Parks & Recreation April 2017

APRIL 2017 W W W. N R PA . O R G

THE CONSERVATION ISSUE

Land Preser vation | Ecosystem Restoration | Stormwater Management

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contents april 2017

Photo by Julian Kilker

volume 52 | number 4 | www.parksandrecreation.org

FEATURES

32 Monumental Achievements…

and Controversy

Two weeks before leaving office, President Obama added almost 1.65 million acres to the rolls of federally protected lands. This move sparked controversy among a number of lawmakers who seek to undo the 1906 Antiquities Act, used by presidents to save special places.

42 Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management in Parks

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s retrofit of Evans Parkway demonstrates why parks are an ideal choice for green infrastructure installation.

Richard J. Dolesh

Lynn Davis and Paula Jacoby-Garrett

38 A Globally Rare Ecosystem Lay Under It Virginia’s Arlington County rallied to restore its Magnolia Bog, hidden under an overgrowth of invasive plants and hemmed in by urban sprawl.

Alonso Abugattas, Sarah Archer and Susan Kalish

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Read the digital edition of this issue online at http://ezine. parksand recreation.org.

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contents april

departments 12 Research

columns 8 Perspectives Speak Up Barbara Tulipane, CAE

10 Editor’s Letter

Park Agencies: Contributors to Sustainability in their Communities 12 Park Pulse: Americans Support for the PHIT Act 14

16 Community Center Environmental Career Forecasting Sonia Myrick

48 NRPA Update Meet the NRPA Conservation Advisory Panel 48 Parks & Recreation Crossword 50 NRPA Connect Hot Topics 52 Member Benefit: Camp Season on a Budget 52 Now Available: The Annual Summary of Key Findings from NRPA Park Metrics 53 Get Ready to Celebrate National Water Safety Month in May 53 Member Spotlight: Adriane Clutter 54

A Threat to Our Legacy Gina Mullins-Cohen

18 Advocacy Turning the Tide on a Generation Left Inside Jackie Ostfeld

20 Future Leaders Bringing Whitewater Kayaking to Your Community Brian Bevacqua, CPRP

22 Law Review Park Permit for Commercial Wedding Photos James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

28 Health and Wellness The Health Benefits of Small Parks and Green Spaces Kathleen L. Wolf, Ph.D.

Professional Development Calendar 55

30 Social Equity

56 Operations

From Sea to Shining Sea

Selling a Beach Redesign Project

Roland Richardson

58 Products 60 Marketplace 63 Advertiser Index 64 Park Bench Peace Amid Chaos

The Basin and Range National Monument.

(Photo by Julian Kilker)

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P E R S P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA’ S L E A D E R S

Speak Up On March 16, 2017, President Donald Trump released his preliminary 2018 budget, and while Congress will ultimately decide what gets funded, the president’s budget is a statement of the administration’s priorities. True to his word, the president is moving to decrease federal spending for what, he believes, are nonessential items. Unfortunately for us, these cuts would eliminate many of the environmental and community programs our organization strongly supports.

I understand the importance of having a balanced budget and that tough choices have to be made, but I also know that the proposed cuts to these important programs will do much more harm than good.

Take, for example, the proposed elimination of the Community Development Block Grant and popular Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. Block Grant funds have allowed local governments to determine how to invest in the programs and infrastructure their residents want and need, including more than $800 million in park and recreation projects since 2005. And, TIGER grants have spurred investment in innovative park and active transportation projects across the country, which in turn leverage private investment far above the modest amount invested by the federal government. Each year, the demand for TIGER far outstrips the funding. We should double down on successful programs like these, not eliminate them!

And even if you don’t believe in climate change, a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is dangerous and financially irresponsible. No one can dispute the benefits all Americans have enjoyed as a result of The Clean Water Act. We have cleaner water and purer air, thanks in part to the green infrastructure solutions parks provide. The cost of EPA research and restoration programs is miniscule in comparison to the costs to our health and well-being. Chronic diseases such as asthma, obesity and heart disease are only made worse by polluted air and water.

An even greater imperative than the economic case to resist these budget cuts is the moral responsibility we have to our fellow Americans. President Trump’s proposed $3.7 billion budget cuts to the U.S. Department of Education programs threaten the health and well-being of America’s youth. Countless families depend on the afterschool and summer programs offered at local park agencies. Without these programs, many children will no longer have daily access to healthy foods and physical activity. Furthermore, the absence of environmental education as a result of the elimination of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) grant programs, not only will result in long-term costs to our nation, but also jeopardizes our ability to cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards, which NRPA believes is essential to the protection of our environment.

The president’s full budget proposal will be released in May. In the coming months, NRPA will work closely with all members of Congress to help them understand why these cuts do not make financial sense and how those most in need will be disproportionally affected. We encourage NRPA members and advocates to contact their senators and representatives to urge them to reject these proposed cuts and ask for their support in safeguarding important priorities for conservation, health and social equity. We must support a budget that supports our nation’s health, environment and people because these investments are what make America Great.

BAR BAR A T ULIPAN E, C AE President and CEO 8

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2377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 2 703.858.0784 | www.nrpa.org

NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jack Kardys

Chair of the Board of Directors Stephen Eckelberry

Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Miami, Florida

Bartlett Park District Bartlett, Illinois

Michael Kelly

Chair-Elect Leon T. Andrews

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Karen Kress

Past Chair Susan Trautman, CPRP Great Rivers Greenway District St. Louis, Missouri

Treasurer Michael Kelly Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Secretary Jack Kardys Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Miami, Florida

President and CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jesus Aguirre

Yellowstone Park Foundation Emigrant, Montana

Herman Parker City of San Diego, California, Park and Recreation Department San Diego, California

Molly Stevens Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Austin, Texas

Susan Trautman, CPRP The Great Rivers Greenway District Saint Louis, Missouri

William “Joe” Turner Houston Parks and Recreation Houston, Texas

Dr. Howell Wechsler Alliance for a Healthier Generation New York, New York

LIFE TRUSTEES

Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington

Beverly D. Chrisman

Leon T. Andrews

Anne S. Close

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Neelay Bhatt PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Kevin Coyle

Lexington, South Carolina Fort Mill, South Carolina

James H. Evans New York, New York

Rosemary Hall Evans Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.

Earl T. Groves

Stephen Eckelberry

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Bartlett Park District Carol Stream, Illinois

Richmond, Virginia

Harry G. Haskell

Robert García

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

The City Project Los Angeles, California

Kathryn A. Porter

Richard Gulley Balboa Park Conservancy San Diego, California

Roslyn Johnson Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Greenbelt, Maryland

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Gastonia, North Carolina

Mendham, New Jersey

Perry J. Segura New Iberia, Louisiana

R. Dean Tice Round Hill, Virginia

Eugene A. Young, CPRP Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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EDITOR’S LET TER

A Threat to Our Legacy If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude rather than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it. — President Lyndon B. Johnson More than 50 years later, President Johnson’s words still resonate with those in parks and recreation who continue to draw attention to critical environmental causes, such as clean water, air pollution, climate change and land conservation, as well as challenge the current political discord in Washington surrounding these very issues. But, rest assured, NRPA is right there with you — advocating on your behalf on Capitol Hill and providing legislative developments as they unfold.

What’s more, this month’s issue highlights conservation along with the people and agencies that are putting land preservation at the forefront in their communities. In fact, you can learn more about the individuals serving on NRPA’s Conservation Advisory Panel on page 48. This new panel of seasoned park and rec professionals will offer their expertise and input on NRPA’s conservation programs and initiatives.

When we think about land preservation on a wide scale, naturally, we look to our nation’s leaders to set the narrative. President Barack Obama has maintained the legacy of preserving land for future generations by granting national monument status to three historic sites as well as enabling expansion of other existing national monuments. Contributors Lynn Davis and Paula Jacoby Garrett provide an in-depth look at these national monuments and the debate surrounding them in the article, “Monumental Achievements…and Controversy,” on page 32.

On page 38, industry experts Alonso Abugattas, Sarah Archer and Susan Kalish shine a light on collaborative conservation in the feature, “A Globally Rare Ecosystem Lay Under It.” The case study focuses on the labor-intensive efforts by Arlington Parks and Recreation to preserve the Magnolia Bog, an ecosystem located in Virginia’s Barcroft Park.

Lastly, NRPA’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Richard Dolesh, takes a closer look at how the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission successfully retrofitted Evans Parkway, using green infrastructure stormwater management methods. Learn more on page 42.

If we want to ensure that our local, state and national parks remain a legacy for future generations, then we as an industry must use our voices and remind those who dare to threaten that legacy to heed the words of President Theodore Roosevelt: “Conservation is a great moral issue for it involves the patriotic duty of insuring the safety and continuance of the nation.”

GINA MULLINS-COHEN Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing Editorial Director

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PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR Samantha Bartram sbartram@nrpa.org MANAGING EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Catrina Belt cbelt@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Creative By Design www.creativebydesign.net SENIOR SALES MANAGER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Kip Ongstad 703.858.2174 kongstad@nrpa.org SALES MANAGER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Mike Abbaté Keith Anderson Gerald Brown Ernest Burkeen Gwendolyn Chambers Brendan Daley Anthony-Paul Diaz Ryan Eaker Mariela Fernandez Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert Greg Harrison Tim Herd Mareya Ibrahim Edward Krafcik Todd Lehman Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis Gil Peñalosa Dr. Kevin Riley Matthew Rudnick Paula Sliefert Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs Randy Wiger

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Research Park Agencies: Contributors to Sustainability in Their Communities

By Kevin Roth, Ph.D.

W

e all know that local park and recreation agencies are leaders in promoting the protection of our environment. Our agencies are essential environmental stewards, embracing practices that include the implementation of green infrastructure, conservation of public lands and protection of wildlife habitats. Just as important is the fact that local parks also reconnect people to nature through their vast precious public resources of land, water, trees, open spaces and wildlife.

Conservation and sustainability are woven throughout all facets of what it means to be a park and recreation agency.

Park agencies meet the challenge of incorporating the principles of sustainabil-

ity into their operations, programs and management and often do so with limited resources. The results of a recently released NRPA survey (www.nrpa.org/ conservation) provide a greater under-

standing of the sustainability practices currently implemented by park agencies and of how agencies are contributing to sustainability in their communities.

While most park and recreation

Commonly Implemented Sustainability Practices Percent of Agencies

Goal

Sustainability Practices

Providing opportunities for healthy activity in nature

81%

Increasing the accessibility to and the opportunities for walking, biking, public transit, conserving and maintaining trail systems, and establishing and promoting community gardening opportunities

Protecting and managing wildlife and wildlife habitats

71%

Controlling and managing invasive species, promoting activities that lead to the creation and conservation of habitat and managing human-wildlife interaction, while fostering humanwildlife coexistence

Natural land management

70%

Planting native and regionally appropriate species, preserving/increasing tree canopy and controlling invasive plants by less toxic means

Reducing landfill waste

60%

Recycling/upcycling, recycling electronics and providing special event recycling bins and collection

Following environmentally friendly building practices

56%

Using LED lighting, Energy Star-rated appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures/water stations/ water recycling and environmentally friendly cleaning supplies

Fostering public engagement and education

52%

Offering environmental education opportunities; setting up educational kiosks, displays and bulletin boards in public areas; and entering public/private partnerships that promote sustainable practices

Implementing green infrastructure practices

51%

Constructing rain gardens, bioswales and wetlands; conserving existing and increasing permeable surfaces; and using natural systems to reduce erosion

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agencies do not have a formal sustainability plan, most execute sustainability practices with many goals in mind. The most widely cited goal is the environmental benefits that sustainable activities and practices can generate (84 percent of agencies). These benefits include improving air and water quality in the community and reducing the agency’s impact on the environment (e.g., using fuel-efficient vehicles, reducing the use of pesticides).

But, beyond the direct environmental benefits, the sustainability activities of park and recreation agencies also generate many other benefits, valued by the agency and its community, including: • Education (69 percent) • Cost savings (68 percent) • Building public support (54 percent) • Meeting the agency’s mission (53 percent) • Regulatory obligation (32 percent) • Public recognition (20 percent) Park and recreation agencies meet these goals in their community through a number of widely varying sustainable practices.

Because of finite and limited access to financial and staffing resources, it is critical for park and recreation agencies to measure the impact of their sustainability practices. In all, 72 percent of park and recreation agencies have defined specific measures that gauge the success of their sustainability activities.

In the same way that sustainability goals and practices may differ by agency, so too do the measures used to capture the impact of sustainability outcomes. These measures include counting the agency’s activities, quantifying protected resources and measuring actual improvements to the environment. More specifically, top sustainability measures include: • Quantifying increases in connections to communities and miles of trail (60 percent of agencies) • Quantifying water usage by an agency’s parks and facilities (59 percent) • Identifying and tracking usage of all agency electric meters (54 percent) • Quantifying an agency’s energy usage through an audit or comparative review (48 percent) • Quantifying the number of community members reached through education events (43 percent) • Quantifying stormwater runoff detention, infiltration and prevention (42 percent) • Quantifying tree canopy (42 percent) • Counting the number of buildings with green certifications (e.g., LEED) (37 percent) • Conducting habitat surveys (31 percent) The implementation and promotion of sustainability practices are a natural role for park and recreation agencies. Neverthe

less, most agencies face some barriers that prevent their ability to expand these efforts. These barriers may include a lack of resources, whether it be funding (61 percent) or staff dedicated to sustainability activities (40 percent) and of expertise tied to either sustainability measures (39 percent) or practices (31 percent). Far less frequently, agencies do not implement sustainability activities because the city/county political leadership, agency leadership and agency staff do not see these activities as agency priorities.

These survey findings should give park and recreation agencies a sense of pride in being part of a large network of professionals who are striving to create sustainable communities.

To achieve these goals, they must employ a whole systems approach, discovering creative ways to find more resources, optimize those resources, implement sustainable practices and build community resilience. Communities are counting on their agencies to take all the necessary actions to ensure a healthy future for parks and for the planet as a whole.

Kevin Roth, Ph.D., is NRPA’s Vice President of Research (kroth@nrpa.org).

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NRPA Park Pulse Each month, through a poll of Americans that is focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse will help to tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted, and with this month’s poll, we take a closer look at the extent to which Americans support a proposal such as the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act.

Americans Want a Pre-Tax Fitness Expense Payment Option A Park Pulse poll conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) asked 1,020 Americans ages 18+ how strongly they support a proposal that allows them to use money from a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) to pay for fitness club fees, sports equipment, youth sports league fees and fitness class registration costs at a gym or recreation center.

64% of Americans are in favor of a proposal such as the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, with support crossing multiple generations.

Millennials

Gen X’ers

Baby Boomers

77%

68%

54%

78% of individuals with children are in favor of a proposal like the PHIT Act. NRPA urges Congress to pass the PHIT Act as it would provide more people, especially low-income families, with access to physical fitness opportunities in their own communities through local parks and recreation, organized sports leagues, etc.

www.nrpa.org/Park-Pulse ©2017 National Recreation and Park Association The National Recreation and Park Association Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,020 nationally representative Americans, ages 18+, between February 2nd and February 9th, 2017 using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18 and older.

The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. *All decimals are rounded to the nearest percentage point. This may result in certain numerical totals adding up to slightly more or slightly less than 100%.

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vote now You could win $20,000 for your local parks by rallying your community to nominate your city each day in April for the Meet Me at the Park contest.

The more nominations, the closer your community gets to a makeover!

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Visit NRPA.org/BeInspired to learn more about how to get involved.

NRPA would like to thank Disney, ABC and ESPN for their continued support of local parks through the Meet Me at the Park initiative.

nrpa.org/BeInspired

Community Center Environmental Career Forecasting A conversation with Environmental Workforce Consultant Kevin Doyle

By Sonia Myrick

L

ocal park and recreation agencies are positioned to be leaders in the environmental movement. But, given the current economic and political climate, what does the future hold for those about to enter the field and those already working in it? Parks & Recreation magazine recently sat down with Kevin Doyle, a national environmental careers expert, to get his perspective about industry trends and opportunities and the skills park and recreation professionals will need to possess in order to be competitive and to optimize the impact they can have on the communities they serve. Following is an excerpt of that conversation.

Parks & Recreation magazine: What trends in environmental careers should park agencies pay attention to?

Kevin Doyle: 2017 is shaping up to be a very interesting year for trends in a wide variety of environmental career sectors, including those who work in occupations related to parks and recreation. Let’s start with a trend that everyone will recognize: political disruption. Environmental budget cuts at both the federal and state level have been proposed, and these proposals come on top of previous underinvestments. Even if proposed cuts don’t materialize, just the expectation of budget concerns is likely to put a pause on hiring, especially for new full-time workers. In an environment of uncertainty, it seems reasonable to expect park directors to adopt a status quo approach in terms of hiring, except for larger projects that are already funded, or under way.

On the positive side, there are a number of trends that have been growing over several years that should be good for the parks workforce. These are work innovations generating new assignments for existing crews that will require new skills training, and may potentially require new hires as well. One of those trends is the growth of green stormwater infrastructure “GSI” approaches in cities and towns, and the growing realization that park facilities can play a key role in the successful implementation of GSI plans.

16 Parks & Recreation

Progressive city leaders understand communities pushing for green infrastructure alternatives will achieve results most quickly if they lead by example.

This means designing and implementing strategies that use existing public land and right of ways for green infrastructure projects for stormwater — especially parks.

We’re already seeing this “lead by example” approach in many cities, with an accompanying in the need for appropriately trained public workers, contractors and subcontractors. Bringing together green stormwater infrastructure and park design, installation, maintenance and monitoring will be an important employment and training driver in 2017, and beyond.

On March 27, Jobs for the Future (www.jff.org) released a major report

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about the employment and training implications of urban green infrastructure.

Among other things, JFF notes the large number of urban water utilities — often in collaboration with their parks departments — that are supporting a National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (www.ngicp.org) to institutionalize job training needs for GSI workers.

Another positive that pushes back against the budget cutting narrative is that people love parks. Over and over again, surveys indicate that the American public values their local, state and national parks. Whether they are willing to pay the freight to maintain them is, of course, another matter. But, people in many states are realizing they can no longer postpone some of the backlog in maintenance and, at least a dent in some of that backlog is going to need to be made.

I would love to say that positives outweigh the negatives this year, but I note that even in my home state of Massachusetts, we’re looking at budget cuts in the Department of Conservation and Recreation. So, I think the best we can expect for 2017 for public workers is status quo.

P&R: What skills should park and recreation employees look to gain in 2017?

Doyle: This is a great question because no one knows better than NRPA that the skill sets needed to really serve the public and maintain our parks are becoming more sophisticated. Keeping things simple, we could break them down into two different areas. One skill set has to do with dealing with ecological resources, and the other with dealing with people.

Let’s take people skills first. Americans expect more and more from their parks.

They expect an experience. For some

people that experience is just to be quiet and enjoy small and large natural areas in otherwise crowded and developed urban areas. Other people, especially younger generations, perhaps want parks that are linked to the digital world through mobile devices. Yet another group wants the parks to serve as a background for active recreation. They want ball fields and other kinds of places to play. And still others want their parks to be a backdrop for environmental and cultural education and entertainment. This is not new, of course, but the price of not delivering on these expectations has never been higher.

Park professionals need to have the skills required to plan for these competing interests, and to make sure they are giving people a wide variety of different experiences.

That’s not easy, especially in jurisdictions

where the overall acres of park land are not growing, and existing parks must accommodate multiple uses that meet the needs of divergent citizen groups…

To learn what other skills parks employees should look to gain, and Doyle’s insights about opportunities for parks in 2017, potential threats or negative trends worth noting, what opportunities this new administration may bring to the green careers sector and more, go online to www.nrpa.org/ parks-recreation-magazine/2017/april/environmental-career-forecasting.

As the conversation ended, Doyle offered the following observation about 2017 that he felt was important to share: Reading the news, 2017 may feel like a year of only challenges and downsides. It seems to me, however, that 2017 could actually go down in history as the beginning of a revitalization

of the entire environmental movement. I think that the parks workforce can be at the very center of that revitalization.

Rather than wondering about whether millennials and a more diverse population is going to be supportive of parks in the way that previous generations have been, I think parks managers are going to ask: ‘What are the creative things that we can do to create truly 21st century park systems?’ We want satisfying park experiences to be part of the American experience for everyone. As the parks community comes up with those creative answers, we will see an expansion of financial and political support, including the rise of a new generation of young workers and professionals for whom parks management is the very definition of a modern environmental career.

Sonia Myrick is NRPA’s Managing Editor for Parks & Recreation magazine (smyrick@nrpa.org).

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Parks & Recreation

17

ADVOCACY

Turning the Tide on a Generation Left Inside

By Jackie Ostfeld [Editor’s Note: NRPA’s advocacy work is most successful when we leverage the engagement of our members with that of like-minded partner organizations. These coalitions come in many forms and sizes, but each helps us to maximize our effectiveness and enhance our advocacy efforts by combining all available resources — time, talent and know-how — of our colleagues in our nation’s capital.

Following is a column from Jackie Ostfeld, director of the Nearby Nature for the Sierra Club and a co-founding chair of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK). NRPA is proud to be a founding partner of OAK and to serve on the Alliance’s Steering Committee, as well as to co-chair its policymaking working group.]

Today’s children are growing up indoors.

It’s estimated that they spend half as much time playing outside as their parents did when they were kids. When asked why, youth are likely to give you three reasons (http://bit.ly/2mtGPCK): no natural areas near their homes, a lack of transportation to parks and open space, and discomfort being outdoors due to bugs and heat.

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They’re spot on about the lack of close-tohome access to parks. Transportation is not always easy to come by for kids and families that need to travel to find safe places to play outdoors. Add to this the fact that there are fewer field trips because of cuts to school budgets and the indoors — once a virtual snooze fest — have morphed into a virtual paradise. Kids spend more than seven hours a day on electronic media, where, in theory, they can “experience the outdoors” without ever breaking a sweat. The bugs and heat they cite as reasons for preferring the indoors are only expected to worsen due to our changing climate, which is already intensifying heat waves and expanding the range and prevalence of some of our buggiest bugs, ticks and mosquitoes.

All this indoor time is having a devastating impact on our kids. Over the past 30 years, obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents, with the greatest increases found in low-income communities. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends

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that kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day, nearly three-quarters of all youth fail to meet these guidelines.

Access to parks and open spaces can also improve children’s mental health. Research has shown that children who live in neighborhoods with more green space have lower body mass indices and reduced stress and anxiety. Young people who spend time outdoors also benefit from a lessening of the symptoms of attention deficit disorders and improvements in classroom learning.

Playing outdoors can also improve confidence and strengthen relationships, but not everyone has access to opportunities to experience the outdoors.

In 2010, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) came together to address this national crisis among America’s children and youth by breaking down the barriers that have left an entire generation indoors. NRPA has been there since the very beginning as a founding partner organization. Today, OAK (outdoorsallianceforkids.org) brings together nearly 100 organizations, representing more

than 60 million individuals to help shape a future where all children, youth and families have safe and readily available opportunities to connect with the outdoors. Alliance members believe that the wellness of current and future generations, the health of our planet and communities, and the economy of the future depend on humans having a personal, direct and life-long relationship with nature and the outdoors. We also understand and value two simple truths: there are many ways to experience and spend time in nature, and our public lands and open spaces belong to all of us. To reach its objectives, OAK celebrates diversity in the outdoors and actively works to ensure all kids and communities have encouragement and opportunities to safely explore the natural world.

But, we also realize that not all children start on equal footing when it comes to outdoor access and opportunities and there is a need to actively work to close the equity gap. To do this, OAK supports efforts to integrate environmental and outdoor education into the formal pre and K-12 school curricula, to establish or improve high-quality and safe outdoor learning environments, and to strengthen and expand, outside of the public school system, educational programs that are related to our public lands, waters and shores. By addressing critical challenges, such as climate change; restoring funding for our nation’s public lands to ensure their proper management; and offering youth and young adults career pathway programs that steward and help maintain public lands, OAK aims to ensure that America’s natural areas are protected and maintained and its youth are engaged in their stewardship.

Collective Advocacy A major component of OAK’s work is our collective advocacy. In March, President Trump released his “skinny budget,” which calls for a $54 billion increase in defense spending, offset by cuts to domestic programming. Among the recommended cuts are important programs that ensure our children have opportunities to play,

learn and serve in the outdoors. Here’s a snapshot of just a few of the OAK policy priorities on the chopping block.

The proposed White House’s budget contains a 31-percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget and the elimination of important educational programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) and competitive education grants.

These programs provide students with hands-on learning to address regional watershed needs and to improve their performance in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Other budget cuts aim to eliminate important programs, such as: The Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which provides before- and afterschool programs and summer learning opportunities targeting children in

low-income schools districts.

The entire Corporation for National and Community Service (established in 1990 during the presidency of George H.W. Bush), which includes the AmeriCorps program. that engages more than 80,000 young Americans each year and supports opportunities for youth and young veterans to gain critical job skills and participate in career pathway programs stewarding America’s great outdoors.

A multisector approach and long-term investments are needed to accomplish the goal of getting kids outdoors. Local parks and recreation departments have a critical role to play to advance neighborhood-level outdoor access and programming, and OAK deeply values our community park partners in the movement to ensure outdoor opportunities for all kids.

Jackie Ostfeld is the Sierra Club’s Nearby Nature Director and Co-Founding Chair of Outdoors Alliance for Kids (jackie.ostfeld@sierraclub.org).

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FUTURE LEADERS

Bringing Whitewater Kayaking to Your Community

By Brian Bevacqua, CPRP

I

n the parks and recreation field, we are always looking for that next new program: one that gets people outside, active and interacting with nature. A program that not only provides fun and enjoyment, but also allows participants to learn to respect nature and teaches them to be one with the environment instead of trying to control it. For me, this next new program is whitewater kayaking. A sport that has seen growth around the globe, from Olympic paddlers to world-champion freestyle boaters, whitewater kayaking has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.

Getting Over the Initial Hurdles Bringing this sport to our communities is challenging to say the least. Hurdles such as liability insurance, qualified instructors, equipment and finding good whitewater can stand in the way of providing this amazing opportunity to our towns and cities. The challenges, however, are not insurmountable and, beyond them, are the benefits of a solid whitewater kayaking program.

Whitewater kayaking can be learned by all ages, by individuals with disabilities and by those with no athletic background. The sport allows adults to get

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outside and stay active in a new environment. It also teaches teens and youth about respecting nature, cooperation and self-reliance — skills that will help them in the future. Most importantly, whitewater kayaking can give all of us a new program to help drive interest in our parks and promote partnerships with local river stewardship organizations, guides and outfitters, and youth organizations.

No Prior Experience Needed To overcome the challenges and obstacles mentioned above, a programmer must stay vigilant. Be prepared to fight

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for your new program. I had a kayaking background before starting my whitewater kayaking camp. I had been paddling whitewater for more than five years and had my own contacts in the field. However, no prior experience is necessary to bring this program to your community.

To get the process started, doing some research on your area is necessary: Where is the closest whitewater to your town or city? Is it good beginner water (Class I/II) or is it more of an expert run (Class III/IV/V)? Rivers are classified I-V, with Class I being the easiest and Class V being runs for experts only. A good teaching river will have good Class I/II water, but nothing higher.

A good resource for this research is American Whitewater (https://www.americanwhitewater.org/), a nonprofit dedicated to paddling and river stewardship. Their website contains a list of every whitewater river in the United States and beyond. Once

you have researched local whitewater, find some local guides or outfitters who teach whitewater kayaking. These partnerships will be pivotal in starting your program.

It’s best to start out by forming partnerships with local outfitters and guides. You will want to make sure their instructors are certified through the American Canoe Association and that they are willing to work with groups. Talk to multiple companies, if available, and tell them what you are interested in. Many of them will even be able to help you in planning your program. Once you have researched the different companies, select the one with which you are most comfortable and/or that offers the most help.

Creating Your Program The company you choose to partner with should have its own instructors, equip-

ment and insurance, taking these concerns off your plate. Now, it is time to sit down and hash out the details of your program.

Look at intro classes, youth camps and day river trips. Make your program progressive, starting with introduction courses and basic skill clinics. The next year still offer the basics, but also start to offer intermediate courses and more guided river trips to keep your participants coming back. Have frequent meetings with your partnering company to make sure you both are on the same page. And, finally make sure to market this new and exciting program. With a good marketing strategy, you should see your whitewater classes fill to capacity in no time!

To make your new whitewater kayaking program a home run, follow up with participants and follow through with the program.

Start to offer river cleanups, and if you have

a boat launch in your town or community, consider any improvements that can be made. Teach stewardship and offer Leave No Trace programs to ensure preservation of our rivers for future use. If you live in an area that suffers from river access problems because of land disputes, start the difficult process of opening communication with those land owners. In time, with good communication, you may see tensions ease and river access become easier.

By starting a whitewater kayaking program in your town or city, you not only can provide a new service, but you also have the ability to provide many new programs, reach more people and create a more conservation-minded community.

Brian Bevacqua, CPRP, is the Recreation Manager for the Quechee Club in Vermont (brian. bevacqua@quecheeclub.com).

Power Your Community’s Health & Wellness Help your Community Get Moving Physical Inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for death in the world.

(World Health Organization)

Learn more: powersystems.com/NRPA

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L AW R E V I E W

Park Permit for Commercial Wedding Photos

By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

T

he First Amendment prohibits laws “abridging the freedom of speech” and is applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. Further, the First Amendment is not limited to written or spoken words as mediums of expression. It also includes pictures, films, paintings, drawings and engravings.

Such freedom of artistic expression is not absolute. As illustrated by the case described herein, the government may impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on First Amendment activities. Regulation of First Amendment activities, however, must be content neutral, serve a significant governmental interest and leave ample alternative channels for communication for artistic expression.

In the case of Josephine Havlak Photographer, Inc. v. Village of Twin Oaks, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91450,163 F. Supp.3d 592 (E.D. Mo. 7/14/2016), the issue before the federal district court was whether “a municipal ordinance of the Village of Twin Oaks 22 Parks & Recreation

regulating commercial activity within Twin Oaks Park” was “an unconstitutional prior restraint” on expressive activity protected by the First Amendment, specifically “engagement in commercial photography.”

Josephine Havlak has been a professional photographer since 1979, operating as Havlak Photographer, Inc., a business that focused on wedding and portrait photography. For Havlak, Twin Oaks Park was an excellent place to take photos of their clients, such as wedding groups and high school seniors.

Twin Oaks Park is approximately 11 acres in total, including a lake, playground, basketball court and wooded area. The area that commercial photog-

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raphers, such as Havlak, tend to use for their work is a small area in which there is a waterfall and a small, picturesque wood bridge spanning a creek. This is also the most popular area for other patrons of the park.

Commercial Activity Ban Havlak initiated her lawsuit in February 2015. At that time, the Village had an ordinance that prohibited use of the park for commercial purposes. Two signs were posted in the park that stated: “No commercial activity, including commercial photographers.” In the summer of 2013, when the ban on commercial activity was in place, a commercial photographer approached the Village Board of Trustees and suggested a permitting process rather than a ban, believing such a process would limit amateur photographers whom he believed were the problem. At about the same time, the ACLU

contacted the board and expressed concern that the ban, as it affected commercial photographers, might violate the First Amendment.

The board began looking at all options for balancing the competing interests at issue, such as a permitting process for commercial photographers only on weekends, or only for larger groups.

None of these options, however, addressed all the problems that arose from commercial photographers attempting to take photographs of people within the small, confined area that conflicted with other park users.

Commercial Activity Permit On June 17, 2015, the Village passed Ordinance No. 459, “Regulation of Solicitations and Commercial Activities,” which superseded the previous ordinance. In pertinent part, Ordinance 459 prohibited the use of park property, unless the Village Board of Trustees had issued a permit. The intent of the permitting process was to “help to ensure that the Village is aware of the activity taking place within the park, that the proposed date/time/location does not conflict with the scheduled activities/events/operations, and that no harm is done to the landscape of the park.”

In reviewing a permit request, the Ordinance required the Board of Trustees to consider the “disruption of or conflict with the public’s use and enjoyment of the park” and whether “the issuance of such permit may result in crowded or congested conditions due to the anticipated number of attendees for a planned event.” Further, a permit request review would consider whether a commercial activity would exceed one hour and whether the number of people involved would exceed 10. In so doing, a permit review request would also consider whether “the time requested conflicts

with a period of peak visitation to the park or other scheduled events, activities or operations.” The permit fee was set at $100.

Taking commercial photographs in the park without a permit would violate the ordinance and subject individuals and businesses, including Havlak, to penalties of up to $1,000 in fines or 90 days in county jail pursuant to the Village Code’s general penalty provision. Faced with the threat of prosecution for violating the ordinance, Havlak claimed she was “refraining from engaging in commercial photography in the Park.” According to Havlak, complying with the application process would chill her First Amendment speech rights.

Commercial Photography Discrimination As characterized by Havlak, the challenged ordinance was “akin to a content-based regulation because it discriminates between commercial photographers and amateur photographers.”

That being said, Havlak recognized the “safety and fair use of the Park for all users are legitimate government interests.”

Havlak, however, argued, “the ordinance’s restriction of commercial activity such as commercial photography has no relation to these [park safety and fair use of the park] interests.”

According to Havlak, “non-commercial and commercial photography are equally disruptive to public use of the Park, and that any distinction between the two is meaningless.” As a result, having “failed to articulate any harm exclusively caused by commercial activity,” Havlak contended the Village had “not met their burden to show that the ordinance serves a significant governmental interest.”

Moreover, Havlak maintained the ordinance was unconstitutional because three criteria to be considered by the

governmental decisionmaker in deciding to issue a permit were “too vague,” specifically “disruption of the public’s use and enjoyment of the Park, use of models or equipment, the sale of products or equipment.” Havlak also maintained “a different park is not an adequate alternative forum in which to take the desired photographs” because Twin Oak Park was “a unique and beautiful space” and “photographic artists have a right to decide the appropriate setting for their expressive works.”

Accordingly, Havlak petitioned the federal district court to issue a “declaratory judgment that the ordinance is unconstitutional” and issue an order enjoining (i.e., prohibiting) the Village from enforcing the ordinance against Havlak. In response, the Village claimed, “the challenged ordinance withstands constitutional scrutiny” because the ordinance was “narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest and leaves open ample alternatives for communication.” In so doing, the Village asserted “a significant interest in mitigating disruption of Park activities and ensuring the public is able to use the relatively small Park.” Further, the Village maintained Havlak had “ample alternative channels for their photographic expression, namely, a significant number of parks located in the greater St. Louis area that provide a similar stage for photographs.”

Photo Shoot Congestion Havlak testified that having to get a permit in advance of a photo shoot in the park would make it almost impossible for her to use the park because sometimes she changes location at the last minute due to weather and lighting. She testified that a wedding party was most commonly comprised of about 15 people, although on occasion,

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pathways, “taking over the gazebo,” and placing subjects in dangerous places. He testified that he received complaints from other park users about congestion in the park due to the presence of commercial photographers and their subjects.

Decision-Making Process Slama described the decision-making process of the Board of Trustees in adopting Ordinance No. 459. Slama testified that the purpose of Ordinance No. 459 is to “ensure that the Village is aware of activity taking place in the Park, so that proper planning and security can be arranged, and to ensure that no harm is done to the landscape.” According to Slama, the board wanted to “balance the interests of the commercial photographers and the people wanting their photographs taken in the Park, with the interests of the other patrons of the Park enjoying it per its intended use.” According to Slama, the amount of $100 for the permit fee was arrived at by canvassing other such ordinances, and in light of the cost of approximately $100 for having a police officer at the park for about two to three hours.

there could be as many as 30 people, and that a shoot never lasted more than one hour. Havlak further testified that she had never seen, or even heard of, squabbles between commercial photographers who might be at the same park site at the same time and that she saw no need for the ordinance.

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Ray Slama (chair of the Village’s Board of Trustees) explained that people using the park congregated primarily in the area of the bridge, favored also by commercial photographers. He witnessed up to eight commercial photographers with wedding parties at the same time competing for space in this area, obstructing

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Professional Photographer Testimony Joel Marion, a professional photographer since 1971, testified that in the past, he used Twin Oaks Park three or four times a week in seasonal times, but now, the $100 fee per session was prohibitive for him and his customers and so he goes to other parks for his outdoor shoots. Marion’s testimony comported with Havlak’s with respect to the need for spontaneity due to weather and with respect to never having experienced squabbles with other photographers or users of a park.

Contrary to Havlak’s and Marion’s testimony, Scott Shy, also a commercial photographer, testified that he experienced conflicts between commercial photogra-

phers and the general public in the park and described one occasion when more than six photographers and their subjects were in the area near the bridge and “took over.”

Shy also realized he was in the way of “the foot traffic” in the park during his photography sessions, noting that professional photographers tend to get very focused on their work when they are attempting to capture the proper shots. Shy believed that Ordinance No. 459 was a fair way to deal with the competing interests, and that the $100 fee may be fair, although it deters him from using the park.

lowing constitutional requirements: [Regulations] may not delegate overly broad licensing discretion to a government official. Further, any permit scheme controlling the time, place and manner of

speech must not be based on the content of the message, must be narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest and must leave open ample alternatives for communication.

Constitutional Requirements According to the federal district court, “the degree of First Amendment protection” to which speech is entitled “is not diminished merely because the speech is sold rather than given away.” Further, the court noted, “Parks are traditional public forums, historically associated with the free exercise of expressive activities.”

As characterized by the court, Ordinance No. 459 imposed “a prior restraint on such conduct” because a permit was required “to engage in commercial photography in the Park.” The court noted that an ordinance imposing a prior restraint on the free exercise of expressive activities in a public park would carry a “heavy presumption against the Ordinance’s validity.” The court, however, recognized “government, in order to regulate competing uses of public forums, may impose a permit requirement on those wishing to engage in protected speech in that forum.”

Regulations of the use of a public forum that ensure the safety and convenience of the people are not inconsistent with civil liberties but are one of the means of safeguarding the good order upon which civil liberties ultimately depend.

That being said, the court acknowledged that a permit scheme governing use of a public park must meet the fol

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Content-based laws — those that target speech based on its communicative content — are presumptively unconstitutional and may be justified only if the government proves that they are narrowly tailored to serve compelling state interests...

Government regulation of speech is content based if a law applies to particular speech because of the topic discussed or the idea or message expressed, or if a law, though content neutral on its face, cannot be justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech, or was adopted by the government because of disagreement with the message the speech conveys.

Different Levels of Interference In this particular instance, Havlak had argued that the challenged ordinance was “a content-based permit scheme” because “amateur photography in the

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Park and photography by the Village itself in the Park are not regulated.”

The court rejected this argument. In treating commercial and amateur photographers differently, the court found the ordinance in no way reflects a “content preference.” On the contrary, the court found the ordinance could be “justified without reference to the content of the regulated conduct.”

Specifically, the court found the different treatment was “based on different levels of interference with use and enjoyment of the Park by all”: The evidence shows that commercial photographers’ sessions last for longer periods of time, use more large equipment, are more intrusive, and likely involve more subjects in one group, than amateur photographers’ photographing conduct...

Given the size and configuration of the area of the Park that Plaintiffs and other commercial photographers wish to use for their pho-

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tography, the Village has a significant interest in coordinating when and how many commercial photographers use the Park at any given time.

Substantial Government Interest Further, in the opinion of the federal district court, the challenged ordinance was “narrowly tailored to serve significant government interests.” In this particular instance, the court noted evidence that “professional photographers and their subjects would often block other Park users from enjoying the bridge and nearby areas of the Park.”

In response, the court found the Village had developed a “content-neutral” permit scheme that required photographers to obtain a permit before conducting commercial photography activity in the park: The object of the permit system is not to exclude communication of a particular content, but to coordinate multiple uses of limited space, to assure preservation of the park

facilities, to prevent uses that are dangerous, unlawful or impermissible under the Park District’s rules and to assure financial accountability for damage caused by the event. $100 Fee Requirement As a general principle, the court acknowledged, “the government may not tax the exercise of a constitutionally protected right.” That being said, the court recognized “an ordinance requiring a person to pay a license or permit fee before he can engage in a constitutionally protected activity” would not necessarily violate the Constitution “so long as the purpose of charging the fee is limited to defraying expenses incurred in furtherance of a legitimate state interest”: Such a fee is not excessive, even if it is more than nominal, where the fee is imposed to meet the expense incident to the administration of the statute requiring a license for engaging in protected activity and to the maintenance of public order in the matter licensed.

In the opinion of the court, the Village had adequately demonstrated a relationship between the permit fee and its legitimate purpose.

Here the fee correlates to the expenses incurred for an officer, and Defendants have presented sufficient credible evidence that the amount of the permit fee is reasonably related to the legitimate goal of assuring the safety and enjoyment of the Park by all its users.

Moreover, the court found “the amount of the fee is not variable, so the danger of discretionary abuse by the permitting authority is absent.”

Discretion and Standards As noted by the court, to pass constitutional muster, a regulation must “contain adequate standards to guide the official’s decision” whether or not to issue a permit.

Even content-neutral time, place and manner restrictions can be applied in such a manner as to stifle free expression. Where the

licensing official enjoys unduly broad discretion in determining whether to grant or deny a permit, there is a risk that he will favor or disfavor speech based on its content.

In this particular instance, the court found “the criteria set forth in Ordinance No. 459 to guide the determination of whether to grant a permit” were “reasonably specific and objective, and do not leave the decision to the whim of the administrator.” Moreover, the court found the permit criteria, including the three criteria specifically challenged by Havlak, “do allow for the consideration of the content of the expression involved.”

Alternative Channels of Communication In the opinion of the federal district court, “other public parks in the St. Louis area, if not in the Village” offered “attractive landscape for outdoor wedding and portrait photography” that satisfied the “ample-alternative-channels requirement.” In particular, the court noted commercial photographers “may use Twin Village Park by obtaining a

permit” and have available “numerous other parks in the area with landscapes that would allow for the photographers’ full artistic expression, such as the parks Havlak herself testified she used over the years.” As a result, the court concluded, “Ordinance No. 459 satisfies the ample-alternative-channels requirement.”

In so doing, the court noted: “The First Amendment does not guarantee speakers access to every, or even the best channels or locations for their expression.”

Conclusion As a result, the federal district court concluded: “To the extent Ordinance No. 459 applies to protected expressive activity engaged in by Plaintiffs [Havlak and Havlak, Inc.], the ordinance is content neutral and does not violate the First Amendment.”

The court, therefore, entered a declaratory judgment in favor of the Village.

James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu.edu). Webpage with link to law review articles archive (1982 to present): http://mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.

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Photo by Guy Kramer

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

The Health Benefits of Small Parks and Green Spaces

By Kathleen L. Wolf, Ph.D.

P

arks are emerging as important public health solutions in urban communities.

Nearly 40 years of research evidence confirms that nearby nature, including parks, gardens, the urban forest and green spaces, support human health and wellness (www.greenhealth.washington.edu). The research about active living and opportunities to avoid chronic diseases (such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory problems) is particularly relevant to large parks where people can enjoy walking and bike paths, and playing fields. But, equally as important is the role of small parks and nature spaces for health.

In many communities, additional land for large parks is either expensive or difficult to repurpose. Every parcel or easement is ever more valuable. Creating small parks can be a productive public and private joint venture that introduces the spaces for nature encounters that benefit everyone.

Co-Benefits of City Systems An emerging opportunity for parks and recreation is the integration of green infrastructure and parks goals. Infrastructure systems are planned to systematically source and deliver crucial services or products, such as transportation or water

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systems. The term “infrastructure” usually brings to mind roads, pipes and power lines. Green infrastructure systems, however, are practical integrations of built and ecological systems that incorporate natural and constructed green spaces to replace or augment traditional gray infrastructure.

Parks and green infrastructure can be co-designed for co-benefits. Parks can serve their primary goals to offer recreation and aesthetic amenities, while also containing spaces that mitigate stormwater or improve air quality. Green infrastructure can achieve essential utility functions in the community, but may also be designed to

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create the environments that provide nearby nature experiences and support health.

Green infrastructure includes bioswales, rain gardens and other water harvesting features. If a collection of these small nature spaces is to be installed within a community, then a systems outlook is important. The TKF Foundation, a philanthropy dedicated to creating small, high-quality gardens, promotes a “sites-to-systems” outlook so that the sum benefit of small nature spaces is greater than the many parts (http://bit.ly/2mA6d5I). Rather than focusing only on the design of individual parcels or features, a broader planning approach could integrate a series of small spaces into a coherent network.

Integrating parks and green infrastructure, co-design for co-benefits: these can be unconventional practices in many public works and parks departments. They are goals that cross the borders of typical policies and purposes. Why is this activ-

Health Benefits from Small Nature Spaces Following is a small sample from the research literature of the health benefits gained specifically from small nature spaces: Improved General Mood and Attitude A study that compared meditative and athletic walking in forest and indoor settings showed that in both environments meditative walking generated more positive psychological effects than athletic walking. Other investigators have found evidence of lower frustration and increased brain activity, resembling meditation, when moving in green space versus being in retail and commercial areas that have no trees. Also, meditative walking in the forest was the most effective at increasing happiness, defined as the presence of a positive emotional mindset. Psychologists know that being happy broadens how a person thinks about and acts in the daily flow of life’s efforts, creating positive intellectual and psychological resources.

Stress Reduction Stress is a major contributor to ill health.

Left unresolved, long-term stress can lead to immune system issues and illness.

The experience of nature is one antidote to stress, and the body’s positive response is remarkably fast, occurring within minutes. Studies by environmental psychologists show that visual exposure to nature, in the form of trees, grass and flowers, can effectively reduce stress, particularly if initial stress levels are high.

Better Mental Health and Functioning Experiences of nearby nature contribute to better mental health and improve one’s ca

pacity to be productive according to Attention Restoration Theory. Modern life often demands sustained focus on projects, and this effort can lead to cognitive overload, bringing on irritability and an inability to function effectively, often with physical symptoms. Views or brief experiences of nearby nature help to restore the mind from mental fatigue, as natural settings provide respite from the highly focused attention needed for most tasks in school or at work.

This may contribute to higher productivity in the workplace, as research shows that office workers with a view of nature are better able to attend to tasks, report fewer illnesses and have higher job satisfaction.

Increased time of nature experience (up to 1.5 hours) increases the restorative effect.

Improved Mindfulness and Creativity Contemporary lifestyles are very busy, and there is a greater need for intentional time-outs to be mindful. Studies of mindfulness workshops, held for both mentally healthy and clinically depressed individuals, show benefits of improved mood, cognitive function and immune response.

Nature settings offer sensory inputs that are mentally restorative and can foster ideation. In a study of creative professionals, nature experiences enhanced creativity by evoking new ways of thinking, promoting curiosity and encouraging more flexible thinking. A nature recharge may support creativity, as the restored mind is better at analyzing and developing ideas.

Building Social Capital Social capital, a critical condition for a host of community benefits, is formed from the interpersonal relationships of people and resulting supportive networks. The mere presence of landscape or trees appears to promote community connections. Views of green space from homes are linked to greater perceptions of well-being and neighborhood satisfaction. Public housing residents reported

Photo by Kathleen Wolf

ity important? Health services costs total nearly 17 percent of the annual U.S. gross domestic product. Creative programs that enable more nature contact in the city can help reduce costs at both the national and community level.

feeling more safe if their development had well-maintained landscaping, including trees and grass. Greener public housing neighborhoods tend to be safer, with fewer incivilities and less reported crimes. Active involvement in community greening and nature restoration projects also produces social benefits, including strengthening of intergenerational ties and organizational empowerment.

Scientific evidence should be the basis of future efforts to make cities more sustainable and sustaining. We now know that nearby nature — including small plots or parcels imbedded within all land uses — directly contributes to quality human habitat and is profoundly important for the health of mind and body. Integrations of parks and infrastructure goals can provide more opportunities for the nearby nature experiences that promote good health and sustain wellness.

Note: More information about Dr. Wolf ’s work can be found at http://www.naturewithin.info/.

Kathleen Wolf, Ph.D., is a Research Social Scientist with joint appointments at the University of Washington, College of the Environment, and the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station (kwolf@uw.edu).

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SOCIAL EQUITY From Sea to Shining Sea Improving Equitable Access to Public Lands for All

By Roland Richardson

A

merica’s vast network of public lands — encompassing more than 600 million acres — and waters is equally owned and should be enjoyed equally by everyone. But, the reality is that our public lands are not reflective of the full spectrum of our country’s diversity. This disconnect is becoming more apparent as the face of our country continues to change at an increasingly rapid pace.

Today’s young people, the most diverse generation in U.S. history, will determine the future of our nation’s vast system of public lands and waters. However, if the next generation has never explored these places and developed a connection to them, then it won’t advocate on their behalf. This lack of connection is particularly evident in low-income communities and communities of color, which have much lower rates of participation in outdoor recreation. In order for public lands to truly become a “common ground” for all people, we need to have proper representation from all people. Ensuring equitable access to the physical and mental benefits of public lands is more than a land-use issue: It is a social justice issue.

In recent years, land management agencies have collaborated with various

outdoor groups and organizations on strategies to diversify public lands — with a particular emphasis on engaging a younger, more racially diverse audience.

One of those groups is Outdoor Afro, the nation’s first black-led conservation organization. In recent years, Outdoor Afro has emerged as the nation’s leading, cutting-edge network that celebrates and inspires people of color to connect with nature and take positions of leadership.

Today, with more than 60 leaders in 28 states, the organization is successfully connecting thousands of people of color to outdoor experiences and helping to change the face of conservation.

The underrepresentation of people of color in the outdoor recreation space has been well documented. A 2015 outdoor participation report by the Out-

Park sign indicated the location of segregated facilities that operated from 1930-1950 at Lewis Mountain in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

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door Foundation (http://bit.ly/29OpNpE) found that, in 2014, 73 percent of Americans who participated in outdoor activities were white. Addressing this inequity is central to the mission of Outdoor Afro. Outdoor Afro leaders are encouraged to promote the relationship of people of color with the outdoors by sharing stories of black history in nature on every excursion.

In October 2016, a group of seven Outdoor Afro leaders embarked on a four-day backpacking trip along the Blue Ridge Mountains in an attempt to retrace the historical route of the Underground Railroad. The group set out on October 6 from the Mason-Dixon Line, which separates Maryland and Pennsylvania and serves as the most traditional border between the northern and southern states. The group hiked for four days, averaging 10 miles per day, until reaching its final destination of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Some members of the group had never been on an overnight backpacking trip and were hesitant to spend four to five nights on the Trail. The group addressed these concerns through diligent preparation. In order to ensure participants were adequately prepared for the physical toll of 40 miles over four days, group coordinator, Brittany Leavitt, encouraged the group to train. Starting in April — a full six months out from the planned departure date — the group had weekly check-ins to monitor progress, trade training tips and keep each other motivated. Less-experienced hikers were also paired with more experienced members, which helped to cut down on the amount of gear the rookie hikers needed to purchase and ensured each would have a

Outdoor Afro Leaders retrace the historic Underground Railroad trail along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hike organizer, Brittany Leavitt, (in foreground) is all smiles.

knowledgeable hiking buddy to help build confidence. This careful preparation and attention to detail were critical to the success of the hike.

During the hike, the group imagined what it must have been like for freedom seekers to navigate the difficult terrain with no gear. By exploring the historical relationship of communities of color and the outdoors, these hikers hope to help to unearth the history that shows there always has been a place for people of color in the outdoors.

While most Americans know that Harriet Tubman was a famed “conductor” for the Underground Railroad, far fewer know that she was also considered an expert naturalist (http://bit. ly/2mNbZlD). According to Dr. Dann J. Broyld, a professor of history at Central Connecticut State University, “Tubman worked closely with the earth’s riches whether as a muskrat trapper, lumberjack or conductor of freedom seekers.…

Tubman’s love of the natural world included flowers, trees, animals and the stars. This naturalist disposition served Tubman well while she navigated Blacks from Maryland to the American North and British Canada. This enterprise took knowledge of the waterways, wind pat-

terns, geography, forestry, interpretation of astronomy, even the understanding of herbal medicine and healing.”

By the mid-to-late 20th century, the naturalist disposition that many African-Americans had cultivated was largely forgotten.

As freedom seekers continued their migration north and began living in more urban cityscapes and shopping at grocery stores, they began to lose their knowledge of hunting, fishing and living off the land. In less than two generations, the outdoor knowledge that was once a part of everyday life

Suggestions for improving equitable access to public lands: • Develop metrics for measuring equity of access, and use metrics to prioritize expanding access for underserved communities. For instance, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is using an empirical equity metric to prioritize capital improvement projects in neighborhood parks.

The metric goes beyond facility condition to consider area demographics and community needs.

• Collaborate with organizations that have experience working with low-income communities and communities of color. Leverage their expertise and existing community relationship to amplify strategies for improving social equity.

• Engage residents and local leaders from underserved communities to ensure that policies and practices are addressing their unique barriers.

For additional suggestions, please see NRPA’s Safe Routes to Parks Action Framework (http://bit.ly/2mTgBYT). The Framework provides guidance on evidence-based strategies that create safe and equitable access to parks for all people. It includes case studies, sample policy language and fact sheets designed to help agencies implement best practices.

was gone. Furthermore, barriers were being put in place that would systematically reduce the ability of African-Americans to connect with nature. In the early 1930s, the National Park Service began planning segregated park facilities (http://bit. ly/2m5wU6m) and some states, including Virginia, tried to ban people of color from their parks entirely. Many national parks continued to follow Jim Crow laws and remained segregated through World War II. In order to effectively address the underrepresentation of people of color in the outdoors, we must recognize the full context of that relationship. There are many cultural and historical aspects that have contributed to the view of outdoor recreation as a primarily “white” activity. In the end, the first and most important step in reconnecting people of color to nature is getting them outside. In order to engage a younger, more culturally diverse audience, it is not enough to have equal access to public lands. We must have strategies for equitable access that take into consideration the unique barriers different communities experience.

Roland Richardson is NRPA’s Conservation Development Officer (rrichardson@nrpa.org).

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Monum

Achievements‌

mental

‌ and Controversy The journey to creating a national monument

I

Photo by Julian Kilker

By Lynn Davis and Paula Jacoby-Garrett

n his last week in office, President Barack Obama granted national monument status to two historic civil rights sites in Alabama, and a third site in South Carolina. He also expanded two existing national monuments in California and Oregon to add landmarks along the Pacific Coast and a significant mountainous landscape that is recognized for its exceptional biodiversity.

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M O N U M E N TA L A C H I E V E M E N T S

Photo by Paula Jacoby-Garrett

Passionate users of a place can be strong advocates for its protection.

But, it was his actions a week earlier — Obama’s declaration of two national monuments in Utah and Nevada totaling almost 1.65 million acres — that has moved national monuments and other federal designations into an ongoing debate about presidential authority and the role of Congress to save special places.

Obama wrapped up his conservation legacy by designating more national monuments than any of his predecessors, including a balance of historic sites primarily focused on human rights and landscapes like Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, which protects 87,600 acres of Maine forestland from eminent development threats, and Bears Ears National Monument, a 1.3-million-acre landscape in southern Utah with important archaeological sites. While preservationists and conservationists have lauded his efforts, a number of lawmakers have taken to undoing the 1906 Antiquities Act that gave Obama, and all presidents since 1906, the authority to grant national monument status.

Photo by Checko Saldago

The Antiquities Act The Antiquities Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt, was immediately used to protect a monolithic rock feature in Wyoming through the designation of Devils Tower National Monument. Roosevelt went on to proclaim more than a dozen national monuments, including Muir Woods National Monument in northern California, saving it from logging threats, and Grand Canyon National Monument, which was later expanded by Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt through the Antiquities Act and eventually named a national park by Woodrow Wilson.

Stakeholder field trip to Gold Butte (left to right): Checko Saldago (University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Angel Peña (Conservation Lands Fund), Brent Holmes (Desert Companion magazine), Alisha Kerlin (Barrick Museum) and Jim Boone (Friends of Gold Butte).

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Case Study: Fight for Manzanar

I

t was 1942 when more than 110,000 Japanese American citizens, including men, women and children, were detained in military-style camps in remote locations across the United States. They were held there for 2½ years until a few months after the end of World War II. One of these camps was the Manzanar War Relocation Center situated in the Owen’s Valley of California. Annual pilgrimages back to Manzanar began in 1969 as a way to heal, and to remember what had taken place. Starting with this initial pilgrimage, a group called the Manzanar Committee formed and continues, to this day, to work to educate others so this type of tragedy never happens again.

One of the people interned at the camp, Sue Kunitomi Embrey, became one of the foremost leaders and activists with the Manzanar Committee. Many of those interned at the camp would not talk about their experience, but Embrey was among a handful of those who not only talked about it, but fought to teach others about the tragedy that occurred there.

In 2004, Embrey spoke at the National Park Service’s Opening of the Manzanar Interpretive Center: “People ask me why it’s important to remember and keep Manzanar alive...my answer is that stories like [these] need to be told, and too many of us have passed away without telling our stories.”

Photos by Ansel Adams

In fact, many well-known landmarks were initially protected through presidential proclamation: Zion (Taft, 1909 and F.D. Roosevelt, 1927), the Statue of Liberty (Coolidge, 1924), Arches (Hoover, 1929), Denali (Carter, 1978), Grand Staircase-Escalante (Clinton, 1996) and World War II Valor in the Pacific (G.W. Bush, 2008). Many were later expanded and renamed through congressional legislation.

President Obama’s proclamations in late December of Gold Butte, a 300,000acre national monument in southern Nevada, and Bears Ears in southern Utah fired up a long-simmering dispute about the Antiquities Act. Nevada’s Republican Senator Dean Heller and Congressman Mark Amodei filed legislation in early January, which, if passed, would restrict future national monuments from being created in Nevada without congressional approval. In Utah, the governor, federal and state lawmakers have vowed to undo Obama’s designation of Bear’s Ears or, at the very least, to drastically reduce the protected acreage.

While political posturing and legal opinion about completely undoing a national monument seem in direct conflict, reducing the size of a national monument has been undertaken in a few instances.

Legal experts maintain that presidential use of the Antiquities Act must identify historic, cultural and scientific resources and that the boundaries of the national monument be adequate — but not far extended — to protect those resources.

Yes, Congress could overturn a president’s decision to create a national monument but that is highly unlikely.

According to Colorado law professor Mark Squillace in a February article in the Christian Science Monitor: “It turns out that the designation of national monuments is very popular with the public.”

Top Down or Bottom Up? The route to creating a national monument is typically arduous and often takes years. To be considered, the site must be

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M O N U M E N TA L A C H I E V E M E N T S

Photo by Paula Jacoby-Garrett

Photo by Checko Saldago

University of Nevada - Las Vegas photography students at the newly created Basin and Range National Monument.

nationally significant and meet a defined list of criteria. According to the National Park Service, it must be an outstanding example of a specific type of resource, it must illustrate or interpret cultural or natural themes, must provide opportunities for scientific study or recreational use, or must be relatively unspoiled. In 1936, advocates began calling for the area, now known as Bears Ears, to be given special designation. Area native tribes began advocating for national monument status in 2008.

So, how does the process begin? Typically, a push for a national monument can be initiated from the top through elected officials, federal or state agencies or other large organizations. From there, the proposal makes it way down to the local level. According to NonProfit Quarterly, these types of projects typically cost more and may not achieve benefits for the local communities.

Bottom-up movements characteristically involve a grassroots effort that begins locally then expands upward to larger local, state and federal agencies and groups. “With community-based initiatives, local people usually remain involved through caretaking the property. Often, this extends to community education and related benefits for the long term. This bottom-up conservation works well because — in part — it is a collaborative process, building on the organic relationships local activists have with the land.”

Stakeholders, Stakeholders and More Stakeholders A key to success is involving community stakeholders in the process. One of the more overlooked and neglected steps is the identification of the stakeholders themselves. These may be user groups, organizations or individuals, Understanding who the users are and what type of management they want to see in a place is key in moving toward a united goal.

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Photo by Julian Kilter

The Basin and Range National Monument, which enocmpasses more than 70,000 acres was created in July 2015.

and they typically fall into three groups: They may be involved in the nomination process, be affected by the nomination itself or have some amount of control over the nomination, such as elected officials (www.chron.com/).

“The process always starts with people who recognize the value of protecting something special,” says Alan Spears, director of cultural resources for the National Parks Conservation Association. Spears helped Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, Illinois, Alabama and the District of Columbia achieve national monuments during the Obama administration.

He cites the designation of Fort Monroe on the Virginia seacoast as a good example of how local elected officials and diverse community groups — including Preservation Virginia and the Contra

band Society (descendants of the regions enslaved population) — worked together to build support for national monument status when the site’s active military base closed. Fort Monroe’s early history involved American Indians, Captain John Smith and a famous military designer following the War of 1812 and evolved into a significant sanctuary for slaves seeking freedom. Spears said local citizens moved quickly following announcements of the base closure and rumors of plans to build a beach resort. Community organizers enlisted the assistance of the National Parks Conservation Association, a D.C.-based advocacy organization, to help develop strategy and engage political champions.

Creating a national monument requires legwork and tenacity. Spears says that the Obama administration scru-

tinized the reasons why community leaders believed a national monument was important and closely reviewed the breadth of community support. He cautions that building support for designating a special place is only the first part of the process. “Once the monument is created, the commitment and dedication from the community is essential.”

“The post-designation period,” says Spears, “is the real work of establishing a new park and when fulfilling the community’s hopes and vision begins.”

Lynn Davis is the Director of Federal Policy and Legislation for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ldavis@appalachiantrail.org).

Paula Jacoby-Garrett is a Freelance Writer and serves on several lands conservancy boards in southern Nevada (paula.jacoby.garrett@gmail.com).

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A Globally Rare

Lay Under It How collaborative conservation helped restore Arlington, Virginia’s Magnolia Bog

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C

onsider it the perfect storm…but in a good way. Arlington County, just north of Washington, D.C., is one of the most densely populated counties in the United States. It has an amazing history: think colonial times, the Civil War, industry, the Pentagon. Like many communities, it’s gone from agriculture to suburb to bustling urban center. And, like many communities, it only recently has embraced the importance of maintaining and preserving its natural resources.

As part of a habitat survey in 2003, local botanist Rod Simmons alerted Arlington Parks and Recreation staff that about a century ago there had been a globally rare Magnolia Bog ecosystem on what was now a 24-acre site, located within the county’s Four Mile Run Watershed at the southern end of Barcroft Park. This forgotten area was hemmed in by housing, industrial development and ball fields. A little sleuthing determined that under all

the invasive plants, such as English Ivy, bush and Japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose and lesser celandine, were remnants of the “white sand and gravel bogs,” that M. L. McAtee in his 1918 publication, A Sketch of the Natural History of the District of Columbia Together with an Indexed Edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s 1917 Map of Washington and Vicinity, called the “Magnolia bog.”

This site represented just a fragment

of the natural landscape that used to be more prevalent in the region. With a little more checking, staff identified 18 separate freshwater springs, 23 plant species found nowhere else in Arlington County, 32 locally rare plant species, Virginia State Champion trees, County Champion and Significant trees, uncommon insects and a variety of locally rare animals. This assemblage of plants helped categorize this as a globally rare ecosystem, one of less than two dozen known examples in the world and just a fragment of the natural landscape that used to be prevalent in Arlington County. The area includes several habitat types designated by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Research as globally rare designated (G-1/S1) wetlands and state-rare designated (G3/ S3) wetlands. This site also includes a terrace gravel forest and has more locally rare plants than any other site in Arlington County.

The Bad News The Barcroft Magnolia Bog faced degradation from several environmental stressors.

Some wetland plant species were reduced to extremely low population levels with little to no natural recruitment observed.

Data showed that invasive plant species

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RARE ECOSYSTEM

Tips to Successful Collaboration

1 2 3 4

Be strategic. Know what everyone at the table needs and values and how they measure success.

Respect differences. It’s OK not to have the exact same goals, but successful collaborators’ vision for success must be in sync.

Put it in writing. Everyone should know what is expected of themselves and others. And spell out how the collaboration will/can end.

Process for decision-making.

Each collaborator needs to know his or her role. Does it involve decision-making and, if it does, for what and when?

5 6 7 8

Be flexible when possible. If you have a strong foundation for your collaboration, change is less of a problem.

represented the greatest long-term threat to rare native plants at the site.

Another important challenge for the Magnolia Bog and surrounding areas related to water. Years of development in and around the surrounding supporting habitat had altered or destroyed the habitat, particularly the water infiltration so necessary to keeping alive the bog and all the life it supported.

Park and recreation agencies are good planners. We plan for ongoing field and facility maintenance, growth in programs and new community interests. However, our budgets don’t generally set aside funding in case a globally rare ecosystem is discovered, and restoration of this areas was not in the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation’s budget.

One of the best parts of working for parks and recreation is that our work resonates with the public. So, when the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation found out it had this amazing ecosystem and identified it as the most ecologically significant natural site in Arlington in its National Resources Management Plan (http://bit.ly/2neZYqL), people wanted to help. Who wouldn’t

Delineate roles: leadership, financial, programmatic, logistics.

Don’t collaborate just because you are asked. Successful collaborations should mean something to all the players.

Be open and honest. Share materials that relate to the collaboration. Share if/when concerns develop. Consistent communication is the best way to make sure the collaboration goes in the planned direction.

9

Acknowledge your collaborators. Recognize their contributions and talents.

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An AmeriCorps volunteer uses a wrench to remove an invasive plant from the Magnolia Bog in Barcroft Park. (Photo by Anthony Lee)

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want to restore something globally rare?

With community support, the county board approved a five-year Barcroft Magnolia Bog Restoration Project, and a longer-term plan to maintain the work was put in place by staff. In 2011, Arlington County’s Greg Zell, the natural resource specialist at the time, drafted a Natural Resources Management Plan for the newly defined Barcroft Natural Resources Conservation Area that called for: • removing invasive species to retain high-value natural lands • reforesting extant species • restoring degraded wetlands through re-introduction of historically appropriate native plants and wildlife • mitigating damage from storm blow out and retaining water in the seepage swamp • developing a holistic plan that favors the ecosystem Innovation Through Collaboration Restoration of the Barcroft Magnolia Bog is the result of a series of successful partnerships between Arlington County staff and local volunteer groups. “Our goal was to coordinate and unite environmental groups in volunteering to help restore and steward the rare wetland communities,” says Alonso Abugattas, natural resource manager. “We found concerned and interested volunteer partners who were willing to use their skills and abilities in regular habitat stewardship events.”

Community support and volunteer assistance came from the following groups: • Arlington Regional Master Naturalists — a nonprofit corps of volunteers who provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within the community.

• Windgate Townhome Community — an adjacent residential neighborhood) • Earth Sangha — a Washington, D.C. – based nonprofit public charity whose mission is ecological restoration as a form of socially engaged Buddhism. It operates a volunteer-based program to propagate lo-

This map of the Arlington (Virginia) Magnolia Bog ecosystem shows the location of its globally rare wetlands and locally rare plants.

cal native plants, restore native plant communities and control invasive alien plants.

• Virginia Native Plant Society — a nonprofit organization of individuals who share an interest in Virginia’s native plants and habitats.

• Remove Invasive Plants (RIP) — a group of county-organized volunteers who collaborate with staff and contractors to assess the threat and impacts of invasive plants; adopt county programs and policies to manage and prevent infestations; engage community and cross-sector, multi-jurisdictional stakeholders; and coordinate invasive plant removal activities.

• AmeriCorps Intern Team — Young adults from around the United States who support communities as they learn valuable work skills, earn money for education and develop an appreciation for citizenship.

Staff, volunteers and contractors each brought distinct skill sets that were needed throughout the life of the project. Contractors primarily targeted the large-scale treatment and removal of the invasive plants.

AmeriCorps volunteers restored the site with plants from Earth Sangha and with wood frogs and spring peeper tree frogs relocated from other county sites, and also partnered with citizen volunteers to help clear less critical sections of the park and did community outreach and education.

Citizen volunteers, recruited and trained by the Invasive Species Coordinator, provided invaluable support by removing invasive species (primarily the bush and Japanese Honeysuckle) that were more easily recognized and found scattered in sections surrounding the wetlands. No one group could have managed the project, but together they were superheroes.

In addition to the county funds, the project was awarded a grant to restore an additional 13 acres of Barcroft Magnolia Bog from the Run for Wetlands Grant, sponsored by volunteers of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project also received support from the Virginia Amer

iCorps program through a grant that began in 2009 and supported six interns over three years. Their initial work was to restore Four Mile Run, but they included the Barcroft project in 2012. Their work paved the way for future efforts to manage other invasive plant species that could be readily controlled with hand removal and other methods that are more appropriate for volunteers.

The Measure of Success Restoring the bog has been successful on many levels. In 2016, the final year of management, the project site was almost 90 percent clear of invasive plants. Longterm success will be measured through annual plant surveys within cleared areas for a period of three years to determine if any new species have emerged from the historical seed bank or if it’s evident that native plants are reseeding.

To help protect the area, a practice ball field and shelter were removed, and the practice field is now a fully functional meadow. “The restored native grasses and plants resulted in the return of Little Wood Satyr butterflies, which had not been recorded in the county prior to the habitat improvement,” adds Abugattas.

Successful breeding of wood frogs has been observable at the site since they

were transplanted in 2012. From the two mating pairs of tree frogs and some 200 wood frog tadpoles that were relocated, the calls from several dozen of both species have been audible since 2014.

Stewardship activities have resulted in new and increased sightings of long-lost animals and uncommon plants. In addition to the Little Wood Satyr butterflies, gray foxes as well as uncommon plants, such as bloodroot and wood anemone, have been found in new locations and are expanding their range inside Barcroft Park.

Woodcocks and increasingly rare Rusty blackbirds, along with the first documented sighting of a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron have also been seen in the park.

But, it’s more than just conservation success. It’s success that can be seen in the volunteer partnerships that remain and grow, and in the community’s pride and interest in continuing to restore and maintain natural areas.

Alonso Abugattas is the Natural Resources Manager for the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation (aabugattas@arlingtonva.us).

Sarah Archer is the Natural Resources Specialist for the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation (sarcher@arlingtonva.us).

Susan Kalish is the Public Relations Director for Arlington County Parks and Recreation (skalish@ arlingtonva.us).

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Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management

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Evans Parkway retrofit demonstrates why parks are an ideal choice for green infrastructure

By Richard J. Dolesh

E

vans Parkway Neighborhood Park, a 5-acre park in the Glenview community in Montgomery County, Maryland, was long overdue for rehabilitation. The park property was acquired by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in 1954 as part of its rapidly expanding stream valley park system in the two Maryland counties to the north and east of Washington, D.C. In the 1960s, a neighborhood park was built for the community surrounding the park, but 50 years later, the aging playground and recreational facilities that were suitable for a bygone era no longer served the community’s needs.

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E V A N S P A R K W AY

In this community of modest single-family homes and small apartment buildings, as with many of the burgeoning Maryland communities near the Washington Beltway in the 1960s and ’70s, stormwater was primarily managed by straightening and channelizing the meandering streams that drained into the tributaries of the Anacostia River, which

is itself a tributary of the Potomac River.

To manage stormwater runoff during this time of intensive development around D.C., natural floodplains were filled and steams re-routed to flow underground in concrete pipes. Those that were not buried underground were mostly redirected into open concrete-lined trapezoidal channels that were designed

Trails throughout the park connect to the surrounding community.

The re-opening of Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park in 2015 drew great interest from the community in the new green infrastructure features.

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to rapidly move stormwater away from the developed areas, roads and homes before they became flooded.

These buried and channelized streams are perfect examples of so-called “gray” infrastructure, designed and built for many decades to treat stormwater. They may be ugly structures, but they were functional, and they served their purpose well for the past 50 years, except in the largest of storm events.

But, who wants to live with their children next to a concrete-lined stream that periodically and unpredictably fills with dangerous rushing water and leaves heaping piles of soaked and disgusting trash at culverts as the stormwater recedes?

Green Stormwater Management at the Neighborhood Scale With the acquisition of a 2.4-acre lot adjacent to the existing Evans Parkway Park, M-NCPPC planners saw a perfect opportunity to retrofit this park with examples of green infrastructure stormwater management techniques, including the naturalization and restoration of a 300-foot long concrete-lined stream channel. Their hope was that Evans Parkway Park could serve as a demonstration site for future green infrastructure approaches to stream restoration and, thereby, engage local communities more in the health of their local watersheds. As an added incentive, they were intrigued by the idea of submitting this park renovation project for certification by the Sustainable Landscapes Initiative (SITES) program, a sustainability rating system that has sometimes been called “LEED for landscapes.”

Trish McManus, a landscape architect and design section supervisor, and Andy Frank, a civil engineer and environmental engineering section supervisor of the park development division at M-NCPPC, gave an overview of how the Montgomery County parks department has been involved with stormwa-

The restored stream and floodplain flow into the old gray infrastructure of concrete-lined channels to move stormwater.

ter management since the 1970s. Originally, the focus was on larger scale and regional stormwater management facilities, but with growing regard for low impact development (LID) techniques and better understanding of natural hydrologic processes, the focus moved to smaller scale systems that are more context sensitive. “We have found that by treating parts of a watershed as distinct elements of original natural systems, rather than piping stormwater to one central pipe or holding facility, it has allowed for many improvements in treating stormwater on-site, especially using groundwater recharge as a means of allowing soils and wetlands to soak up stormwater and to extend the base flows of streams,” Frank says.

This approach is now being reflected throughout the 36,000-acre park sys

tem, McManus and Frank say. They purposely leave adequate land for green stormwater management in any new park acquisitions, and they are creatively trying to look at how to retrofit gray to green facilities and parklands throughout their system.

This desire to look for opportunities to demonstrate green stormwater management techniques is what led them to choose Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park as a proposed site for a Sustainable Sites Initiative project. The department evaluated a number of parks in its system, and felt that Evans Parkway was the best choice precisely because it was a challenge.

“This community is one of our county’s older communities that were built in the period after WWII. There are extensive close curb and gutter streets, and

there were concreted and channelized streams throughout these communities,” says Frank. As part of their thorough community engagement process for the park retrofit, they presented the local community with two conceptual design choices for the park’s redevelopment. They found overwhelming support for a green infrastructure approach that would lead to a more sustainable and naturalized design.

“It was a Goldilocks project for us,” says McManus. “This park involved a renovation of aging facilities and gray stormwater infrastructure and, therefore, offered multiple ways to approach the challenge of designing high-performing, sustainable landscape and recreation elements.”

McManus, Frank and others on the design team felt it was important to sell

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E V A N S P A R K W AY

Ensuring the Design and Management of High-Performance Parks

By Danielle D. Pieranunzi

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he Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) is the most comprehensive program in the United States for developing sustainable landscapes. SITES offers a systematic, comprehensive rating system designed to define sustainable sites, measure their performance and elevate the value of landscapes.

Administered by Green Business Certification Inc., and existing as a complement to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED building certification, SITES is based on the understanding that land is a crucial component of the built environment and can be planned, designed, developed and maintained to protect and enhance the benefits we derive from healthy, functioning landscapes.

SITES helps create ecologically resilient communities and benefits the environment, property owners, and local and regional communities and economies. The SITES v2 Rating System, released in 2014, is a culmination of years of research and development, including feedback during a pilot phase that resulted in 47 certified pilot projects across the United States. Today, parks represent the largest typology of registered SITES projects. Parks are a key element in the built environment, providing benefits that include reducing the urban heat island effect, cleaning the air, managing stormwater and improving human health and well-being. SITES v2 helps ensure that these essential ecosystem services are at the forefront of decision-making. Professionals can also earn a related SITES AP credential, demonstrating their knowledge of sustainable land design and development.

Danielle D. Pieranunzi is the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin (dpieranunzi@wildflower.org).

A new pedestrian bridge allows a view of the restored stream’s floodplain.

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internal stakeholders as well as community residents on the value of implementing these techniques. “This project helped build a whole process of changing a mindset for both the staff and the public about parks being a part of the solution rather than just the status quo,” says Frank.

Community Engagement Important to Park Redesign A nearby neighbor of Evans Parkway Park, Mike Smith, who is a member of the Friends of Sligo Creek and a parent of a 13-month-old child, says he has really liked the restoration of the natural stream that is a feature of the green stormwater management improvements in the park.

“It is really interesting to see how the natural stream soaks up the stormwater and spreads it out. There is always more water in the natural stream than in the concrete-lined channel, and there are tree frogs calling and mallard ducks now.” He looks forward to sharing the wildlife with his child, and he says that the whole process has been educational and a great way to introduce people in the community to the benefits of stormwater control by natural methods.

Mike Fox, another nearby resident of the community, has two children ages 10 and 13 who have grown up in the park.

“There used to be a concrete-lined ditch that ran through the park, and portions of the park were overgrown and full of invasive plant species,” he shares. Fox valued the broad community involvement and says there were many opinions on what kind of recreation amenities should be placed in the park and what kind of play equipment should be installed. He also says that there are many advocates for nature-based play in the community, and he, personally, would like to see more opportunities for this.

He believes that the parks department should go beyond just putting a bridge over the new natural stream, which was one of the new features of the retrofit,

and he would like to see a trail through the wetland and across the stream. “Let kids be kids,” he says.

Growing Importance of Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management in Parks When asked if it was important for all park and recreation agencies to embrace the idea of green infrastructure approaches to stormwater management, McManus and Frank said without question it is important to do so. “All public agencies are under pressure to do the most they can with limited resources.

Green infrastructure gives you a two-forone benefit,” Frank explains. “You not only meet the regulatory requirements for managing stormwater, but you also gain a large public benefit.”

“Most green infrastructure projects can be designed to utilize the help of volunteers. Citizens really embrace the purpose of these projects when they see improvements that they have contributed to,” adds McManus.

McManus, Frank and other park agency planners and landscape architects endorse the idea that park and recreation agencies should get involved in implementing green infrastructure stormwater management projects in parks. “Part of it is a mindset,” says Frank. “You can take big steps or small steps. Every agency has parks and facilities that they must renovate or retrofit, and every new park project offers opportunities to integrate green stormwater management early on.

In fact, the earlier you integrate it into the project the easier and less expensive it is. Waiting until later only makes it more expensive and difficult.”

“Adding green stormwater management techniques to even just 10 percent of a parking lot can give big benefits,” Frank continues. “Bioswales are easy and fast and almost foolproof. Changing mowing plans, planting more trees — try it first as a pilot, learn as you go, and keep learning.”

Native plantings enhance biofiltration and provide wildlife habitat.

“We have some cool green infrastructure projects coming up,” McManus says. “We are working with a developer on one; converting an old golf course on another. Come visit!”

The total cost for the renovation and green infrastructure stormwater management retrofits at Evans Parkway Park was $3.65 million, of which $2.67 million came from Maryland’s innovative Program Open Space and $980,000 from M-NCPPC’s capital budget.

A number of park agencies that have begun to implement green infrastructure stormwater management projects in parks are discovering alternative and innovative funding sources beyond their own capital budgets, most often in partnership with water utilities that are seeking lower cost alternatives to gray infrastructure costs, according to Jessica Brooks, director of Philadelphia Water Department’s green infrastructure unit.

Municipal governments may be under Consent and Decree Orders for past violations of the Clean Water Act, which mandates stormwater management upgrades, and funding may be much more available to park agencies than otherwise might be expected.

“The Evans Parkway project is a significant accomplishment for Montgomery Parks,” says Michael F. Riley, director of M-NCPPC’s Montgomery County Parks. “Every aspect of the park has been designed with the environment in mind, from the design and construction to the maintenance and operating practices to the interactive public artwork, which features images of nature that might be seen within the park. It is the first park in the county certified by the Sustainable Sites Initiative,” Riley explains about the prestigious 3-star rating from SITES. “It is a remarkable achievement for the department and for our staff who worked so hard to bring it from concept to reality.”

Editor’s Note: Parks & Recreation magazine has been reporting on the development and evolution of the SITES certification for sustainable landscapes for a number of years since the original rating system was released in 2009. For more information, visit http://www.sustainablesites.org/.

Richard J. Dolesh is NPRA’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives (rdolesh@nrpa.org).

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NRPA Update Meet the NRPA Conservation Advisory Panel

By Serda Ozbenian, MS

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RPA’s Conservation Advisory Panel provides feedback and subject-matter expertise for NRPA’s conservation programs and initiatives. The panel serves as a sounding board for new ideas and practices that help to provide guidance to the NRPA staff.

Shaun O’Rourke, Green Infrastructure Director, The Trust for Public Land Shaun O’Rourke leads the implementation services for the Climate Smart Cities Program at The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and is a faculty member in the School of Landscape Architecture at the Boston Architectural College. Prior to joining TPL, O’Rourke served as the director of sustainable design at the Boston Architectural College, and he has worked at AECOM in New York City as an ecological designer and project manager. He holds a Master of Liberal Arts from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Vermont.

Chris Matthews, Division Director for Nature Preserves and Natural Resources, Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation Chris Matthews is responsible for the management, strategic planning and operations of the Nature Preserves Division, which incorporates Mecklenburg County’s nature preserve system, environmental education, outdoor recreation and the natural resources sections. Matthews has a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of 48 Parks & Recreation

North Carolina-Charlotte, and a Master of Science in applied ecology and conservation biology from Frostburg State University in Maryland, and was designated as one of the Charlotte Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2004.

Priya Cook, Principal Associate for the Connecting Children to Nature Initiative, National League of Cities Priya Cook leads the Connecting Children to Nature Initiative at the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in great books from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Texas-Austin. Her work in education, policy and outdoor youth development has taken her to the Texas-Mexico border, interior Alaska, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. Cook has completed an Appalachian Trail thru-hike and serves on the board of the Student Conservation Association.

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Katharine Burgess, Director of Urban Resilience, Urban Land Institute Katharine Burgess leads the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Re-

silience Program, including research and community advisory services. An urban planner with 12 years of experience, she has practiced in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany and has global project experience and research experience with the Landscape Architecture Foundation. Her urban planning work has included post-Katrina community recovery plans, urban redevelopments, campus plans and a new town for 10,000 people, all designed to encourage pedestrian activity, environmental performance and use of the public realm.

Jenny Doty, Recreation Supervisor, Lenexa Parks and Recreation Jenny Doty serves as a recreation supervisor for the city of Lenexa in Kansas. She is passionate about serving her community with programs geared toward nature, environmental sustainability, community gardening and farmers markets. Doty has worked in parks and recreation for nine years in her current capacity and as a park naturalist while volunteering locally and nationally with organizations such as Kansas Recreation and Park Association, NRPA and the Kansas City Native Plant Initiative.

Rachel Lettre, Eastern Regional Program Director, Student Conservation Association Rachel Lettre is responsible for the

development and oversight of the Student Conservation Association’s Eastern Programs, including its youth and young adult programs. She collaborates with federal, state and local land management agencies, nonprofit organizations and partner organizations to develop innovative conservation service programs. Lettre brings more than 14 years of experience engaging underserved populations in urban communities, including Washington, D.C., Newark, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City. She received a Bachelor of Arts in outdoor recreation and resource management from Indiana University and a postgraduate degree in outdoor education from Edinburgh University.

Jed Aplaca, Natural Resources Manager, Houston Parks and Recreation Jed Aplaca has worked with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department for the past nine years and since 2013, as the department’s first natural resources manager. He grew up on the windward side of O’ahu, Hawaii, and spent most of his time in nature. After completing internships with the National Science Foundation, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Aplaca completed his Bachelor of Science at Brigham Young University-Provo, Utah, and a Master of Science in biology from Texas State University-San Marcos.

Jai Cole, Natural Resources Manager, Montgomery County Department of Parks Jai Cole has 17 years of experience in parks and recreation and is currently the natural resources

manager for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery County Department of Parks. Cole supervises natural resources staff who are tasked with managing the stewardship of 457 miles of streams, 26,000 acres of forest and more than 500 lakes, ponds and stormwater management facilities and devices in the 38,000-acre, six-time NRPA Gold Medal Award-winning park system.

Brendan Daley, LEED AP, CPRP, Director of Strategy & Policy, Chicago Park District Brendan Daley manages the strategic direction of the Chicago Park District, as well as sustainability initiatives across the city’s 587 parks.

He’s been featured as a guest lecturer at Chicago universities and parks conferences, writes for various publications, and is an accomplished speaker on the environment. Daley holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Roosevelt University, an LLB in law from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a certificate in civic leadership from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Liza Meyer, Chief Landscape Architect, Boston Parks and Recreation Liza Meyer is chief landscape architect with the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department. She guides the development of park planning, design and construction projects citywide and helped author Boston’s 2015 – 2021 Open Space Plan, which provides a framework for analyzing the city’s existing open space resources and informs future park needs.

Christine Tolchin, Chief of Resource Management, County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation Christine Tolchin oversees park environmental policies and the implementation of the County of San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program. Her team has acquired hundreds of acres of natural lands to add to the county’s 39,000 acres of protected preserve. Tolchin also oversees the county’s 360 miles of trails, ensuring public access while promoting public health and wellness. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biological science and has been with the county for more than 13 years, working on land use environmental planning, watershed protection and habitat preservation.

Autumn Saton-Ross, Ph.D., Mid-Atlantic Regional Director, NatureBridge Autumn Saxton-Ross oversees the NatureBridge programs at Prince William Forest and Shenandoah National Parks in Virginia. NatureBridge is a residential environmental education nonprofit, working in five National Parks across the county, that fosters environmental literacy to sustain the planet. With degrees in sociology, health education and exercise science, her research, academic and professional interests are on the social and physical environment and their influences on physical activity, opportunity and resources, specifically in black and urban populations, and the health benefits of parks and green spaces.

Serda Ozbenian, MS, is NRPA’s Conservation Program Manager (sozbenian@nrpa.org).

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©Myles Mellor

Parks & Recreation Crossword

Across 1 They make a dream of a park become a reality 6 Innovation ____, meetings to share ideas for future park projects 9 Fishy features 11 San Juan Islands’ mammals 13 Natural symbol of strength, 2 words 14 Mammoth Cave is in this state 15 Presidential mountain 17 Favorite Uncle 19 ___ of the Mist, Niagara Falls 21 Rocky Mountain National Park locale 23 Degree, for short 24 Central Park’s original architect 26 Ending for natural and arbor 27 Director of Houston Parks and Recreation Dept. soon retiring, ___ Turner 28 Large tree often lining city streets 29 What?

30 Lasting position, such as Ranger or Peace Officer 31 Include 34 Principles 35 Part of an archipelago

Down 1 They might lay out steps to preserve undeveloped land, for example 2 Easy to approach and enter, keyword in park philosophy 3 First letter in friendly 4 ____ Grande 5 Columbia River’s largest tributary 7 Land measurements 8 _____ Rock State Park, in Washington at the Grand Coulee 10 Shade of blue 12 Half 16 President who founded the whole park movement 18 “Parks without _____ “ important new concept in park planning 20 Grand Coulee, for one 22 Fauna in general 24 What a surprise!

25 Landcape architect’s area to use when designing 27 Off-roading vehicle 32 Directly, as in ___ east 33 Exist

Check the answers to the crossword at www.nrpa.org/crossword. As an added bonus for completing the crossword, you can enter a drawing to win a Fun Express $50 gift certificate when you check your answers. A winner will be randomly selected and notified April 28, 2017.

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TOOLKIT NOW AVAILABLE

NRPA Update

Camp Season on a Budget

Hot Topics

Spring is here and that means agencies are busy planning camp season and summer activities. Check out the preview below of the topics being discussed on the only professional networking platform dedicated to the park and recreation profession: Are farmers markets on park property appropriate? — This is the time of year that farmers markets start popping up all around town.

Departments may be asking themselves if farmers markets are a good use of park property? Members list their pros and cons in this discussion.

Community Gardens — Your colleagues discuss their community garden programs and what policies and guidelines they have for the general public to rent plots for personal use. Many examples of successful community gardens can be found in this popular post.

Marketing Plan for Active Older Adults — If you’re looking to target a specific group, such as active older adults, what different marketing outlets do you use? Social media marketing doesn’t always work with this age group, so professionals weigh in with some creative ideas.

Community Passport — Interested in doing a community passport program? Visit this thread to get tips on how to make these programs successful. Suggestions include prizes for completed passports, programs focused solely on park trails and activity finders.

Don’t forget, you can Connect anywhere! Connect is responsive on all devices. Just visit, www.nrpaconnect.org to join the conversation.

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lanning for camp season on a budget can be a challenge, but Fun Express is here to help. A Premier member benefit and subsidiary of Oriental Trading Company Inc., Fun Express offers more than 40,000 products, including bulk crafts, art and craft supplies, toy assortments, active play and games, apparel and accessories, and much more.

Looking to shake things up this camp season? There are new fun themes for 2017 that include MakerSpace Factory (robots, gears, builds), Superheroes and Space Explorers. Camp customers are very excited about the Crayola class packs and the Mindware building sets, which are creative construction toys for kids of all ages. Some of their hot items are Mindware Marble Run, Mindware Keva Structures and Q-BA-MAZE. The products promote creativity, learning and fun, while delivering the keepsakes children and parents love.

Think this all sounds too good to be true? It gets better! NRPA Premier Members can take advantage of the following: • 20 Percent Off current Oriental Trading retail prices • Free Shipping on orders $125.00 or more

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• Fast Delivery — orders arrive in 5 - 7 days • High-Volume Discounts — call for quotes on large quantities • Future Ship Option — order products now; ship and pay later • Free Samples — try it out before you buy See why Fun Express is one of the most popular NRPA member benefits!

Visit http://bit.ly/2npQvei to start exploring the possibilities today. Questions? Contact Josh Mason at jmason@ funexpress.com or 888-999-0387.

Logos Use these logos on all of the items that you use to promote National Water Safety Month.

Horizontal Logos:

Now Available: The Annual Summary of Key Findings from NRPA Park Metrics

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Vertical Logos:

RPA is proud to announce the release of the 2017 NRPA Agency Performance Review, the annual review of data and insights for park and recreation agencies in the United States. The 2017 NRPA Agency Performance Review (previously known at the NRPA Field Report) summarizes the key findings from NRPA Park Metrics, our benchmarking tool that assists park and recreation professionals in the effective management and planning of their operating resources and capital facilities.

The Review features 21 charts and tables on a wide variety of financial and performance metrics collected from survey responses of 925 park and recreation agencies. These charts and tables cover: • Park Facilities (parks and non-parks, indoor and outdoor facilities) • Programming (team sports, fitness and enhancement classes; programs for children, seniors and people with disabilities) • Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies (from operating parks and facilities to programming types) • Staffing (typical FTE counts, key staff responsibilities) • Budget (operating expenditures amounts and purposes)

• Agency Funding (sources of funding, cost recovery, capital spending) The 2017 NRPA Agency Performance Review’s data and insights help park and recreation professionals identify the best decisions for their agency and community. Some of the report’s findings include: • Operating expenditures per capita: $77.32/year • Revenue to operating expenditures: 29.1 percent • Acres of park land per 1,000 residents: 9.6 • Residents per park: 2,266 • FTEs per 10,000 residents: 7.3 A copy of the 2017 NRPA Agency Performance Review is included with the printed edition of this issue of Parks & Recreation magazine. You can also download the report at www.nrpa.org/APR, where you can also dig deeper into the data with interactive tables for each of the 21 charts and tables presented in the report.

Finally, do your part to make next year’s NRPA Agency Performance Review even better by entering and updating your agency’s data in NRPA Park Metrics (www.nrpa.org/metrics). By entering your data, you will gain access to a more detailed analysis of your agency’s performance, including being able to compare your agency to its peers throughout the United States. Try it today!

Get Ready to Celebrate National Water Safety Month in May

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ach May, the National Recreation and Park Association, the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals, the American Red Cross and the World Waterpark Association partner to host National Water Safety Month — a chance to bring awareness to the need for ongoing public education on safer water practices. As primary providers of swimming and aquatic opportunities, park and recreation agencies can celebrate Water Safety Month by hosting educational events, sharing water safety tips and participating via social media. Throughout the month, NRPA will post water safety-related messages that can be easily shared on social media as well as other opportuniHis Super Powers ties for par.

Don’t Work InthisWater summer.

Keep your little heroes safe ticipating in the month.

Take this opportunity to share your role in promoting water safety. You can learn more and get free resources at www.nationalwatersafetymonth.org.

Always supervise children when swimming, bathing or playing in water.

Wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket if you can’t swim.

Don’t swallow the water and avoid swimming when you have diarrhea.

Teach kids to swim – it’s the best way to stay safe in the water.

Visit www.nationalwatersafetymonth.org for more tips on playing it safe this summer.

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NRPA Update

Member Spotlight: Adriane Clutter

By Vitisia Paynich

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n 1993, 17-year-old Adriane Clutter didn’t know it at the time, but she had already found her true calling when she accepted a summer job with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Parks Department. As a dockhand at Lake Needwood, in Derwood, Clutter relished being outdoors while working with young people. She entered Shepherd University, in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation. Clutter returned to the M-NCPPC — this time joining the Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County. In December 2013, she took a job as youth development manager for Montgomery County Recreation in Maryland, working closely with youth and helping to develop programs that enhance their quality of life.

Parks & Recreation magazine recently spoke with Clutter to find out why she chose a career in parks and rec, the challenges that teens are facing today, and what she deems as her biggest career accomplishment.

Parks & Recreation: Why did you choose to work in parks and recreation?

Adriane Clutter: Before I entered college, I didn’t know that parks and rec was something that I could major in; I thought I would be a lawyer or something like that. However, when I was in high school, I knew I had this drive to work with kids and, particularly, with teenagers. I wanted a job where I could tell kids, ‘You’re going to be OK, and you’re going to make it.’ But I knew I didn’t want to teach school curriculum — I wanted to teach about life. During my early 20s, I finally made that connection between parks and recreation and a passionate desire to work with teens.

That’s also really when the Youth Development Movement, which began in the late ’90s with the Carnegie Council’s publication of research on adolescent development, first started in parks and rec.

P&R: What are some of the challenges today’s youth face, and how do you

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help them to overcome them?

Clutter: On top of the traditional challenges associated with adolescence — low self-esteem among girls; kids struggling to find their sense of identity — we’re seeing larger issues. These kids suffer from food insecurity, social isolation, financial distress and homelessness. As a result, many are challenged with adult responsibilities, including caring for younger siblings and preparing their meals. In certain cases, parents are forced to ask their teenage children to get jobs to contribute to the household income. So there’s a lot going on, and it certainly can be overwhelming at times. But, we’ve created customized programs to try to tackle some of these issues. In fact, NRPA gave us a grant to help launch our Fun Foods Fitness program, which addresses food insecurity during the summer months when kids don’t have access to meals they would traditionally receive in the school system. What’s more, this program combines physical activity with access to breakfast, lunch and snacks.

We’ve also launched a Teen Works program, a unique workforce development initiative. Because we’re seeing a lot of young people having to choose between participating in our afterschool programs

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and finding a job to support their families, Teen Works is designed to hire young people to work in our afterschool programs right on their school site. They can work for a few hours and then be right there to participate in activities afterwards. They are serving as apprentices for middle school and elementary school programs, helping out younger kids who are going through some of the same challenges they are facing.

P&R: What has been the greatest accomplishment in your career?

Clutter: I think my greatest career accomplishment has to be helping Montgomery County Recreation be recognized as an important asset to the community by addressing its most pressing issues and bringing them to the forefront. It’s about changing community members’ perspective about recreation. Recreation is not an amenity — it’s a necessity. When we create an opportunity for a kid to successfully learn a skill, that motivation translates into everything that young person does in his or her life moving forward. I’m so proud to be able to work in this industry.

— Vitisia Paynich, Freelance Writer for Parks & Recreation magazine

NRPA is dedicated to providing learning opportunities to advance the development of best practices and resources that make parks and recreation indispensable elements of American communities.

Find out more at www.nrpa.org/education.

SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES CONNECTING COMMUNITIES TO NATURE

All NRPA Schools are held at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, unless otherwise noted.

August 27-September 1, 2017

September 26-28, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana

www.nrpa.org/education

East Hartford, Connecticut South Burlington, Vermont Sioux Falls, South Dakota Lakewood, California Troy, Michigan Cincinnati, Ohio Bartlett, Illinois Henderson, Nevada West Windsor, New Jersey

1-3 3-5 9-11 9-11 23-25

Spokane, Washington Owensboro, Kentucky State College, Pennsylvania Milford, Delaware Davie, Florida

14-16 19-21 27-29

Hillsboro, Oregon Kodak, Tennessee San Diego, California

APR

4-6 4-6 4-6 18-20 18-20 19-21 25-27 25-27 26-28

MAY

CPSI PROGRAM

JUNE

NRPA, in collaboration with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, National League of Cities and the Children & Nature Network’s Cities Connecting Children to Nature team, will bring together park and recreation leaders to discuss innovative strategies that create meaningful connections to the outdoors for youth within urban communities.

With a focus on underserved populations, this Innovation Lab, scheduled to take place May 17-19 in Austin, Texas, will offer an opportunity for park leaders to hear directly from youth participants on the role parks have played in transforming their environmental ethic and connection to the outdoors. Only 30 spots are available to ensure participants have the opportunity for close dialogue, networking and information sharing. These events typically sell out, so reserve your spot soon. Register now at http://www.nrpa.org/ events/innovation-labs/innovation-labs-austin-texas/.

JUNE

MAY

AFO PROGRAM 1-2 1-2 4-5 10-11 22-23

Anderson, South Carolina Moses Lake, Washington Village of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin St. Louis Park, Minnesota Camarillo, California

27-28

Ceres, California

www.nrpa.org/AFO

www.nrpa.org/CPSI

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Operations Selling a Beach Redesign Project How to Get Municipal and Community Support

By Sara Hudson

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magine a nice hot day, and you and your family decide to go to the beach. You pack up all your beach toys, lunch, snacks and towels, and the family heads to its favorite sandy beach. You arrive, unload the car, walk up to the beach and see the sign: “Caution: Water Quality Advisory.” You stop in your tracks, your heart sinks and you release a deep sigh (or maybe utter an expletive). You’ve driven all this way, and now your beach plans have to change because of a microscopic organism.

You may even wonder WHY the community has not done something about the poor water quality issues.

A Beach Redesign Concept provides an example of what could be implemented at a beach to improve water quality. Elements of a beach redesign could include removing invasive species, adding sand to raise the beach’s profile so it stays dry and limits bacterial growth, planting native vegetation to define the beach area and decrease

erosion, discouraging bird loafing, increasing infiltration of surface runoff, creating focused public access points and improving the appearance of the beach.

There are several key steps to a beach redesign project to improve the water quality at a local swimming hole: • Education: Community members

Beach groomer treads on Maslowski Beach on Lake Superior in Ashland Wisconsin. Maslowski Beach is groomed 2-3 times a week, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, to assist with improving the water quality.

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need to be educated about beach restoration and what it entails. Yes, beach restoration may improve the water quality by reducing stormwater runoff and making the area less desirable by birds, but it may also upset community members who believe “their” favorite beach is no longer a place to recreate and swim. To avoid having a well-intentioned project turn ugly, educate your community through public meetings, community presentations, Facebook posts, newspaper articles and website updates.

Make sure your public leaders are onboard and understand the project and why it’s important for public health.

• Partnerships: Find people or organizations in your community to partner with — ones who have similar beliefs and for whom the project provides a high likelihood of them achieving their stated mission. Institutions of higher learning, environmental groups, and state and federal agencies are some

examples of community partners who may have an interest in improving water quality, reducing public health risks and improving recreational opportunities. A one-time partnership can blossom into other great opportunities for all parties involved.

• Strong Data: Research, research, research: Make sure that the data you have are accurate. Ensure that the evidence you have is correct and accurate. For help understanding the data or getting more supporting data, reach out to your local public health agency, natural resources agencies and institutions of higher learning that focus on environmental research, water quality or public health. This is a great way to start a collaborative effort or partnership to fix a local problem.

• Big-Picture Concept Design: Think big. Instead of just focusing your project on improving water quality by doing a beach redesign at a small beach, think about the entire area. Can park amenities be added to improve the area, can playground equipment be implemented or improved and can a picnic area be added? Most important, find out what would your community like to see as improvements at this beach.

• Clear and Reasonable Expectations: The architectural and engineering firms you enlist to help with the design should listen to the community’s suggestions and come up with a concept design that meets the community’s expectations. Again, it’s important to ensure that the community knows what a beach redesign is, how it will affect the beach and how it could help improve water quality at the beach.

Wood debris is common along the shoreline of Maslowski Beach due to the historical use of the property as a lumber mill at the turn of the 19th century.

• Grant Money Is Not “Free” Money: Grant money is great; it’s sometimes the only way any projects can happen.

Know the particulars of the grant. Is there a monetary match or are there in-kind donations to be made? Ensure that the grant covers the proposed concept design and engineering plans.

The city of Ashland, Wisconsin, is in the process of doing a beach redesign and restoration project at Maslowski Beach — one of its most popular, oldest and im-

paired beaches in Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior. From 2003 to the present, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has tested the water at Maslowski Beach for E. coli two days per week, starting from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Because of the elevated E. coli levels that have been found there, the beach has been on the state of Wisconsin’s 303(d) Impaired Waters List.

As a result, Maslowski Beach has benefited from several grant-funded projects, such as increased sanitary surveys, initial beach redesign, purchase of a beach groomer, increased water quality monitor in Chequamegon Bay and tributaries, social survey data and a plan to educate beach users about water quality issues.

Project partners include the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the Ashland County Health Department, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Fresh Water Innovation -- Northland College, the Center for Rural Communities, and the Applied Research and Environmental Lab. Now, through a U.S. EPA Shoreline Green Infrastructure grant and based on new data, the city will be working with SmithGroupJJR, an integrated architecture, engineering and planning firm, to do a beach redesign and restoration project at Maslowski Beach.

Sara Hudson is Director of the City of Ashland’s (Wisconsin) Parks and Recreation Department and Bretting Community Center (shudson@coawi.org).

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Products Safety Wand Megaphone AmpliVox’s S606 Safety Wand Megaphone is a unique multipurpose tool, combining the visual impact of a lighted traffic baton with a compact, integrated sound system. The wand includes five ultra-bright red LEDs and a white LED strobe light at the tip of the wand, providing visibility from 3,000 yards. A detachable 20-watt Piezo microphone connects to the wand’s handle via a 5-foot coil cord and stores in the handle when not in use.

AMPLIVOX, 800.553.2476, WWW.AMPLI.COM

Waste and Recycling Receptacles Paris Site Furnishings introduces the Premier series waste and recycling receptacles with contemporary styling and robust, vandal-resistant construction.

Available in 20- and 34-gallon sizes, these flare-topped models feature a slightly sloped top ring, which helps to funnel tossed debris into the lined can. These rust-proofed and powder-coated products are available in a variety of standard colors, with custom colors optional, to provide years of trouble-free service even in the harshest of environments.

PARIS SITE FURNISHINGS, 800.387.6318, WWW.PEML.COM

Kayak Launch

Accessible Climber

The patent-pending EZ Kayak Launch from EZ Dock was designed from the ground up to provide a new level of stability, security and simplicity for kayaks and canoes. This port features innovative, built-in hand holds to help effortlessly pull yourself onto the port or push yourself into the water via the entries/exits on either side of the port. The EZ Kayak Launch earned a coveted Innovation Award in the docking category at the Miami International Boat Show for its unique design for helping novice and experienced kayakers get in and out of their vessel without getting their feet wet.

EZ DOCK, 800.645.8168, WWW.EZ-DOCK.COM

The Switchback Climber is the play industry’s first accessible climber. The lowest platform of the Switchback conforms to ADA transfer platforms guidelines.

There are multiple handholds and surfaces on all sides vary in climbing ability. The Switchback also accepts 3-foot slides to reward the little ones that reach the summit! Visit cre8play. com to learn more! CRE8PLAY, 612.670.8195, WWW.CRE8PLAY.COM

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Dive Into New Opportunities Become a Certified AFO

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Phone: 800-931-1562 W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | A P R I L 2 0 1 7 |

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marketplace

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Landscape Structures, Inc. ................................................C3

Cochrane ....................................................................................5

Most Dependable Fountains.............................................C2

Dogipot ............................................................................. 17, 60 Easi-Set Buildings.................................................................. 60 Fountain People/Water Odyssey .................................... 19

Pilot Rock/RJ Thomas .......................................................... 25 Polly Products......................................................................... 62

GameTime/Playcore.............................................................C4

Power Systems ...................................................................... 21

Go Ape ...................................................................................... 61

Salsbury Industries..................................................................9

Gothic Arch.............................................................................. 61

Scoremaster Goals ............................................................... 62

Grassmats................................................................................. 61 Greenfields Outdoor Fitness .......................................... 2, 3 Gyms for Dogs/Livin the Dog Life................................... 61

advertiser index

Bright Ideas ............................................................................. 60

Shade Systems...........................................................................1 Soccer5ÂŽUSA .......................................................................... 13

Jacobsen/Textron.....................................................................7

SofSURFACES.......................................................................... 62

Jayhawk Plastics .................................................................... 62

Vortex...........................................................................................9

(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions. Copyright Š2017 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $46 a year in the U.S.; $56 elsewhere. Single copy price: $7. Library rate: $58 a year in the U.S.; $68 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.

Protect Your Playgrounds. protect your agency. Get Certified.

Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs) help ensure children have safe places to play. Not only that, becoming a CPSI opens the door for career advancement and increased job mobility.

www.nrpa.org/CPSI

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Park Bench

Peace Amid Chaos Our world is not always a calm and placid place. News headlines blare back and forth in a nonstop rhetorical battle, and elections, politicking and lawmaking are often shrouded in ugliness and divisiveness. Can anything bring us together?

Yes — and parks and recreation holds the key. In times of polarization, park and recreation centers bring everybody together. Venture outside on a warm spring afternoon and you will see people of all ages, races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds smiling together and enjoying the park. In a world increasingly divided by artificial barriers, bubbles and differences, our expansive natural parks foster inclusion and togetherness. Need inspiration?

Look no further than the words of these respected leaders: Because no matter who you are, no matter where you live, our parks, our monuments, our lands, our waters — these places are your birthright as Americans.

—President Barack Obama

The parks belong to the people and [all] parks should be accessible to the people.

The American people [regard] the idea of the city park as not merely an adornment, but an instrument of social service to the community….Life is better worth living in those cities which have relatively large park areas effectively developed not only as beauty spots but as recreation centers and playgrounds for all classes in the community.

—President Theodore Roosevelt

—President George W. Bush

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

—William Shakespeare

Parks bring people together to share experiences and forge relationships. We must never flag in providing this essential amenity to our fellow citizens, offering them the opportunity to experience beauty, peace and inspiration in a tumultuous world.

Photo by Tim Kiser

— Chris Brusatte, Interpretive Planner, Taylor Studios Inc.

A view of the Rocky River Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks system in Ohio.

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We don’t just manufacture playgrounds at Landscape Structures. What we do here is shape kids’ lives by teaching them about persistence, leadership, competition, bravery, support and empathy through play. For more than 45 years, we’ve invested our hearts and souls into creating amazing playgrounds for communities because for a better tomorrow, we play today. Learn more at shapedbyplay.com.

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©2017 Landscape Structures Inc.

PLAY HAS NO LIMIT.TM Since 1929, GameTime has created innovative ways for people of all ages to play…together. Expression Swing® is the original, patented face-to-face swing that allows parents and children to interact during play like never before. See what you’ve been missing at gametime.com/expression.

Enriching Childhood Through Play®

PARKS&RECREATION APRIL 2017 ◆ LAND PRESERVATION ◆ ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ◆ STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ◆ 2017 AGENCY PERFORMANCE REVIEW