NACPRO News

August 22, 2023

Lake County Forest Preserves earns two national awards
Courtesy of LCFPD

ILLINOIS - The communications and design division of the Lake County Forest Preserves earned two national awards through APEX, the Annual Awards for Publication Excellence Competition.

An Award of Excellence was garnered for a feature story, “Growing Through Change: Preparing for the Future Climate” in the spring-summer 2022 issue of Horizons. This was entered in the “environment–climate change/eco-friendly” category. The APEX Awards recognize excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence.

With more than 1,100 entries, competition was intense. 100 Grand Awards were presented to honor outstanding work in 14 categories, and 453 Awards of Excellence recognized exceptional entries in 100 subcategories.

Read more:
https://www.lcfpd.org/publication-awards/

Local artists created first four collectible poster designs in classic WPA style
Courtesy of Johnson County

By David Markham

KANSAS - The poster project is part of a Public Art Program JCPRD launched in 2019 to activate parks, trails, and facilities in a new way. The posters will feature JCPRD places and spaces using the iconic and majestic style used by Work Progress Administration (WPA) artists in the 1930s. JCPRD will expand its collection in the coming years, featuring parks, trails, and facilities that are part of its system. 

“We hope these designs leave our community inspired to go and explore these and all of the beautiful park spaces that make up JCPRD,” said Superintendent of Culture Susan Mong. “Each poster highlights a beautiful element of each park. I really love the process each artist went through to develop their vision and determine what feature, perspective, or unique element they wanted to focus on. The artists spent time with park staff and a lot of time in their assigned park before finalizing their design.” 

Read more:
https://www.jcprd.com/Blog.aspx?IID=477#item

Great Parks earns national recognition for financial reporting 

OHIO - We’re excited to announce Great Parks has earned national recognition in financial reporting by The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

Advancing fiscal health is critical in ensuring the park system is financially balanced and sustainable for generations to come.

Through these efforts, Great Parks has been recognized in two categories:

• The GFOA Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.
• Great Parks was also awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.

U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines
Courtesy of American Trails

The Access Board has published new guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) that address access to sidewalks and streets, crosswalks, curb ramps, pedestrian signals, on-street parking, and other components of public rights-of-way. These guidelines also review shared use paths, which are designed primarily for use by bicyclists and pedestrians for transportation and recreation purposes. 

For more information:
https://www.americantrails.org/resources/u-s-access-board-issues-final-rule-on-public-right-of-way-accessibility-guidelines?blm_aid=24243

Getting to Know NRPA’s Data and Mapping Resource Library
Courtesy of NRPA

By Austin Barrett

From the director’s desk to the programmer’s activity guide, park and recreation professionals regularly rely on actionable data to make informed decisions. Whether an agency is developing a new master plan, determining what new programs to offer or seeking to understand their community’s characteristics a little better, access to relevant data will strengthen these initiatives.

NRPA offers a variety of data tools and research reports to meet this need. Check out Park Metrics to benchmark your agency’s parks, programming and budgetary information compared to peer agencies. NRPA also publishes research reports you can use to improve operations, gain more funding support and better serve your community. However, you likely still have data needs that extend beyond these great resources. That’s where NRPA’s Data and Mapping Resource Library comes in.

NRPA staff have compiled more than 50 free data and mapping resources to assist your agency in broadening its impact on the community and operating more efficiently. From the county level to your local neighborhood, these public resources serve as a starting point for exploring data on a variety of categories, including demographics, health and wellness, environmental resiliency and other park-specific information.

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2023/august/getting-to-know-nrpas-data-and-mapping-resource-library/

Remember ZooKeys at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo? A big upgrade was just announced with introduction of AdventureKeys
Courtesy of WKYC

OHIO - The ZooKeys program first debuted at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo back in the 1960s. Now, the zoo has just announced a “significant evolution” is coming soon with the new AdventureKeys option in partnership with KeyBank.

“AdventureKeys is an expansion on the program that now incorporates exclusive video messages from experts and expands from the Zoo to all five Cleveland Metroparks Nature Centers,” zoo officials announced Wednesday. “Children can collect new keepsake keys to unlock exclusive, educational messages specific to iconic zoo animals, the natural world and park landmarks and hidden gems.”

Read more:
https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo/tickets-attractions/zoo-locations/attractions/keybank-adventurekeys

Tips and best practices for adaptive programming
Courtesy of Parks and Recreation Business

On a Saturday morning at Miracle Field in Wichita, Kan., one will find a group of special athletes participating in America’s pastime—baseball. While some use wheelchairs or walkers, others are blind or have intellectual disabilities—all are ready to have a swing of the bat, round the bases, and catch a ball.

Daniel Sack, a programmer with Wichita Park & Recreation, has firsthand experience starting a sports program for people with these disabilities. He admits the concept behind the department’s Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation (AIR) program was completely foreign to him when it began, but says it has been the most-rewarding in his 10-plus years of athletics. 

Read more:
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/hit-it-out-of-the-park

6 Playground Activities That Promote Physical Activity
Courtesy of PlayCore

A well-designed play space provides a critical opportunity to address the needs of the whole child and offer a wide variety of activities that motivate, engage, and challenge all children. Specific designs can be selected that encourage children to actively move through play and develop important fitness skills that align with national standards for physical activity.

Playgrounds can be designed to fully implement the Play On! program while incorporating the six key elements of play to promote fitness and help children reach moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity. Physical educators and recreation professionals can play a critical role in the selection of playground equipment and the overall design of the outdoor play and learning environment.

Read more:
https://www.playcore.com/news/6-playground-activities-that-promote-physical-activity

Waiver of Buy America Requirements for De Minimis Costs and Small Grants
Courtesy of American Trails

A long-standing impediment to effective implementation of the Recreational Trails Program (and other federal funding of trail projects) has been addressed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
 
FHWA published the Waiver of Buy America Requirements for De Minimis Costs and Small Grants. This notice is the waiver. There is no need for waiver applications for projects that meet the criteria of this waiver.
 
Read more:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/16/2023-17602/waiver-of-buy-america-requirements-for-de-minimis-costs-and-small-grants?blm_aid=24243

L.A. plan to transfer surplus city property to marginalized groups moves ahead
Courtesy of the City News Service

CALIFORNIA - The Los Angeles City Council today moved forward with a plan to identify land that could be transferred to historically marginalized groups within the city.

In addition, the city's chief legislative analyst in collaboration with the Civil and Human Rights and Equity Department, and other relative departments, will report back in 60 days with recommendations on how to use the land, such as community land trusts, urban agriculture, or "other uses that center principles of self-determination, community building and healing."

Read more:
https://www.theeastsiderla.com/news/government_and_politics/l-a-plan-to-transfer-surplus-city-property-to-marginalized-groups-moves-ahead/article_18c64c12-372d-11ee-81c8-eb617c120ad6.html

Could Building Bike Lanes Become America’s Next Big Infrastructure Project?
Courtesy of Streetsblog USA

By Kea Wilson

A new tool will help U.S. advocates fight for a national bike infrastructure network with the same passion with which highway boosters once fought for the national interstate system — and find battles close to home where they can have the most impact.

Nonprofit PeopleForBikes' recently launched the Great Bike Infrastructure Project, a new advocacy portal which aims to map all the "protected bike lanes, off-street trails, pump tracks, bike parks, and more" that U.S. communities are poised to build — particularly following the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which multiplied the amount of federal funding for cycling by roughly six.

Rather than treating those efforts as disconnected, though, the group says advocates need to start thinking of their hyper-local bike projects as part of one massive, national effort to combat climate change, cure traffic violence, and end universal car dependence — and do the urgent work of bringing transportation decision-makers together in a unified front.

Read more:
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/08/14/could-building-bike-lanes-become-americas-next-big-infrastructure-project

Four Ways To Spot a Bad E-Bike Article
Courtesy of Streetsblog USA

By Kea Wilson

In recent weeks, the New York Times published a series of alarmist articles warning about the possible dangers of e-bikes, slamming manufacturers for marketing their products to children and teenagers to deadly results, and questioning whether pedal-assist vehicles should require licenses or other regulations more commonly associated with automobiles.

To read these four stories — three of which were written by technology reporter Matt Richtel, with a fourth written in response to his series by Soumya Karlamangla — one would think the e-bike industry is an unregulated Wild West, rife with mustache-twirling capitalists eager to cash in on loopholes in U.S. transportation law with no regard for consumer safety. For an author who literally won a Pulitzer Prize for his analysis of the systemic drivers of the distracted driving crisis, though, Richtel asks surprisingly few questions about why so many e-bike riders are dying, beyond interrogating the features of the bikes themselves — and in the process, he falls into some of the biggest pitfalls of a rapidly-emerging genre: the Bad E-Bike Article.

Read more:
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/08/09/four-ways-to-spot-a-bad-e-bike-article

September Webinars from American Trails

September 7: Destination Stewardship: Reimagining the Purpose of Tourism in Outdoor Communities

September 14: The Trail Research Hub 

September 21: How Trails Support Healthy Aging for All

September 28: Engaging, Enabling, and Motivating Families and Diverse Trail Users

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

Webinar: Learn strategies to help older adults remain physically and socially active 
Courtesy of NRPA

Thursday, August 24, at 1:00 pm EDT

Physical fitness activities can offer a space for older adults to connect with others, helping them stay socially engaged in their communities. Join us for a webinar focused on physical fitness and social engagement. During the webinar, YMCA of the USA, the National Council on Aging and NRPA will spotlight strategies that allow organizations to use physical activity as a hook to promote and encourage social engagement among older adults. Speakers also will share examples of potential partners for collaboration at the local level. 

For more information:  
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gst9DID5Qy6VNbTKbW0Y3Q#/registration

Webinars: Climate Resiliency for Outdoor Recreation
Courtesy of SORP

Climate change considerations for outdoor recreation management 
August 23, 3:00 pm EDT

Join the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science to review national climate change trends and the potential impacts on recreation, and to explore relevant climate adaptation strategies and approaches. In this presentation additional resources will be shared that can help managers develop climate adaptation plans for their own portfolios including assessing vulnerabilities, choosing adaptation strategies, and applying customized on-the-ground tactics.

From Climate Adaptation Workbook to Project Implementation
August 30, 3:00 pm EDT

This presentation will highlight how the large-scale takeaways from the NIACS course planted the seed of an idea that lead to a first of its kind trail project in Vermont’s Camel’s Hump State Park! Camel’s Hump is the highest undeveloped peak in Vermont and draws hikers from near and far. In this presentation you’ll gain insight into the outputs of the Adaptation Workbook as well as how you can leverage those to tell your story, get buy-in from partners, and plan a project that is shovel ready for when a funding opportunity emerges.

For more information:
https://www.recpro.org/webinars

NEW - Deputy Director
Monmouth County Park System
Lincroft, New Jersey
Salary: Depends on qualifications
Application Deadline: Sep 15, 2023

NEW - Trails and Parks Millage Program Coordinator
Ingham County
Mason, Michigan
Salary: $71,201.00 Annually
Application Deadline: Sep 1, 2023

Park Maintenance Supervisor
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Los Gatos, California
$110,593 - $134,453 Annually
Application Deadline: Sep 8, 2023

Park Heavy Equipment Operator
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Los Gatos, California
$79,780 - $96,412 Annually
Application Deadline: Sep 5, 2023

Division Manager - Park Maintenance & Forestry
Wichita Park & Recreation, Kansas
$83,103 - $150,768 Annually
Application Deadline: Sep 5, 2023

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

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

Got a vacancy to fill? 
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