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Celebrating Innovation Across NACPRO Agencies
In upcoming issues of the NACPRO News, we will be featuring the award-winning projects and programs from our 2026 Awards Program. These outstanding initiatives highlight the innovative solutions, creative programming, and forward-thinking leadership taking place in park and recreation agencies across the country. By sharing these ideas and successes, NACPRO continues to support collaboration, inspire new approaches, and advance the practice of parks and recreation for the communities we serve.
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Tap into our collective experience. Send your question and some background to the editor and we will include it in the next NACPRO News.
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Automate youth sports and camp registration
Courtesy of Jotform
Seasonal registration periods create a predictable rush. As families scramble to sign up, staff members juggle forms, payments, and calls from overwhelmed parents. Don’t let manual processes ruin your summer vibes.
Jotform’s Summer Camp and Youth Sports Registration AI Agents guide families through enrollment with a conversational, step-by-step experience. Collect participant information, emergency contacts, medical details, and consent forms in a single session. The AI Agent validates data in real time and automatically sends confirmations, saving staff time and extending community services.
Easily customize and train AI Agents to match your brand and program requirements. Use AI Agents on your website, across social channels, over voice, or through email.
Explore Jotform’s AI Agents for sports camps and registrations: https://link.jotform.com/DzHau8Laqo
Practical considerations for Parks and Campgrounds
Courtesy of Pilot Rock
As parks and campgrounds prepare for increased use, outdoor cooking areas deserve a closer look. A few simple considerations can make a meaningful difference in safety, performance, and long-term reliability.
Placement Matters
Positioning grills and fire rings in appropriate locations helps reduce risk and improve usability. Adequate spacing from structures, seating, and high-traffic areas allows for safer use and better visitor flow.
Materials Around the Site
The surrounding environment plays a role in safety. Non-combustible surfaces and well-maintained clear areas help support controlled use and reduce potential hazards.
Maintenance Makes a BIG Difference
Over time, ash buildup, grease, and general wear can impact both performance and safety. Routine cleaning and inspection help ensure cooking areas remain ready for daily use throughout the season.
Read more:
https://www.pilotrock.com/tips/
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U.S. House T&I Committee advances bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization
Courtesy of NACo
By Ben Gilsdorf and Andrew Nober
On May 22, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 61-2 to advance the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), moving the bill one step closer to a full House floor vote ahead of the September 30, 2026 authorization deadline. The bill delivers significant wins for counties: the Bridge Formula Program grows from $5.5 billion to $9 billion per year with a new 25-percent set-aside for locally owned bridges; permitting reforms streamline environmental review and accelerate project delivery for county transportation projects; and an estimated 22 percent of total federal funding in the bill will flow to local governments.
Contact your U.S. House representative to express support for Transportation Alternatives in the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870)
Read more:
https://www.naco.org/news/house-transportation-infrastructure-committee-advances-bipartisan-surface-transportation
California brought back beavers for the first time in 70 years, and the results are already amazing
Courtesy of Upworthy
By Kat Hong
Deep in the Sierra Nevada foothills on the Tule River Indian Reservation, tribal member Kenneth McDarment had passed by an ochre-red pictograph countless times throughout his life—a simple yet unmistakable image of a beaver with four paws and a distinctive paddle tail. Estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old, this ancient artwork adorned the walls of a rock shelter alongside other paintings of wildlife, humans, and geometric designs created by the Yokuts people.
When severe drought struck the reservation about a decade ago, McDarment and other tribal leaders began searching for innovative ways to conserve water. The answer, it turned out, had been staring at them from the cave walls all along.
Read more:
https://www.upworthy.com/beavers-reintroduced-california-sustainability-ex1/
How the West Could Turn a Trickle of Water Into an Endless Supply
Courtesy of Planetizen
By David Byrne
Hotter, drier weather, poor planning and a ballooning population are putting enormous pressure on the American West’s water supply. So, to get more out of every drop, some cities and counties are beginning to recycle their water — collecting what goes down the drain, removing the icky stuff and then sending it back into the system to use again, one way or another.
A few of those places are getting so good at this that they’ve become global leaders in water recycling. We’re talking about using recycled water, and some of the places that have led the way on this are Las Vegas and Orange County, California.
Read more:
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/water-recycling-interview/
When it comes to road safety, quick-build strategies may be better than ‘perfect’ solutions
Courtesy of Fast Company
By Andy Boenau
Many local government leaders across the country know the types of street designs that reduce the number of severe crashes, but they keep delaying the changes because they’re waiting for money. Waiting for a big federal grant. Waiting for a full reconstruction project. Waiting for the perfect, permanent solution. But while Americans wait, people keep getting hurt.
There’s a better way, and it doesn’t require tearing up a single road. Road diets repurpose space that already exists. By narrowing or reducing car lanes on overly wide streets, cities can carve out protected bike lanes, pedestrian refuges, and calmer traffic conditions—without major reconstruction.
But here’s the real choice cities face: Act now with quick-build methods to establish a safe network across dozens or even hundreds of blocks, or wait decades for funding to deliver premium concrete infrastructure on just a handful of blocks.
Read more:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91540493/road-diets-safety-quick-build-strategies
2026 National Recreation Resource Leadership Award Announced
Courtesy of SORP
Duluth, Minn. – The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals is thrilled to announce the 2026 National Recreation Resource Leadership Award is presented to the Confluence of States. The Confluence of States is a multi-state initiative dedicated to strengthening outdoor recreation policy, resource stewardship, and cross-jurisdictional partnerships. The organization's work demonstrates a model for how states can work together to address shared challenges and opportunities to enhance the outdoor recreation economy, public health, and resource stewardship.
"The Confluence of States exemplifies exactly the kind of collaborative leadership that moves the needle for outdoor recreation across our country," said Lisa Luokkala, SORP Board President. "Their ability to bring states together around shared goals — and to translate that collaboration into real outcomes for communities, economies, and public lands — is precisely what this award was created to honor. We are proud to recognize their work on this national stage."
About SORP:
https://www.recpro.org
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Beyond the Minimums Accessibility Webinar Series: ADA Transition (Part 2)
Courtesy of PlayCore
May 27, 2026, Time: 2:00–3:30 PM ET
Park and recreation agencies often know they need an ADA Transition Plan but lack clarity on how to develop one that effectively guides accessibility improvements. This webinar explains Title II requirements and the “program access” standard as they apply to parks, trails, playgrounds, and recreation facilities. Participants will learn the key components of a defensible ADA Transition Plan, including barrier identification, prioritization, cost estimating, timelines, and public engagement to support safe, inclusive, and compliant recreation environments.
Earn 1.5 LA CES HSW PDH / 1.5 AIA HSW LU / 0.15 IACET CEU (Free!)
Read more:
https://education.playcore.com/products/live-beyond-the-minimums-part-2-ada-transition-planning-for-parks-and-recreation
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NEW - Landscape Architect
Forest Preserve District of Will County
Joliet, Illinois
$71,502 - $98,717 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 12, 2026
Executive Director
Pekin Park District, Illinois
$120,000 - $150,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 12, 2026
Park Development Division Director
Fairfax County Government
Fairfax, Virginia
$116,320 - $209,377 Annually
Application Deadline: May 29, 2026
Deputy Director- Community Recreation Operations, Strategy & Program Innovation
Bernalillo County
Albuquerque, New Mexico
$89,128 - $111,946 Annually
Application Deadline: May 31, 2026
Director of Human Resources
Forest Preserves of Cook County
Chicago, Illinois
$125,000 - $152,006 Annually
Application Deadline: May 30, 2026
Chief of Police
Forest Preserves of Cook County
Hinsdale, Illinois
$125,000 - $149,735 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 30, 2026
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 $125 for NACPRO members and $250 for non-members.
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The next issue of NACPRO News will be delivered on June 9, 2026.
If you have news or an article to share, please send it to the editor by June 8.
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