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Welcome New Members
Mr. Joe Vega, Director
Cameron County Parks & Recreation Dept, Texas
Mr. Jaime Lopez, Deputy Director
Cameron County Parks & Recreation Dept, Texas
Ms. Denise Lanza, Asst. Deputy Director
Morris County Park Commission, New Jersey
Ms. Alina Bokde, Chief Deputy Director
Los Angeles County Dept of Parks & Recreation, California
Ms. Dora Nunez, Special Assistant
Los Angeles County Dept of Parks & Recreation, California
Best Practices Forum
Got an issue you need advice on? Or a best practice you want to share? Send us the details and we will publish it in the next NACPRO News.
A Word from Our Sponsors
New Firering Lockout Cover
Courtesy of Pilot Rock
The Pilot Rock FLC/B-30 firering lockout cover can be used to restrict the use of campground firerings when a burn ban is in place, or for any reason you want to prevent campfires in an area. The cover can be easily removed whenever it is safe for campers to burn again.
For more information:
https://www.pilotrock.com/series/campfire-rings/firering-lockout-cover-model-flc/
Member News
East Bay parks district names first female leader
Courtesy of the East Bay Times
By Ned McKay
CALIFORNIA - After a nationwide recruiting effort, the East Bay Regional Park District’s Board of Directors has selected East Bay native Sabrina Landreth to be the new general manager of the two-county public agency.
As general manager, Landreth will be the park district’s top administrator, overseeing the acquisition, management and preservation of 73 parklands comprising nearly 125,000 acres of public lands throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Landreth succeeds Robert Doyle, who retired at the end of 2020 after 47 years of service at the agency, including the last 10 as general manager. She is the first female and tenth general manager in the district’s 87-year history.
Read more:
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/03/07/park-it-east-bay-parks-district-names-first-female-leader/
Creating a Space for Women in Parks and Recreation - Episode 085
Courtesy of NRPA
By Roxanne Sutton and Cort Jones
Women’s History Month starts next month, and we thought it would be a good time to tackle a topic that has been on our episode wish list for a while now — women in parks and recreation. Parks and recreation, like many professions, was once a male-dominated industry. Now, however, those figures seem like they may be shifting.
Joining us are Lakita Watson, NRPA board member and executive director of the Richland County Recreation Commission (South Carolina); Katy Keller, Recreation Program Coordinator for Indian Trail Parks and Recreation (North Carolina); and Melanie Scoggins, Business Development and Retention Manager at Town of Leesburg (Virginia).
Listen here:
https://www.nrpa.org/blog/creating-a-space-for-women-in-parks-and-recreation-episode-085/
Research and Resources
Parks and Recreation Is an Engine of Economic Activity
Courtesy of NRPA
By Kevin Roth
Park and recreation professionals have a positive, lasting impact on millions of people every day through their tireless efforts to deliver programming and amenities that advance mental and physical health, create climate-ready parks, and support equity and inclusion. Local park and recreation agencies and their dedicated staff also are engines of economic activity in their communities. This past spring, NRPA’s The Economic Impact of Parks report, conducted by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, finds that operations and capital spending at local park and recreation agencies generated more than $166 billion in U.S. economic activity and supported 1.1 million jobs in 2017.
Now more than ever, park and recreation professionals and their advocates need to educate policymakers, key stakeholders and the general public on their work’s broad impact. When combined with the ability to deliver healthier and happier communities, your agency’s offerings are not merely a “nice to have” luxury government service. Instead, parks and recreation transforms our cities, towns and counties into vibrant and prosperous communities for all.
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2021/march/parks-and-recreation-is-an-engine-of-economic-activity/
Changing Law Enforcement Perception through Recreation
Courtesy of GP RED
Partnering with police departments gives park and recreation agencies the power to help change the perception of law enforcement within the communities. Listen to Officer Adam Mentor and Sergeant Jason Newton from the Colorado Springs Police Department, as well as well Police Chief Darryl McSwain of Montgomery County Parks, share their personal experiences and ways they connect with the community through recreation.
Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6g5XUXsEYUllwJYwE-OhAQ
Play Communication Boards promote 'diversity and inclusion' at city parks
Courtesy of the Columbia Daily Herald
By Jay Powell
TENNESSEE - Spring Hill unveiled a new project earlier this month aimed at enhancing communication and inclusion among visitors at three city parks, including those with disabilities.
The communication boards were the brainchild of Allyssa VelDink, a speech language pathologist at Arise Therapies. The vision, she said, was to create an interactive tool where, "everyone has the same opportunities to communicate in a play environment."
This includes individuals with hearing or speech disabilities, language barriers, as well as small children learning to speak and develop early motor skills. It's also intended to be a fun way for kids to communicate with friends.
Read more:
https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/2021/03/09/spring-hill-unveils-new-play-communication-boards-three-city-parks/4628823001/
Pond Management
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business
By Greg Blackham
Whether you’ve recently stepped into a new role as parks manager or simply decided to give more attention to the aesthetic needs of the facilities, there’s a good chance your responsibilities include overseeing a lake or stormwater pond. Maintaining a fully interactive aquatic ecosystem that will be aesthetically pleasing, functional, and safe for the community can be daunting! While some people choose to take this on “in-house,” either to cut costs or because they enjoy the challenge, it’s important to recognize possible complications that make professional intervention necessary.
Read more:
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/pond-management
Park Security
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business
By Johnathan Tal
Currently, park and recreation facilities are grappling with the same challenges that society at large is struggling with. Unfortunately, this “struggle” lends itself to unrest and incidents that can harm park users and facilities. Hopefully, this will pass soon. In the interim, however, it is a wise idea for park and recreation administrators to carefully review park security and determine what steps they can take to reduce risk. Increasing awareness and incorporating risk-prevention steps will prove beneficial now and in years to come.
Read more:
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/park-security
GameTime Announces Top Five Park and Playground Trends for 2021
As we prepare for the upcoming year, we carefully consider the issues communities face, the challenges they overcome, and their goals for improving the overall quality of life. We also analyze data and feedback from leading parks professionals, landscape architects, and educators to determine trends in park and playground products for 2021. These trends indicate the industry's direction in the upcoming year while simultaneously calling attention to innovations from 2020
Read more:
https://www.gametime.com/news/gametime-announces-top-five-park-and-playground-trends-for-2021
In the News
Barragán, Turner, Neguse Introduce Bipartisan Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act
Courtesy of Random Length News
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Michael Turner (R-Ohio) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) introduced a bipartisan bill to provide an historic one-time stimulus of $500 million for urban parks.
Local parks are at risk because of tightening state and local budgets during the pandemic and economic downturn. The Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act would provide a funding boost for urban parks through a formula grant to states to fund local park projects, which will ensure investments are quickly executed to help communities recover from dual public health and economic crises.
Read more:
https://www.randomlengthsnews.com/archives/2021/03/09/barragan-turner-neguse-introduce-bipartisan-parks-jobs-and-equity-act/32361?v=7516fd43adaa
A Four-Project Approach
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business
By Allegra “Happy” Haynes
COLORADO - Over the last several decades, neighborhoods in north Denver have experienced numerous flooding events, causing damage to properties and infrastructure, due to an inadequate drainage system. These neighborhoods are located within the Montclair Basin, an approximately nine-square-mile area that lacks a clear path for water to drain into the South Platte River. In 2015, the city and county of Denver Parks and Recreation and Public Works found a solution, ultimately known as the Platte to Park Hill: Stormwater Systems program. While Platte to Park Hill was initiated as a storm-protection program, the city quickly realized an opportunity to revitalize park space and increase connectivity among neighborhoods.
Read more:
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/a-four-project-approach
ORR Celebrates Secretary Haaland’s Confirmation: Good for Outdoor Recreation, Access & the Economy
Courtesy of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
“ORR and the entire outdoor recreation industry are excited for Rep. Haaland’s game-changing and historic confirmation to be the next Secretary of the Interior,” said Lindsey Davis, acting executive director of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “Throughout her career Rep. Haaland has worked to improve and increase access to the outdoors for recreationists, and she understands how this access to public lands and waters is vital to rural communities and the nation’s outdoor recreation economy. We look forward to continuing to work with her as Secretary on outdoor recreation issues, access and economies.”
Petals, Pots and Pilings Produce Pier-Park Hybrid Little Island
Courtesy of ENR New York
By Eydie Cubarrubia
NEW YORK - At the far west side of Manhattan near 14th Street is what looks like a field of 132 giant white tulips rising as high as 62 feet above the Hudson River. The 20-ft-diameter concrete cup-like pots atop individual pilings of varying heights. The pots hold 400 species of trees, shrubs and plants and create the illusion of an undulating wave.
Little Island—the $250-million Hudson River Park Trust project primarily funded by the family foundation of Barry Diller and his wife, Diane von Furstenberg—literally takes the ideas of piers and parks to a new level. It uses precast concrete components that many experts thought could not be used in this manner; 3-ft-dia pilings as deep as 200 ft below the water; a flat, traditional pier under the pots; and MEP systems not normally used on a pier but that support the park’s 700-seat amphitheater, backstage area for actors and public restrooms.
Read more:
https://www.enr.com/articles/51343-petals-pots-and-pilings-produce-pier-park-hybrid-little-island
Training
Active Living Conference
Courtesy of GP RED
April 6-9, 2021 - Virtual
The Active Living Conference theme, Now More than Ever – Active Living for All, implores us to embrace active living as a focal mechanism for overcoming the adversities in our lives. The past year has highlighted new and more complicated challenges related to public health policies, compounding health inequities, racial and political division, structural racism, and pandemic fatigue, among others. The conference is great for both researchers and the professionals working to improve active living in communities.
For more information:
https://www.gpred.org/active-living-conference-registration/
California Trails and Greenways Conference
Courtesy of American Trails
April 14-16, 2021
Cost: $75 early bird ($100 regular) + $15 for learning credits per webinar
Attend educational breakout sessions, talk with experts, connect with exhibitors, potential employers, and reconnect with colleagues anywhere and everywhere at a price that can't be beat! There will be 18 total webinars to earn learning credits for at 75 minutes each.
Registration closes April 9.
For more information:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24151
City Parks Alliance Summer Series 2021
June 14–25, 2021 - Virtual
Programming over the two weeks includes one or two sessions per day with recordings available to registrants. Conversations will focus on how cities are reckoning with racial justice, building an inclusive workforce, driving an equitable economic recovery, and leveraging parks and public spaces to connect people and create stronger, more resilient communities.
For more information:
https://cityparksalliance.org/summer-series/
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