are looking into a new work order system for our Maintenance and Operations Department and I’m curious what systems other agencies are using. I’d love to hear from some folks in our field who love their current system.

Adam Oestmann
Deputy Director
Forest Preserve District of Will County, Illinois
815-722-3828
[email protected]


Counting Park and Trail Visitors

What type of technology does your agency use to count park and trail users? We use counters to track how many vehicles enter our parks and how many people use our trails. Counters are placed at various entrances and access points. However, our counters have been used for a couple decades now, and the technology is outdated. We are exploring various companies, including All Traffic Solutions, Eco-Counter, Arrivalist and CitiesAi, but some are quite expensive.

We would like to hear success stories from agencies whose technology has been fairly accurate and reliable.

Erich Braun
Parks Superintendent
Polk County Conservation, Iowa
515.323.5366
[email protected]

Tap into our collective experience. Send your question and some background to the editor and we will include it in the next NACPRO News.

Get Fired Up with Pilot Rock Charcoal Grills
Courtesy of Pilot Rock

From family cookouts to large-scale outdoor gatherings, there’s a Pilot Rock charcoal grill that fits your outdoor space—and your guests' summer plans.

• Built for the Outdoors: Heavy-duty steel construction stands up to years of use.
• Easy to Use: Multiple options available, including an ADA-compliant accessible charcoal BBQ grill with a swivel grate.
• Grilling Accessories: Adjustable cooking grates and firebox options let you control the heat like a pro.
• Made in the USA: Proudly manufactured in America since 1959.
• Perfect for Parks, Campsites & More: Designed for permanent placement in outdoor spaces.

Learn more:
https://www.pilotrock.com/product/charcoal-grills

Hamilton County Parks & Recreation partners with Health Department to install AEDs
Courtesy of the Hamilton County Reporter

INDIANA - In a collaborative effort to enhance public safety, Hamilton County Parks and Recreation (HCPR) has partnered with the Hamilton County Health Department (HCHD) to install Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in climate-controlled SaveStations across local parks.

The Health Department allocated over $55,000 to this project, funding the installation of AEDs in parks frequented by residents and visitors. These devices will be housed in SaveStations, which are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and are monitored 24/7 to ensure readiness. Importantly, the use of these AEDs does not require specialized training, making them accessible to the public in critical moments.

Read more:
https://readthereporter.com/hamilton-county-parks-recreation-partners-with-health-department-to-install-aeds/


Newly Acquired 540 Acres Supports Conservation, Habitat and Species Protection
Courtesy of County News Center

CALIFORNIA - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently approved the purchase of about 540 acres of property in North County for $5.1 million to expand its conservation efforts. Located within a designated conservation area in Santa Ysabel, the land will expand an existing 6,900-acre preserve slated to protect habitat for sensitive species including the mountain lion, mule deer, Stephens’ kangaroo rat and Engelmann oak.

Read more:
https://www.countynewscenter.com/newly-acquired-540-acres-supports-conservation-habitat-and-species-protection/


Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Cement Lau

CALIFORNIA - The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation has launched “Nature in Your Neighborhood,” a multilingual interpretive program aimed at making environmental education and connections to nature accessible for all. This initiative brings nature-based healing activities — such as yoga workshops, mindfulness exercises, and live animal presentations — to local parks across the county. The program is designed to foster meaningful connections to nature and promote wellness within the community. 

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/05/135124-connecting-communities-nature-close-home

Forest Preserves of Cook County Becomes American Humane Certified
Courtesy of NRPA

By Melanie Kuse

ILLINOIS - This January, the American Humane Society announced that the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois, earned the distinction of American Humane Certified™ for our care of the ambassador animals at the Forest Preserves nature centers. It is a mark of the dedication we have to these animals, a rigorous third-party validation of our work, and a goal that has been in our sights for several years.

After a thorough in-house assessment, we planned, prepared and implemented improvements, such as formalizing the systems in place and creating consistency in care amongst the different locations. We updated policies and procedures to ensure the animals continue to receive excellent care as best practices in the animal care field evolve and change.

Read more:
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2025/index.php#/p/12

NOAA Great Lakes Lab Loses Key Funding
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

Funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are impacting labs that test and monitor water quality in the Great Lakes, putting key resources for coastal communities in peril.

As Anna Clark explains in a report for ProPublica, data collected by NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory “has helped to successfully avoid a repeat of a 2014 crisis in Toledo, Ohio, when nearly half a million people were warned to not drink the water or even touch it.” The lab now faces “serious gaps” in its monitoring of algal blooms, having lost 35 percent of its workforce since February. 

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/05/135048-noaa-great-lakes-lab-loses-key-funding


ORR Helps Secure Major Win To Keep Public Lands Public—And Out Of House Budget Reconciliation
Courtesy of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

ORR secured a major win for outdoor recreation and keeping public lands public and accessible by supporting the removal of an amendment from the House budget reconciliation package last week that would have sold off hundreds of thousands of acres of America’s public lands and waters at a time when the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation industry is already facing significant headwinds.

Read more:
https://recreationroundtable.org/news/public-lands-sell-off-is-removed-from-house-budget-reconciliation/


Aurora converts grass in city parks to drought-friendly type
Courtesy of CBS News

By Michael Abeyta

COLORADO - The City of Aurora is making water conservation a priority when it comes to the type of grass the city plants in its parks. Crews are in the process of converting the turf from bluegrass to Bermuda grass, a drought-friendly grass. This is part of the water-wise program undertaken by the city to save water. They've converted a total of about 87 acres of turf grass citywide, saving more than one million gallons of water annually.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/05/135124-connecting-communities-nature-close-home


Weed Rules In Minneapolis Parks Just Got An Update
Courtesy of Patch.com

By William Bornhoft

MINNESOTA - Starting May 15, smoking or vaping cannabis in Minneapolis parks will be officially prohibited under a new Tobacco and Cannabis Policy approved by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). While the policy won’t be enforced by citations, officials say the goal is to encourage compliance through community reminders and posted signage, much like the existing tobacco rules.

Read more:
https://patch.com/minnesota/minneapolis/city-minneapolis-updates-policy-smoking-weed-parks


Wildlife and Trails Resource Hub
Courtesy of American Trails

 Trails connect people with nature and support a high quality of life for all. Proper trail planning, design, and management can minimize impacts and can serve as a tool to support resilient landscapes, wildlife, and biodiversity. This new resource hub includes webinars, resources, and a collection of success stories from wildlife refuges, preserves, and natural areas across the nation.

Read more:
https://www.americantrails.org/resources/wildlife-and-trails-hub

Subaru's External Airbag Designed to Protect Pedestrians Struck by Cars
Courtesy of Core 77

By Rain Noe

First featured on the Impreza, Subaru's exterior airbag was designed specifically to protect both pedestrians and cyclists that are struck. Subaru says that when a pedestrian is struck, they tend to impact the windshield. Struck cyclists, however, have a higher tendency for their head to strike the A-pillar, which doesn't have the give of a windshield. The new airbag is designed to solve that.

The new Forester will be Japanese-market-only. Why? Because European and Japanese regulatory bodies have much more stringent requirements for automakers to protect pedestrians. 

Read more:
https://www.core77.com/posts/136694/Subarus-External-Airbag-Designed-to-Protect-Cyclists-Struck-by-Cars


13,000 bicycle helmets distributed across Ohio
Courtesy of the PBIC Newsletter

OHIO - This summer, thousands of children across Ohio will be biking safer thanks to the “Put A Lid On It” Campaign—a statewide effort to get free bicycle helmets into the hands of kids who need them. Since the program began in 2011, more than 100,000 helmets have been donated to help protect children while they ride. Along with the helmets, groups receive bike safety training materials and guidance on how to properly fit helmets—making it easier for families to keep kids protected on every ride.

Read more:
https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/about-us/news/statewide/put-a-lid-on-it-2025


FloodVision® RiskViewer
Courtesy of Climate Central

Explore realistic, street-level visuals of projected flooding from our Edge of America Tour — now available through the new FloodVision® RiskViewer. This public interface lets you browse and download curated visuals from dozens of communities, based on selected water levels and flood scenarios. (Use the carousel above the image to view different scenarios.) We can generate visuals for a wide range of water levels and for any location we’ve driven by. These visuals help communicate local flood risks, support resilience planning, and raise awareness before the next disaster.

Learn more:
https://www.climatecentral.org/tools/floodvision-riskviewer

Park Study Tour - Registration Open
Courtesy of City Parks Alliance

Houston, Texas - October 22 - 24, 2025

Join us this fall in Houston for an unforgettable Park Study Tour. You’ll have the opportunity to explore how a strong network of local partners is reimagining the city’s parks and trails to create a more equitable, resilient, and vibrant urban park system. Be inspired by the work happening on the ground, connect with passionate park professionals from across the country, and take home fresh ideas to fuel your own projects. 

Registration is open to everyone, with discounted rates available for City Parks Alliance members. Not a member yet? Now’s the perfect time to join and save. And reserve your spot on the Study Tour today.

Learn more:
https://cityparksalliance.org/houston-2025-park-study-tour-registration-step-1/


TrailNation Summit
Courtesy of the Federal Lands Transportation Institute Training Newsletter

October 27-29, 2025 - Cleveland, Ohio

Rails to Trails Conservancy’s TrailNation™ Summit is where the vision of trail networks at the center of healthy, thriving communities becomes reality. Over two full days in Cleveland, participants will be immersed in a learning experience designed to build the necessary connections with professionals and advocates from different fields, geographies, and areas of expertise from across a wide range of sectors necessary to trail network development. Participants will gain cutting-edge strategies to develop connected trail and active transportation networks that bolster local economies, improve public health, foster social connections, and enhance quality of life in communities nationwide.

Learn more:
https://www.railstotrails.org/trailnation/summit2025/

NEW - Coordinator of Fund Development and Major Gifts
Ottawa County Parks and Recreation
West Olive, Michigan
$40.21 - $52.27 Hourly
Application Deadline: Jun 20, 2025

Planning Manager
Lake County Forest Preserves
Libertyville, Illinois
$95,222 - $142,834 Annually
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Executive Director
Macomb Park District, Illinois
$75,000 - $100,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 20, 2025

Talent Development Specialist
Great Parks
Cincinnati, Ohio
$55,994 - $69,992 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 21, 2025

Park Heavy Equipment Operator
Santa Clara County Parks
Santa Clara, California
$87,117 - $105,279 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 13, 2025

Director of Corridor and Trail Development
Great Parks
Cincinnati, Ohio
$104,551 - $130,689
Application Deadline: Jun 9, 2025

Director of Site and Facility Development
Great Parks
Cincinnati, Ohio
$104,551 - $130,689 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 9, 2025
 
Manager - Parks & Recreation Education & Recreation Program Services
Oakland County Parks and Recreation
Waterford, Michigan
$103,705 - $138,945 Annually
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 1200 parks and recreation professionals for a fee of $125 for NACPRO members and $250 for non-members.