NACPRO News

June 27, 2023

Cherokee Recreation and Parks receives national award for youth basketball program
Courtesy of Cherokee Tribune

GEORGIA - Cherokee Recreation and Parks received a national award Tuesday for its Cherokee Youth Basketball program from the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials.

Cherokee Youth Basketball is a local recreational basketball league that is open to all eligible county youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. Through partnerships with the Cherokee County School District, players in kindergarten through fifth grade play on teams that represent their current elementary school while middle and high school players represent one of the county’s six local high schools in which the player is districted to or currently attending.

Read more:
https://www.tribuneledgernews.com/local_news/cherokee-recreation-and-parks-receives-national-award-for-youth-basketball-program/article_f992c0f8-1109-11ee-9cc0-97fe59bc45a9.html

Small-Sided Soccer Rejuvenates Park Space
Courtesy of NRPA

By Alexandra Reynolds

FLORIDA - In March, Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation and Soccer 5 USA unveiled a new small-sided soccer complex at John Prince Park in Lake Worth, Florida. Built on the site of an underutilized softball field, the facility will host an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 games per year, according to Soccer 5 USA President Scott Georgeson. Six small-sided soccer fields — four for seven versus seven play and two for five versus five play — make up the complex. Small-sided soccer games are played with fewer players on smaller fields, which gives players more opportunities to touch the ball. The small-sided soccer fields require less space than regulation soccer fields, fostering simultaneous play within the space.

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2023/july/small-sided-soccer-rejuvenates-park-space/

Disability Dirt Day offers off-road adventure for those with disabilities
Courtesy of CBS News

By Alysia Burgio

MICHIGAN - Disability Dirt Day is a program run through Oakland County Parks. Vickers is one of many who teamed up to create the event in 2021. Oakland County Parks Recreation Therapist Sandy Dorey is another individual who helped create the event. "Our first event, we had 12 participants, and now we cap it at 75 participants per event," Dorey stated. The park is 200 acres and growing of hills and heights to explore. Twenty-three acres will open around August 1st.

Read more:
https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/disability-dirt-day-offers-off-road-adventure-for-those-with-disabilities/

Field Sports Park provides safe, supervised firing-range opportunities
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business

By Joanna Piedmont

Welcome to Field Sports Park—operated by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department—where 102 acres of grasslands greet the shooting enthusiast; where one can go to a natural, outdoor park setting in a safe, supervised, and family-friendly environment to participate in shooting sports at any level, from recreational to top-level competition. The only publicly-owned firing range in the Bay Area. 

Read more:
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/shooting-down-negativity

2023 Outdoor Participation Trends Report
Courtesy of the Outdoor Industry Association

For over 15 years, the Outdoor Participation Trends Report has served as the most trusted and comprehensive source of insights and narratives around who’s doing what, when, and how outdoors. In our 2023 report, we celebrate increases in the overall outdoor participation base while digging deeper into the numbers to understand which activities engage outdoor participants and what demographics are represented.

For more information:  
https://oia.outdoorindustry.org/resource/2023-outdoor-participation-trends-report

Certification Committees Seeking New Members
Courtesy of NRPA

NRPA is currently seeking applicants to join several certification committees, including the National Certification Board, the CPRP and CPRE Certification Committees, and the AFO Certification Committee. These committees act as oversight bodies to guide each program. 
For more information:  

https://connect.nrpa.org/getinvolved/volunteeropportunities

2022 Deadliest Year for Pedestrians in Four Decades
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu 

Estimates of nationwide pedestrian deaths by the Governors Highway Safety Association indicate that “U.S. walkers will have experienced a stunning 77-percent increase in deaths since 2010, rising at a rate more than three times faster than the rest of the traveling public, for whom fatalities increased 25 percent over the same period,” according to a Streetsblog article by Kea Wilson.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/06/124157-2022-deadliest-year-pedestrians-four-decades

Strengthening Parks and Recreation Through Competitive Compensation
Courtesy of NRPA

By Melissa May

Comprehensive compensation data provides guidance on how to attract the best candidates. Such data also can provide insights into salary and benefits offered by potential employers. Soon, the NRPA Research team will release the findings from the 2023 NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey. Along with information on vacation and sick days, health insurance, minimum wage policies and more, the 2023 NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey report features detailed base salary and bonus data for 13 typical park and recreation agency positions 

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2023/july/strengthening-parks-and-recreation-through-competitive-compensation/

Ensuring Kayak Launches Are Adaptive and Inclusive
Courtesy of NRPA

By Lori Limpar

For paddlers with disabilities, paddling offers rehabilitation and socialization. Adaptive paddlers describe the freedom of leaving their wheelchairs and transitioning into a kayak as “liberating.” Most water access points continue to be designed with minimum ADA standards and assistive features, excluding paddlers with moderate to severe disabilities from participating.

The greatest difficulty reported by most paddlers is getting in and out of their vessels. Upon entry, kayaks and canoes can tip, shift or roll over. Adaptive features can ensure safe access in and out of the water and allow paddlers with disabilities to independently enter and exit their vessel. 

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2023/july/strengthening-parks-and-recreation-through-competitive-compensation/

Economic Impact of Recreational Boating Up 36%
Courtesy of the River Management Society

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) recently announced new data which found the annual economic impact of recreational boating increased 36%, from $170B in 2018 to $230B in 2023. The industry's contributions to the U.S. workforce grew as well, with an 18% increase in jobs supported, from 691,000 in 2018 to more than 812,000 in 2023.

Read more:
https://www.nmma.org/statistics/publications/economic-impact-infographics

City of Los Angeles Approves ‘Park Block’ Program
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu 

A new “Park Block” program in Los Angeles could create sections of car-light streets that eliminate cut-through traffic and reclaim space for other public uses. The program is inspired by similar concepts such as Barcelona’s ‘superblocks,’ explains Steven Sharp in Urbanize LA.

A city staff report notes that “[Park Blocks] can create instant public open space with substantial shade, outdoor recreation, greening and storm water capture in communities desperate for parks.”

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/06/124165-la-approves-park-block-program

Colorado Supreme Court Denies Access to Riverbeds
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu 

A ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court deals a blow to fishermen and others who want public access to the state’s rivers, reports Ben Goldfarb in High Country News.

According to Goldfarb, Colorado is “long the West’s most restrictive state when it comes to aquatic access,” and the recent ruling keeps it that way. The ruling revolved around a case in which a resident claimed the public should have access to the Arkansas River bed, which was historically used as a navigable waterway—thus making it state-owned land, according to the plaintiff in the case against the state, Roger Hill. The high court disagreed, saying the plaintiff had no standing to bring the case because the river was never officially designated as public property.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/06/124022-colorado-supreme-court-denies-access-riverbeds

The CAPRA Connection
Courtesy of NRPA

By Jennifer Schleining

The Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) strengthens teamwork among staff, imbeds park and recreation best practices into departments’ internal culture, establishes a continuous improvement mindset for all activities and prepares park and recreation professionals and their agencies for the future.

I recently spoke with staff from six park and recreation departments about their CAPRA experiences. Each department participated in the 2022 CAPRA season. Following are their unique CAPRA stories along with insights into what they learned, what they wish they had known, the impact CAPRA has had on their department and what advice they have for those considering CAPRA. Each had their own journey and motivations for participation. 

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2023/july/the-capra-connection/

2023 NOHVCC Call for Award Nominations
Courtesy of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council

Now is your chance to recognize those that have contributed to the OHV community in the spirit of creating a positive future for off-highway vehicle recreation.  If you have an individual or an organization that deserves to be recognized for their contributions to OHV recreation, please send your nominations to [email protected]. Likewise, if you know of any success stories such as newly opened riding areas, successful mitigation of trail issues, positive outcomes from OHV management, etc., please let us know as well.  It is important that we take time to acknowledge those who have put in the time and effort to support OHV recreation and the NOHVCC awards banquet is the perfect place to shine a light on outstanding effort!

For more information:  
https://nohvcc.org/2023-nohvcc-award-nomination-requests/

Upcoming Webinars from American Trails

June 29, 2023: Helping Wheelchair Hikers Find Hiking Trails
Overview of a recently developed wheelchair-friendly filter showcasing how it was made, lessons learned, and how it serves their community of hikers.

July 06, 2023: National Water Trails: Designating Your Trail for NWT Status

July 13, 2023: Trail-Specific Insurance Town Hall
Join us for this unique Town Hall to discuss the opportunities that now exist for small and mid-size trail organizations to find affordable and appropriate trail-specific insurance.

July 20, 2023: Risk Management: Lessons Learned from Near-Misses on the Trail and in Trail Work

July 27, 2023: Outdoors for All
This webinar will delve into the presenter’s ideas for giving access to people of all abilities through various types of barrier removal to additions that can be made to signage, trails, and other features of outdoor spaces.

August 03, 2023: Legacy Trails Grant Program: 2023 Pre-Application Overview

August 10, 2023: Bridging the Gap
Join us for an inspiring session on the vital role of accessibility in parks and trails for people with disabilities.

August 17, 2023: Creative Trails Programming Through Public-Private Partnerships

August 24, 2023: Porous Flexible Pavement, Asphalt, or Porous Asphalt

For more information:  
https://www.americantrails.org/training/webinars

The National Institute of Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Through Environmental design, also known as CPTED, is a strategy that brings together community members to examine how an area’s physical design can influence human behavior, reduce crime, fear of crime, and improve quality of life. CPTED uses various tools to evaluate environmental conditions and utilize intervention methods to improve space and how it is used. Whether it is new construction, existing construction, green space, schools, businesses, or neighborhoods, CPTED strategies have proven to be successful.

The NICP encourages anyone that is interested in learning about CPTED to attend the training. This includes: law enforcement and crime prevention officers, security consultants, city, park, & urban planners, architects, residents, neighborhood & economic redevelopment groups, landscape architects, school personnel, engineers, code enforcement, public art personnel, lighting & utility personnel, and traffic engineers.

Check out their training options:
https://thenicp.com/cpted-courses/

NEW - Park Maintenance Worker
Douglas County
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
$38,502 - $54,570 Annually
Application Deadline: open until filled

NEW - Senior Park Ranger
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Los Gatos, California
$94,527 - $114,395 Annually
Application Deadline: Jul 17, 2023

NEW - Director of Parks and Recreation
City of Deerfield Beach, Florida
$116,972 - $187,108 Annually
Application Deadline: Jul 7, 2023

Director of Parks and Recreation
Louisville Metro Government
Louisville, Kentucky
Salary: Depends on qualifications
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Environmental Health and Safety Compliance Specialist
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Los Gatos, California
$127,439 - $154,926 Annually
Application Deadline: July 5, 2023

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 $100 for NACPRO members and $200 for non-members.

National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials
PO Box 74, Marienville PA 16239
(814) 927-8212
www.NACPRO.org