NACPRO News

June 7, 2022

In This Issue...

Best Practices Forum
Welcome New Member
A Word from our Sponsors
Research and Resources
In the News
Training
Job Announcements


About NACPRO

The National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials is a non-profit professional organization that advances official policies that promote county and regional park and recreation issues while providing members with opportunities to network, exchange ideas and best practices, and enhance professional development.

Learn more about us at: www.nacpro.org

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE

The next issue of NACPRO News will be delivered on June 21, 2022.

If you have news or an article to share, please send it to the editor by June 20.

EDITOR
Brenda Adams-Weyant
(814) 927-8212
[email protected]


NACPRO's Sponsors

Pilot Rock logo


Job Announcements

UPDATED: Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
River Parks Authority
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Salary depends on qualifications
Closing date: Jun 10, 2022

Leisure Services Manager
Polk County Conservation
Granger, Iowa
$73,459 - $96,614 Annually
Closing date: Jun 22, 2022

Site Superintendent
Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Homer, Illinois
$62,500 Annually
Closing Date: Jun 30, 2022

Park Ranger I
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Los Gatos, California
$68,544 - $82,900 Annually
Closing date: Jul 6, 2022

Executive Director/Secretary
Darke County Park District
Greenville, Ohio
$68,500 Annually or commensurate with experience
Closing date: Aug 31, 2022

Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation
Johnson County Park and Recreation District
Shawnee, Kansas
Salary depends on qualifications
Closing date: Open until filled

Forester (Arborist)
Shawnee County Parks and Recreation
Topeka, Kansas
Salary: $17.37 - $19.16 Hourly
Closing date: Open until filled

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. NACPRO membership is $90/person.

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

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. 

 


Welcome New Member

Ms. Melissa Termine Battite
Director
Town of Lexington Recreation and Community Programs, Massachusetts

 


A Word from our Sponsors

Extreme Load Rated Tables for Extreme Weather
Courtesy of Pilot Rock

Stop replacing your picnic tables every year due to damage from high elevation snow loads as well as other extreme weight loads.

Our Snow Load Rated Picnic Tables have been been rated by TWO independent tests, proving these steel frame tables are capable of withstanding weight loads up to 1420 lbs. per square foot. (That's a lot of snow!)

Not in a snowy area? With extreme weight ratings, just imagine how well these tables will withstand the public exposure in your parks, campgrounds, recreation centers and on the school campus.

For more information:
https://www.pilotrock.com/product/picnic-tables-snow-load-rated/

 


Research and Resources

Land Acknowledgment Is Not A Marketing Strategy
Courtesy of America Outdoors

By Antoinette Lee Toscano

Some companies have wrongly used their land acknowledgment as a marketing strategy. But knowing the essential steps in creating a land acknowledgment can take the fear out of "doing it wrong" and create a practice that authentically goes beyond words on paper.

Over the past two years, the calls for social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion for formerly marginalized people in America and worldwide caused many North Americans and others to publicly acknowledge the ancestry of the lands on which we live, work, go to school, and recreate.

These lands belonged to the Indigenous folk of what is now called America and the First Nation peoples of Canada. Much of the land was stolen or unceded territory, meaning the Indigenous people did not sign away rights to the land their ancestors traditionally occupied or used.

Today, many businesses, institutions, and outdoor recreators want to pay their respect to the Indigenous Elders of the past, present, and future and those who have been stewards of the land throughout the generations. 

But the most significant barrier for creating a personal or professional land acknowledgment practice can be summed up in one word: Fear!

Read more:
https://www.americaoutdoors.org/land-acknowledgment-is-not-a-marketing-strategy/

 

Responding to an Opioid Overdose
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business

By Joshua Schneider 

In the event of a medical emergency, who is the best person to respond? We’ve all watched the scenes from medical dramas—first responders rushing to the scene of an emergency with flashing lights and blaring sirens. Paramedics jumping out of an ambulance and racing to a patient’s side, providing lifesaving care while helpless bystanders look on. This image may seem familiar, but is this really what a response to a medical emergency looks like? 

The opioid-overdose crisis is one such issue that has caused significant mortality in the city. To respond to the crisis, the city’s newly created Office of Community Health and Safety resolved to provide overdose-prevention training to all city employees who regularly interact with the public. This includes providing staff members with naloxone, an over-the-counter nasal spray that reverses the effects of opioids and can save the life of someone experiencing an overdose. Recognizing their proximity to the crisis and the degree to which they are embedded in the community, employees of the Pittsburgh Department of Parks and Recreation were some of the first to receive this training. 

Read more: 
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/responding-to-an-opioid-overdose

 

Montgomery Co. recreation department on violence prevention efforts
Courtesy of WTOPnews

By Kate Ryan

MARYLAND - Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has said the Maryland county is working on a “comprehensive” approach to stemming violence among young people.

The county’s Department of Recreation is part of that effort, and its director, Robin Riley, said the summer “is a really important time just to really keep open conversations” and make sure young people “stay connected with a caring adult.”

“It’s everything from workforce development, how to do a resume, job skills, financial literacy,” to mindfulness and yoga, Riley said.

The programs can also include discussions about conflict resolution: “What we’re hearing from kids is their families are feeling stress, and sometimes that stress pushes down to them,” she said.

Read more: 
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2022/05/more-than-sports-montgomery-co-recreation-department-on-violence-prevention-efforts/

 

New Research: The Economic Impact of Local Parks
Courtesy of NRPA

NRPA’s 2022 The Economic Impact of Local Parks report finds that local public park and recreation agencies in the United States generated nearly $218 billion in economic activity and supported almost 1.3 million jobs that boosted labor income by more than $68 billion from their operations and capital spending in 2019. Additionally, the report provides preliminary estimates for 2020, which show that parks and recreation remained resilient in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with $225 billion in economic activity and 1.25 million jobs supported.

For more information: 
https://www.nrpa.org/publications-research/research-papers/the-economic-impact-of-local-parks/ 

 

Helping People to Beat the Heat This Summer
Courtesy of NRPA

Conservation is a key strategy for greater resiliency. As summer’s warmer temperatures lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, exacerbating asthma and other health ailments, older adults and children are likely to be the most affected. The effects also are felt by those with chronic illness, people of color and people with lower income.

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2022/june/helping-people-to-beat-the-heat-this-summer/

 

Community Engagement Results in Recreation and Natural Resource Improvements for the Deschutes River Corridor
Courtesy of the NPS Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Assistance 

By Alisson Vera

OREGON - Carving its way through canyons and beautiful desert landscapes, the Deschutes River is a 250-mile river that provides diverse recreation opportunities for residents and visitors in Central Oregon. After noticing an all-time high number in visitation, the Bend Park and Recreation District conducted an inventory of the riverbank’s habitat and found that nearly 100 user-created access points had been made – highlighting the need for visitor use management and natural resource protection measures.

The Deschutes River Access and Habitat Restoration Plan is the culmination of two-years of community driven hard work and collaboration. It highlights the need and want by communities to balance outdoor recreation opportunities with restoration to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy the river.

Read more:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/community-engagement-results-in-recreation-and-natural-resource-improvements-for-the-deschutes-river-corridor.htm

 


In the News

State Parks Are Trying to Attract More Diverse Visitors
Courtesy of Stateline

By Marsha Mercer

As Americans plan their summer vacations, states around the country are struggling with a persistent challenge: how to attract more Black residents and other visitors of color to their parks.

The racial gap in park visitation is longstanding: Officials estimate that about 3 in 4 visitors to America’s state and national parks are White, well above the population rate of 60%. But since the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a national reckoning on race, state leaders have intensified their efforts to increase diversity. The coronavirus pandemic has further sharpened the focus on access to state parks, state officials say.

Read more:
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/05/31/state-parks-are-trying-to-attract-more-diverse-visitors

 

New Park Coming to Historic Dallas Fairgrounds
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

Built in 1886 to host the annual Texas State Fair, Fair Park has a long history as a vast and diverse public space and events venue. 

Inspired by the City Beautiful Movement, the park’s first planner, George Kessler, designed a space featuring tree-lined boulevards, monumental public art, fountains, and other features meant to create a beautiful and calming public space. After hosting the 1937 World’s Fair, the park retained more than half of the World’s Fair structures, making it the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world.

Despite its colorful history, the space languished, underused, for decades. While an estimated five million people attend events at Fair Park every year—primarily for the annual Texas State Fair that takes place over three weeks in the fall—it remained underutilized, with much of the area fenced off and without amenities to make it a pleasant space for everyday recreation. 

In 2019, the site came under the management of a public-private partnership, Fair Park First, that seeks to reactivate the site and build a new community park that will bring more events, amenities, and much-needed green space to the area.

Read more: 
https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/117354-new-park-coming-historic-dallas-fairgrounds

 

Snake River Trails Alliance in Idaho Continues Successful
Efforts 
Courtesy of NOHVCC

Last year the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) highlighted a great example of disparate recreation groups coming together to get results. You may recall that a newly formed group – the Snake River Trails Alliance - used funding from several sources to construct a bridge on the Bear Creek Trail, a multi-use trail on the Palisades Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. 

Anyone familiar with NOHVCC’s philosophy knows that we believe collaboration works. We are delighted to present this follow-up story to the one linked to above as it highlights that working together is the best path to success. Brian DiLenge, East Region Trail Specialist, Idaho State Parks and Recreation, and initial driving force behind the creation of the Snake River Trails Alliance said it best when he quoted the English Proverb, “many hands make light work.”

Read more:
https://nohvcc.org/collaboration-works-snake-river-trails-alliance-in-idaho-continues-successful-efforts/

 

International Trails Symposium Call for Presentations 
Courtesy of American Trails

Deadline July 15, 2022

American Trails (AT) and the Professional TrailBuilders Association (PTBA) will join forces to co-host the International Trails Summit in Reno, Nevada during the week of April 17, 2023. The combined, high-impact event will convene a diverse trail and outdoor community to learn, build relationships, and find solutions to the challenges of developing and elevating outdoor recreation opportunities for all. The joint conference will also feature the World Trails Network – Hub for the Americas (WTN-Americas).

We invite you to submit proposals for presentations that help develop an exciting and motivating program for the Summit. Proposals can be national or international in scope, and a high priority will be placed on presentation proposals that offer thought leadership in one or more of the focus areas described on the Summit website. It is the Program Committee’s intention to choose a slate of 2023 presenters that advances diversity and inclusion at all levels. 

For more information: 
www.2023its.org 

 

Nominations Are Invited for SHIFT Awards
Courtesy of GP RED

The SHIFT Awards help honor organizations, initiatives, and individuals from around the U.S. who are helping advance and promote equitable access to nature and the health benefits of time outside in the following areas: 

  • Non-Profit Leadership
  • Business Leadership
  • Public Agency/Land Management Innovation
  • Technology
  • Youth Engagement
  • Research
  • Advocacy
  • Active Living in Nature

You can nominate yourself, someone else, or any initiative or organization that meets the criteria. Selected 2022 Award Nominee Finalists will be notified at least 60 days prior to the event of their selection and invited to participate in the annual SHIFT Summit. 

The 2022 Award Nominee Finalists will be honored in person at the SHIFT Summit on October 19th, 2022. 

For more information: 
https://www.gpred.org/shift-awards/

 

Emerging Leaders Program Call for Applications 
Courtesy of GP RED

The Emerging Leaders Program trains early career leaders to help develop our work at SHIFT and throughout the country. Our vision is to build a diverse coalition of advocates who can champion the health benefits of nature and fight for a more sustainable future for the planet. The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) will be held virtually October 15-17 prior to the Summit 

For more information:
https://www.gpred.org/emerging-leaders-program/

 


Training

Webinar Recording: Campground Industry Market Analysis
Courtesy of the RV Industry Association

On Wednesday, May 18, the RV Industry Association hosted a webinar on the first-ever Campground Industry Market Analysis, a comprehensive report that details the availability of campsites and campground amenities at federal, state, municipal, and private campgrounds across the United States.

The webinar featured Bill Baker, RV Industry Association Vice President of Membership & Research, and Margaret Bailey, CHM Government Services Project Manager and key partner on the research.

Bill and Margaret discussed the key findings of the report, including:

  • Campground Supply During Peak Season Nearing Full Capacity
  • Total Private Campsites Outnumber Total Public Campsites 2.5 to 1
  • RV Hook Ups Lacking at Public Campgrounds
  • Disparity in Private and Public Campsites Amenities
  • Public Campsite Supply Makeup

For more information: 
https://www.rvia.org/news-insights/webinar-recording-campground-industry-market-analysis

 

Webinar: Building Communities in Support of Sustainable, Natural Surface, Multi-Use, Public Trails
Courtesy of the Federal Lands Transportation Institute Training Newsletter

Date: June 9, 2022
Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ET
Cost: Free 
Organization: American Trails

Have you ever wondered “Why” people want to share their experiences, volunteer, or donate their time, money, and energy to trails? This presentation is about building communities in support of sustainable, natural surface, multi-use, public trails.

While most would say it takes funding and sometimes major funding to build and maintain trails, I would ask us to consider trail funding as a continuum. Trails are about experiences and we strive to share those experience with others. Fun is contagious, we want others to enjoy and create memories or achievements like we’ve enjoyed. This is the first component of this webinar. Sharing can be welcoming and inclusive, because we want others to enjoy or make their own memories. Expanding our network or user communities will hopefully lead to additional volunteers and trail stewards.

For more information:
https://www.americantrails.org/training/building-communities-in-support-of-sustainable-natural-surface-multi-use-public-trails#eventDetails 

 

NRCS and Streambank Soil Bio-engineering
Courtesy of the River Management Society

June 15, 2022, 1:00 pm US/Eastern

The subject presentation will provide an overview of the use of stream bank soil bio-engineering practice used as part of NRCS conservation work. Both plant based and structural based practices will be discussed.

For more information: 
https://conservationwebinars.net/webinars/nrcs-and-streambank-soil-bioengineering

 

Webinars from NRPA

SNAP Into WIC: Positioning Parks as Centers of Community Health

June 14 at 2 p.m. EDT

Join this session to reflect on the available food resources in your community and to learn about opportunities for increasing nutrition security within your community from new resources — including NRPA’s Supporting SNAP and WIC Outreach: A Toolkit for Park and Recreation Professionals — and promising practices in the field. 

Evaluation 101: Constructing Evaluation Plans That Work

June 23 at 2 p.m. EDT

Join this two-hour interactive session to learn about and practice developing a clear evaluation plan. Using programs from their agencies, participants will take part in hands-on exercises and use materials provided to plan evaluations for their real-life programs. Participants will leave the course with the confidence to plan a program evaluation that can be used to collect evidence to share with stakeholders and funders. 

For more information: 
https://learning.nrpa.org/upcoming-featured

NACPRO | PO Box 74, Marienville, PA 16239 | (814) 927-8212