Tell Congress to Pass the Outdoors For All Act
Courtesy of NRPA
The Outdoors For All Act will guarantee future generations have access to quality parks and green spaces and the social, physical and mental health benefits they provide. Congress needs to hear from community leaders like you who understand the importance of investing in quality parks and recreation.
The Outdoors For All Act is a part of NACPRO's legislative agenda. We have joined as an endorsing organization.
For more information:
https://nrpa.quorum.us/campaign/ofa/
Over $140 Million in Grants from the America the Beautiful Challenge to Restore Lands and Waters
Courtesy of USDI
The Biden-Harris administration joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and public-and private-sector partners today in announcing $141.3 million in grants through the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). The 74 new grants announced today will support landscape-scale conservation projects across 46 states, three U.S. Territories, and 21 Tribal Nations, and will generate at least $12 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $153 million. Approximately 40 percent of 2023 grants and funding will support projects implemented by Indigenous communities, representing an unprecedented level of funding dedicated to Tribally led projects for a single grant program at NFWF.
Read more:
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-national-fish-and-wildlife-foundation-announce-over-140
City of Palm Coast and Flagler County's Parks & Recreation Master Plan Receives Support from National Parks Service and NEFRC
Courtesy of PalmCoast.gov
FLORIDA - The City of Palm Coast, Flagler County, and the Tourism Development Office (TDO) are excited to announce a significant milestone in the countywide Parks & Recreation Master Plan project. The Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC), in partnership with the National Park Service, chose to review projects in Flagler County through its Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, ushering in invaluable technical support to bolster its development and implementation. This initiative promises to elevate parks and recreational offerings across the Palm Coast and Flagler County.
The project took shape following a visionary collaboration between Palm Coast City Council and the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, driven by the shared goal of enhancing and improving the county's parks and trail systems.
Read more:
https://www.palmcoast.gov/Newsroom/Home/Details/city-of-palm-coast-and-flagler-county-s-parks-and-recreation-master-plan-receives-support-from-national-parks-service-and-nefrc
Urban golf courses are making housing more expensive and parks harder to access — and taxpayers are footing the bill
Courtesy of Business Insider
By Eliza Relman
San Francisco's 18-hole Presidio Golf Course sits in some of the most prized land in the country: a national park. When the pandemic hit, golfing was paused and the 150-acre Presidio course opened up to anyone who wanted to walk, hike, jog, or bike through it without fearing they'd be knocked out by an errant ball. This opened up access to many San Franciscans who'd never set foot in one of the most beautiful green spaces in their city, simply because they don't, or can't afford to play golf.
Urban golf courses also cost taxpayers — even those who don't play — a lot of money. In about half of US states, golf courses are heavily subsidized through property tax breaks.
Golf courses are, by the nature of the game, some of the most underused spaces in a city. The Presidio Golf Course has just 1,200 visitors per acre each year, while San Francisco's nearby Golden Gate Park welcomes 24,000 visitors per acre annually. Any other sport — from football to pickleball — is a more efficient use of space.
Read more:
https://www.businessinsider.com/golf-courses-rent-real-estate-more-expensive-parks-cost-taxpayers-2023-11
USDI Announces Nearly $22 Million for Local Parks and New Actions to Increase Outdoor Access in Urban Areas
Courtesy of USDI
The Department of the Interior today announced that the National Park Service will distribute $21.9 million in funding through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks in Anchorage, Alaska; Moorhead, Minnesota; Greensboro, North Carolina; Buffalo, New York; and Norfolk, Virginia.
The Department also announced a funding opportunity for more than $224 million in grant funding for next year for local communities across the United States for the creation of new parks and trails, or substantial renovations to existing parks through the ORLP program. The announcement represents the largest grant funding since the launch of the program.
Read more:
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-nearly-22-million-local-parks-and-new-actions-increase
Parks or housing? Dallas officials hesitant on using city-owned land for 15 proposed new greenspaces
Courtesy of KERA News
By Nathan Collins
TEXAS - In late 2022 Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson requested an inventory of unused city-owned land that could potentially be turned into parks. Kent says the Trust for Public Land started working with city staff around the same time start “to map potential locations for these parks.”
Some council members also raised concerns about TPL evaluating city-owned land, suggesting that might lead to a duplication of efforts — and overlapping interests in the properties.
Those needs include what some Dallas leaders call a “housing crisis” and many communities left without essential resources. Some committee members expressed the need to deal with those issues first — before adding new greenspaces to the city.
Read more:
https://www.keranews.org/news/2023-11-06/parks-or-housing-dallas-officials-hesitant-on-using-city-owned-land-for-15-proposed-new-greenspaces
New department: Make recreation accessible, inclusive for all
Courtesy of the Bainbridge Island Review
By Steve Powell
WASHINGTON - The Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District is going to have a new Adaptive Recreation Department.
About $122,000 is being put into the budget to hire a full-time staff person who will focus on new and current programs for people with limitations as well as to look at facilities and trails with attention to accessibility. The objective is to make recreation accessible and inclusive for all, minutes of the district’s most-recent meeting minutes say. Recreation Division director Madison Collins said adaptive recreation opportunities are important for the wellness of not only individuals but families and communities.
Read more:
https://www.bainbridgereview.com/life/new-bi-department-make-recreation-accessible-inclusive-for-all/
California State Parks to increase penalty for camping no-shows, tighten reservation rules
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Daily News
By Laylan Connelly
Try to nab an online reservation at a popular State Park campsite and you might be discouraged to see all the spots are gobbled up. Or so it seems. Often, the reserved spots end up empty, with no-shows leaving the coveted sites unused. But starting next year, a slew of changes by State Parks could make nabbing a campsite easier.
Changes recently signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom will add heftier penalties for people who book campsites in advance, but don’t bother to cancel them, as well as penalties for people who don’t cancel well in advance to allow others to stay and play.
Read more:
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/11/01/state-parks-to-increase-penalty-for-camping-no-shows-tighten-reservation-rules/
