Parks & Recreation Magazine April 2021

A P R I L 2021 N R PA .O RG

THE CONSERVATION ISSUE PUTTING OUT THE FLAMES Park Agencies Take Proactive Steps to Combat Wildfires

Beauty and the Bayou Native Land: An Oral History

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contentsapril 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION

volume 56 | number 4 | parksandrecreation.org

Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) Park and Recreation staff participate in a briefing before conducting a prescribed burn on parkland.

FEATURES

34 Parks and Recreation Fends Off Wildfires Jennifer Fulcher

Park and recreation professionals across the United States are protecting local land and communities from wildfire.

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40 Born on the Bayou Ted Vuong, P.E., LEED A.P., ENV SP

Learn how a golf course was repurposed into the worldclass Houston Botanic Garden.

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46 Protecting the Land and Its History

Cort Jones, Vitisia Paynich and Roxanne Sutton

Sara Sinclair and Stephanie Lozano share insights about tribal nations and land acknowledgement in North America.

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contents april

columns 6

departments 10 We Are Parks and Recreation Reclaiming Natural Habitat With the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge 10 Planting Design at NYC Parks 12 Former NRPA President Dianne Hoover Retires 14 Park and Recreation Professional Dan Stencil Retires After 43 Years of Service 15 Remembering Park and Recreation Leader Laura Wetherald 16 Connect Hot Topic 17 Member Benefit: Background Screening Best Practices 17

Perspectives Conservation, All of Our Duty Michael P. Kelly

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Editor’s Letter Make Earth Day Count Vitisia Paynich

20 Finance for the Field Public-Private Partnership Models John L. Crompton, Ph.D.

22 Advocacy The Case for Local Relief Kathy Maness

24 Health and Wellness

18 Research Workforce Development Helps Prepare Future Park and Recreation Leaders Melissa May

Can Parks Leverage Libraries?

Noah Lenstra, Ph.D., MLIS, and Teresa L. Penbrooke, Ph.D., CPRE

26 Equity

19 Park Pulse Parks and Recreation: Leaders of Vital Environmental Initiatives

Using Virtual Volunteering to Engage Diverse Communities Tony Richardson

28 Law Review

52 Operations Portland Parks and Recreation’s Sustainable Park Pathway Lighting Efforts Mark Ross

Due Process Notice for COVID-19 Sweeps at a Homeless Encampment James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

53 Park Essentials 55 Advertiser Index 56 Park Bench Finding BLISS in Northeast Baltimore City Dr. Victoria Rose Brusaferro

In the case of Denver Homeless Out Loud v. Denver, an advocacy group and several people experiencing homelessness filed a class action suit against the City and County of Denver and several of their officials.

Cover image: Photo courtesy of Elantsev, Dreamstime.com

Parks & Recreation is printed using soy ink on at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper and is mailed in a wrap — only when required — that is plant based and certified compostable. If you are interested in helping us go even greener, email us at prmagazine@nrpa.org and ask to opt out of receiving the print magazine. Parks & Recreation is always available to read in an ezine format at ezine.nrpa.org.

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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 P A’ S L E A D E R S

Conservation, All of Our Duty As in prior columns, I often borrow inspiration from great thinkers — predecessors who have blazed paths and made an impact in our communities.

I can’t think of a more profound, yet simple, quote on the topic of the environment better than the words of American essayist Wendell Berry: “The Earth is what we all have in common.”

The soil we till and harvest; the rivers, lakes and seas we commonly use; and the air we all breathe are what bind us together.

The mission of our organization is rooted in enhancing the quality of life for all people. Our great parks bring communities and neighborhoods together, as we serve as the hubs for health and well-being for millions across America. In addition to fostering wellness and health on the community level, our country’s parks play a vital part in maintaining thriving ecosystems.

Parks across the country support the conservation, protection and stewardship of all our natural resources.

As a park professional committed to access and equity of resources for every resident, I believe strongly that nature — clean, fresh and open spaces in our parks — helps build better citizens, better families, better students and, on the whole, a better community.

In Miami, the Park Conservation Corps, a group of dedicated volunteers and park patrons, have made preservation of natural areas a top priority in their community. This group of Miami-Dade park champions participate in volunteer projects that enhance the heritage of parks and natural areas. The group also learns best practices in landscaping, tree planting, master gardening and coastal stewardship, among other key conservation efforts.

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In Chicago, we boast 1,950 acres of natural area.

Now, I realize that nearly 2,000 acres may not sound like much to some park systems. But when you consider that only 20 years ago we counted merely 100 acres of natural area, I think we can all agree that Chicago is moving in the right direction.

Still, we live by the depth and variety of our program offerings. Therefore, in addition to adding acreage, we are helping to reconnect children with nature in our city. Our Nature Play Spaces provide valuable outdoor space for kids to have positive, hands-on experiences in nature. Each space is a collaborative community effort, unique to the ecology of the park site and the needs of each neighborhood.

The global pandemic has tested how we offer park programs, and even altered how we interact with each other. Yet, the pandemic has provided the opportunity to refocus on other important elements and work of parks — such as nature and conservation. There are hundreds more organizations and patrons, like the Conservation Corps, committed to the care and improvement of our natural resources. And, there are thousands of spaces across America that could be reimagined as potential hubs for connecting with nature, as we’ve done with Nature Play Spaces.

This challenging moment in history gives us a chance to rethink our communal and personal relationships with nature. It begs us to re-engage with our responsibilities as park professionals — our responsibility to not only serve our patrons, but also the environment.

NRPA’s organizational mission calls for us to serve as catalysts of positive change for equity, climatereadiness and overall well-being. Let’s embrace that call and serve as protectors of our greatest shared asset.

MICHAEL P. KELLY Chair, NRPA Board of Directors

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

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board of Directors Michael P. Kelly

Park Advocate Emigrant, Montana

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Gurnee Park District Gurnee, Illinois

Past Chair Jack Kardys J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida

Treasurer Xavier D. Urrutia Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

Secretary Nonet T. Sykes

Susie Kuruvilla

Joanna Lombard University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida

Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP

parksandrecreation.org

Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

@parksrecmag

Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRP, AFO

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

City of Bristol Parks & Recreation Bristol, Connecticut

At Large Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP

Ian Proud

Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

At Large Mike Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

President and CEO Kristine Stratton, Ex Officio National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

Kathy Abbott Boston Harbor Now Boston, Massachusetts

Jesús Aguirre, CPRE Seattle Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington

Jose Felix Diaz Ballard Partners Miami, Florida

Victor Dover

Bucknell University SBDC Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Nonet T. Sykes Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

(or your favorite podcast app)

Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

@openspaceradio

Lakita Watson, CPRP Richland County Recreation Commission Columbia, South Carolina

Greg A. Weitzel, M.S., CPRP

Philip Wu, M.D. (Retired) Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region Portland, Oregon

Anne S. Close James H. Evans

Greening Youth Foundation Atlanta, Georgia

Earl T. Groves Gastonia, North Carolina

Richard Gulley

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Rosemary Hall Evans

Richmond, Virginia

Harry G. Haskell, Jr.

nrpaconnect.org nrpa.org/connect-app

NRPA SOCIAL MEDIA @NationalRecreationandParkAssociation

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

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Kathryn A. Porter

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Mendham, New Jersey

J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida

Perry J. Segura

Michael P. Kelly

R. Dean Tice

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Round Hill, Virginia

Karen Bates Kress

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

CONNECT

Fort Mill, South Carolina

Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Jack Kardys

NRPA

Lexington, South Carolina

Angelou Ezeilo

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ashburn, Virginia

nrpa.org/blog

LIFE TRUSTEES Beverly D. Chrisman

New York, New York

Monica Hobbs Vinluan

Blog

City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation Las Vegas, Nevada

Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning South Miami, Florida

San Diego Parks and Recreation San Diego, California

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Xavier D. Urrutia

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New Iberia, Louisiana

Eugene A. Young, CPRP

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 02 1 |

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EDITOR’S LET TER

Make Earth Day Count As I write this column for our Conservation Issue, I’m reminded about the most recent natural disaster that our country has endured: February’s Winter Storm Uri that put the state of Texas in a deep freeze, causing widespread power outages and forcing the Biden administration to declare a federal emergency. However, similar to their response during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, park and recreation agencies throughout the state acted immediately, providing critical services for their communities. For example, City of Dallas Parks and Recreation set up mobile homes and chartered buses as “Mobile Warming Centers” in its parking lots. These popup sites enabled residents to warm up, grab a meal and charge their devices (nrpa.org/TexasEnergyCrisis).

The past few years also have been especially tough on the West Coast, where wildfires have ravaged millions of acres of land and threatened wildlife — from California to Washington state. In the cover story, “Parks and Recreation Fends Off Wildfires,” on page 34, NRPA Web Editor Jennifer Fulcher discusses what park and recreation professionals in these hard-hit states and across the country are doing to help protect their respective communities from future wildfire events. One such agency, King County Parks and Recreation in Seattle, is proactively gathering data and implementing plans. Fulcher writes, “As a changing climate brings more flooding and tree stress, it also brings wildfires closer to the Puget Sound area in Washington state. ‘We’re seeing increasing evidence that we better be ready,’ says Sarah Brandt, King County Parks open space government relations administrator.”

Next, contributor Ted Vuong illustrates how a bit of innovation and eco-friendly design can transform a former golf course into a world-class garden in the feature article, “Born on the Bayou,” on page 40. Vuong provides an in-depth look at the planning, design and construction of the Houston Botanic Garden. Located near Hobby Airport, this 132-acre site gave the city an opportunity “to develop the garden around the Sims Bayou in an area with little investment in green spaces or cultural amenities,” he writes. Although the project presented some challenges, the end result is a tranquil botanic garden that boasts many features, including two-and-half miles of walking and hiking trails, a lagoon and a nature play area for children.

Rounding out our feature articles lineup is an engaging conversation with Sara Sinclair, an oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa and German-Jewish ancestry and a Columbia University professor, and Stephanie Lozano, a tribal liaison for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, in the article, “Protecting the Land and Its History,” on page 46. Both Sinclair and Lozano share their insights with NRPA’s Roxanne Sutton and Cort Jones about the history of tribal nations in North America, key conservation and environmental challenges, and the importance of starting a wider conversation about land acknowledgement.

The interview with Sinclair and Lozano really speaks to the true meaning of Earth Day, which is about appreciating the history of the land, honoring all the natural gifts that it offers and pledging to be stewards of the land. As park and recreation professionals, you have never hesitated to act during times of crisis. So, in celebration of Earth Day that takes place April 22, make it count by encouraging your community members to do their part by reducing their own carbon footprint.

Because at the end of the day, we all must be stewards of the land.

VITISIA “VI” PAYNICH Executive Editor Print and Online Content 8

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PRESIDENT AND CEO Kristine Stratton VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR, PRINT AND ONLINE CONTENT Vitisia Paynich vpaynich@nrpa.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lindsay Hogeboom lhogeboom@nrpa.org WEB EDITOR Jennifer Fulcher-Nguyen jnguyen@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net SENIOR CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Meghan Fredriksen 703.858.2190 mfredriksen@nrpa.org PHOTOGRAPHY Dreamstime.com or NRPA (unless otherwise noted) MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Anthony-Paul Diaz, Chair Michael Abbaté, FASLA Neelay Bhatt Ryan Eaker Beau Fieldsend Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert, CPRP Tim Herd, CPRE Brian Johnson, CPSI Denise Johnson-Caldwell Roslyn Johnson, CPRP Michele Lemons Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis, CPRP Paula Sliefert Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO Ronnetta Spalding Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs

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WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION Reclaiming Natural Habitat With the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge

By Phil Hardberger

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eclaiming the natural habitat above a busy highway in central San Antonio is the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, the newest and largest wildlife crossing constructed to date in the United States. The land bridge is uniquely designed for safe passage by people and animals, connecting the previously divided halves of the 330-acre Phil Hardberger Park. The land bridge has become a popular landmark, destination and park amenity for community recreation since opening to the public in December 2020. Walkers, runners, families with strollers, dogs and their companions are just a few of the park patrons who have enjoyed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible pathways, native landscape and public art of the land bridge.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN MOORE, AIRBORNE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge is the newest and largest wildlife crossing constructed to date in the United States.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN MOORE, AIRBORNE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The land bridge connects two halves of the 330-acre Phil Hardberger Park that was previously divided by a highway.

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Trails from both sides of the park converge at the land bridge, offering visitors access to explore amenities that were once separated by a highway. Along the pathways across the land bridge, the park’s South Texas flora and fauna are complemented with native tree plantings, such as live oaks, mountain laurels, persimmons, evergreen sumac and native plants like the prickly pear cactus, which holds the proud distinction as the Texas state plant. These native species offer diverse food and shelter to local wildlife, such as deer, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels and lizards. A 250,000-gallon catchment system captures rainwater runoff, providing irrigation for the bridge and surrounding area.

Nestled on either side of the land bridge are two wildlife viewing blinds designed by local artists Ashley Mireles and Cade Bradshaw. The designs for the blinds were inspired by the native plants and topography of the park. Nearby water features offer wildlife a place to drink or bathe while the public can take a quiet moment to observe nature from the viewing blinds (tinyurl.com/394sx75u).

This public art project was done in coordination with the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture and landscape architects from STIMSON Studio.

Another access point to the land bridge is a one-of-a-kind, ADA-compliant SkyWalk that elevates visitors along a walkway

IMAGE COURTESY OF STIMSON ARCHITECTS

The land bridge is uniquely designed for safe passage by both people and animals.

Phil Hardberger is former Mayor of San Antonio.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE FARQUHAR

Wildlife blinds provide a place for park patrons to observe animals utilizing the land bridge.

Trails across the land bridge opened to the public in December 2020.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF MIKE FARQUHAR

25 feet high through the treetops, offering a bird’s-eye view of the park and a great vantage point to view nature throughout the Texas seasons.

The concept of a land bridge connecting both sides of Phil Hardberger Park was part of the adopted park’s master plan completed in 2009. The city of San Antonio was able to complete this project thanks to public and private partnerships, which included funding from the voter-approved 2017–2022 bond program, the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, the generosity of private donations and grants, and the advocacy of the people of San Antonio.

This article was written with the help of Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy in partnership with City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation.

Parks & Recreation

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W E A R E P A R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N

Planting Design at NYC Parks

By Nancy Prince, RLA, ASLA, and Judy Tung, RLA

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ew York City Department of Parks and Recreation cares for more than 30,000 acres of parkland throughout the five boroughs of New York City. From small pocket parks and neighborhood playgrounds to large regional parks, beaches, marshes, forests and natural areas, thoughtful planting design has been a key component of ensuring the city’s green spaces are thriving and resilient.

IMAGES COURTESY OF NYC PARKS

The recent redesign of Rainey Park is wholly contemporary while still considering the park’s historical context.

This approach has become even more important during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As more New Yorkers looked to parks as sanctuaries for physical and mental well-being, the fiscal crisis led to a loss of seasonal maintenance and operations staff. By designing parks to anticipate such changes and needs, cities can help people engage with public spaces while supporting the staff who care for them. Following are design principles and considerations that guide our approach to planting: Bring the joys of the natural world to all New Yorkers. Seasonal variation and sensory qualities are primary considerations in plant selection. Texture, sound and fragrance can change a familiar place from season to season. A mass of daffodils or catmint, yellow witch hazel, a grove of cherry trees, the rustle of leaves or fallen sweetgum balls offer small joys in an urban environment.

Plant with operational and maintenance challenges in mind. The design of our parks must anticipate maintenance and operations constraints. Replacing trees and plants post-construction is unlikely and maintaining a complex plant bed can be challenging. To mitigate these challenges, we plant fewer, but larger, more densely spaced and resilient plants of the same species. This approach reduces areas for weeds to establish and facilitates weeding regardless of skill and experience. Often, an open green park with an abundant, well-placed canopy and flowering understory trees can have a bigger impact than fussy

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From small pocket parks to large regional parks, thoughtful planting design has been a key component of ensuring New York City’s green spaces are thriving and resilient.

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By designing parks to anticipate maintenance and operations changes and needs, cities can help people engage with public spaces while supporting the staff who care for them.

plant beds. New trees planted in the lawn with each one surrounded by a small mulch circle can protect the young bark from mower damage.

Consider historical context and design integrity. Many older parks in New York City have intact designs with historical significance. For capital projects in these historic parks, we consider the original design, giving careful study to the spacing, forms and arrangements of the original design features. This analysis guides the design approach.

When working in such landscapes, the contemporary designer should be aware of this design history and use it to create continuity between past and present. An excellent example of this principle at work can be seen in the recent redesign of Rainey Park, which, while being wholly

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contemporary, is rooted in the design vocabulary of the past.

Protect existing trees and increase the urban tree canopy.

The addition of new trees generates multiple benefits, including the increase of human comfort, reduction in urban heat island effect, uptake of stormwater and improvement in air quality. Landscape architects design new park sites carefully to protect the critical root zones of existing trees, often opening larger areas of soil around the tree in previously paved spaces. New trees are sited strategically, paying attention to sun patterns, so there is shade throughout the day on benches, pavements and play areas.

Support biodiversity and enhance the proportion of native species. Acres of city property

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with important intact ecosystems are protected in natural areas. Only native plants are used when planting in these areas. Elsewhere in the city, we are working to increase the proportion of native plants that will do well in existing conditions. The Native Species Planting Guide for New York City offers a resource for using native plants (tinyurl.com/y5mguusy).

Nancy Prince, RLA, ASLA, is Chief of Landscape Architecture for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Judy Tung, RLA, is Senior Project Manager for Design for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

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W E A R E P A R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N

Former NRPA President Dianne Hoover Retires

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fter 45 years of service in the field of parks and recreation, Dianne Hoover, Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), is retiring to enjoy being an active outdoor participant.

Hoover has left an indelible mark on the city of Bakersfield, California, as the director of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. After having served in several park and recreation leadership positions in the Midwest, Hoover joined the city of Bakersfield in 2005 as director of recreation and parks where she oversaw impressive growth in the ninth-largest city in the state. During her tenure leading the Bakersfield department, 13 new parks, as well as nine additional spray parks, were added; numerous fields renovated; and new courts and playgrounds were built. These amenities have enhanced recreation opportunities for the community of Bakersfield. Through Hoover’s leadership, Bakersfield became the first recreation and park agency in the state to achieve and maintain NRPA’s Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) accreditation for 10 years. Additionally, the department received Gold Medal Finalist status in 2009 and in 2014.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF BAKERSFIELD

Bakersfield also received national recognition for its naming rights agreements for sports and entertainment facilities. Combined with naming rights, Hoover was able to secure long-term agreements with local youth sports organizations to maintain and operate sports parks within the city.

Her journey began even before she was aware that full-time jobs existed in outdoor recreation and park management. Since she grew up participating in outdoor activi-

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ties with her brothers, Hoover knew that she could not be tied to a desk for any length of time — so she pursued opportunities that allowed her to make life better for children and families wherever she worked.

She came of college age in an era and area where young women were discouraged from seeking education past high school, and in a society where expenses for higher education could not be justified nor met through existing funds.

With great determination, Hoover

Dianne Hoover joined the city of Bakersfield, California, in 2005 as director of recreation and parks.

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sought student loan programs and grants to complete her first step toward her destiny.

She earned two master’s degrees — one in recreation, park and tourism administration from Western Illinois University and one in public administration from the University of Dayton. Hoover’s park and recreation career includes service in multiple municipalities in Ohio — including as the assistant director/superintendent for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission — and in Indiana. She served in many leadership roles with NRPA, including chairing 14 CAPRA Visit Teams and as president of the organization in 2010. In 2020, Hoover served as president of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. When her term began in late 2019, coronavirus (COVID-19) was still unknown in the United States. As her presidency continued through 2020, the pandemic had reached every corner of the country and made a lasting impact. Parks became the lifeblood for outdoor opportunities, for people to exercise while physically distancing, and as the neighborhood gathering place to check on each other. Park and recreation staff became essential service providers in offering clean parks and food service to those in need, expanding into ambassadors promoting safe distancing and wearing masks while in public.

As Hoover ends her professional career in parks and recreation, she plans to spend her time in outdoor pursuits and volunteering to assist in making life better for others, wherever that may be.

Park and Recreation Professional Dan Stencil Retires After 43 Years of Service

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“It’s been a passion-filled career — providing parks, special events, recreation programs and services to visitors of all ages, abilities, diversity and economic backgrounds,” Stencil says.

Stencil started at OCPR in 1977 as an assistant park supervisor at Independence Oaks County Park.

In 1981, he was promoted to general maintenance mechanic at Springfield Oaks County Park, and in 1982, was promoted to recreation program supervisor. Stencil was promoted to chief of parks in 1987 and to administrator of parks and recreation operations in 1999.

He began his tenure as executive officer in 2006. Over a 15-year period in this role, Stencil oversaw the operation of 14 parks and 7,000 acres, managed an annual budget of $28 million and supervised 75 full-time and 600 seasonal staff.

A History of Accomplishments Among OCPR’s recent accomplishments, under Stencil’s leadership, was the opening of Holly Oaks Off-Road-Vehicle (ORV) Park in the fall of 2020. The 106-acre facility in Holly Township and Groveland Township is operated by the park system and owned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

“Recreation officials have been

planning that ORV park for the last 25 years. It was on my bucket list to see it open before I retired,” Stencil says. “The way people recreate has changed significantly since I started my career. People want rich outdoor experiences, and they enjoy sharing their nostalgic experiences with family. At the ORV Park, campgrounds and golf courses, we have three generations enjoying their leisure time together. I’m thrilled by the recent push to get outdoors and spend time in nature, hiking, fishing and more.”

Reflecting on his career, Stencil names some highlights of his time with the park system. These include the acquisition of additional parkland for the county’s residents, including Catalpa Oaks County Park in Southfield, Red Oaks Dog Park in Madison Heights, and Independence Oaks-North County Park in Independence Township.

Enhancing accessibility was high on his list of achievements, including construction of Paradise Peninsula, a universally accessible playground at Waterford Oaks County Park in Waterford; accessible yurts and cabins at two campgrounds; trail access and parking lots; and increased programming and special events for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.

Another proud accomplishment was the approval of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION

uring his long tenure at Oakland County (Michigan) Parks and Recreation (OCPR), Executive Officer Dan Stencil has created recreation experiences for millions of residents. Now, after more than 43 years, he is hanging up his proverbial hiking boots to create leisure time for him and his family.

Throughout his career, Dan Stencil has been involved with the park and recreation profession at the local, state and national level.

2010 and 2020 parks millages by more than 76 percent, a testament that Oakland County residents value the Oakland County Parks, Stencil says.

Commitment Extended Beyond OCPR Stencil also has been involved with the park and recreation profession at the local, state and national level. His professional involvement includes years of service to mParks, the Michigan Recreation and Park Association, including the role of mParks president. In 2015, he received the mParks Fellowship Award, the organization’s highest honor.

In 2019, he was selected for the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and was in the inaugural class for Certified Park and Recreation Executives (CPREs) through NRPA. He also has served on the Michigan Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials, the Clarkston Area Optimist Club and the National Ski Patrol.

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W E A R E P A R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N

Remembering Park and Recreation Leader Laura Wetherald

O

n February 19, 2021, the park and recreation field lost a dedicated professional, Laura Wetherald.

“I have been fortunate to know Laura for almost 40 years.

Her love of life, love of her family, love of others and love of our profession are her hallmarks,” says Jayne Miller, Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), vice chair of NRPA’s Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). “Her passion for our profession came through with her commitment to TR [therapeutic recreation], CAPRA, training professionals and always giving back while always having fun.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOWARD COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS

In 1977, Wetherald graduated from James Madison University, and subsequently received her master’s degree in urban and therapeutic recreation from the University of Baltimore. She served as a faculty member at Commu-

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Laura Wetherald dedicated 34 years of her career to Howard County Recreation and Parks.

Wetherald was a nationally featured speaker within the field of parks and recreation.

Parks & Recreation

nity College of Baltimore County Catonsville, Frostburg State University and Hood College. Most recently, Wetherald was bureau chief for Howard County (Maryland) Recreation and Parks, a position in which she had served since 1998, and an agency at which she had worked for 34 years. In her role as bureau chief, Wetherald oversaw thousands of programs, as well as 70 full-time employees and hundreds of part-time staff.

Lynne Levin, who worked with Wetherald during her time at Howard County Recreation and Parks, writes on her tribute wall (tinyurl. com/j78vcrza), “She was a person who could always be counted on to do the right thing, to do it well and with good humor. Her positive outlook and her wonderful laugh could brighten your whole day. She was an inspiration in so many ways and will be deeply missed.”

During her career, Wetherald published a number of articles on therapeutic recreation and was a nationally featured speaker within the field of parks and recreation.

Wetherald exemplified her dedication to parks and recreation

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through her continued active involvement in the field, including as president of the Maryland Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) and as a CAPRA commissioner. “I can’t think of anyone more dedicated and passionate about their role with CAPRA,” says Troy Houtman, director of park and recreation for City of Wichita, Kansas, and CAPRA Commission vice chair. “Her efforts have a lasting impact on our industry and the future of parks and recreation.”

Wetherald was a CPRP and was an engaged member within the NRPA Connect community, an online network of park and recreation professionals. She received many awards for her work, including the MRPA Distinguished Fellow Award, Howard County Employee of the Year and several MRPA Member of the Year Awards, among others. She also was inducted into the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administrators.

“Laura touched so many people’s lives as a mentor, teacher, coach and friend,” says Cory Styron, CPRP, MBA, director of community services for Los Alamos County (New Mexico) and CAPRA Commission chair. “She was just as passionate about her parks and recreation career...helping organizations reach their potential through the CAPRA standards. We will miss her laughter and commitment to making everyone and everything a little better by knowing her.”

Hot Topics NRPA Connect is an online network with 64,000 professionals to answer your questions, share your challenges and discuss trending topics in the field.

Check out what is being discussed this month: Pool Slot Reservations – An NRPA Member has asked the community to share success stories regarding pool slot reservations to implement for the upcoming summer.

NRPA members offered the following suggestions: We have employed the Acuity Scheduling software for all of our program scheduling, from lap swimming, to pickleball, to use of our fitness facility. It works very well for us and provides the necessary “contact tracing” data, should that info become necessary.

Our agency has been using SignUpGenius for all our reservations: swimming, fitness classes, tennis, racquetball, weight room, cardio floor. It is fairly easy, so most of our [older adults] can manage the process. I do recommend you establish a 24-hour cancellation policy with two strikes early to cut back on “no-shows.” We have allowed call-in cancellations if people are sick and it is under 24 hours.

If anything positive has come from [COVID-19], it’s how we shifted our operations at our pool. We reopened our pool at the end of June and required reservations and set maximums for various time slots and activities. In the mornings, we established one-hour blocks of times for lap swimming, aqua aerobics and water fitness. During the day, we set up twohour blocks for open, public swim and then additional lap swimming blocks again in the evening. This accomplished one of our county’s goals [toward] improving contact tracing — in the event there was a report case or exposure, we have all names, addresses and contact info for those visiting the pool.

Reservation times are released and open every Thursday for the following Monday to Sunday times. We do not accept payment at the time of reservation, rather at the door. We felt this was best since we deal with weather closures, etc.

Log in to connect.nrpa.org today to share ideas or chime in to the discussion!

Member Benefit: Background Screening Best Practices Background Investigation Bureau (BIB) and NRPA’s partnership was created to help park and Innovative Technology recreation agencies screen to Protect What Matters. better. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help prevent risk: What is your background check costing you?

Budgets already are lean, and not all background checks are the same. The best approach is to ask, “Are we getting the best 877-439-3900 | sales@bib.com | www.bib.com quality screen for a fair price?” Also, NRPA members receive exclusive pricing on BIB’s Secure Volunteer background screenings!

How healthy is your data? Most information received by states is through county records. Ideally, the information would be correct and complete; however, in many cases, the records are either missing data or inaccurate. You will need to assess what screening methods you are using to get the best data from every state relevant to your applicants.

Are you getting the full story? Inaccuracies in reports can’t provide the detailed information you need when making a hiring decision or preventing a dangerous person from becoming a volunteer. When records or pertinent information are missing, it becomes challenging to make effective hiring decisions.

Making sure you’re getting the best data possible from as many sources as possible ensures you’re getting the full story.

What is the turnaround time? While the majority of quality background checks are completed in less than 72 hours, most delays experienced are related to jurisdictions being searched.

For example, a court runner is physically going to a courthouse.

While this is a highly effective process, it can lead to longer turnaround times because of court access hours, staff or technology available. It’s important for you to know of any jurisdictions you may be accessing regularly that could drive common delays.

For more information on how your agency can develop the best background screening methodology, visit bib.com.

NRPA members will gain immediate peace of mind knowing that your volunteers and employees are well-vetted using some of the most powerful and advanced background checks available.

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RESEARCH Workforce Development Helps Prepare Future Park and Recreation Leaders

By Melissa May

F

air and just access to high-quality parks and green spaces, recreation facilities, youth sports, and programs promotes healthy, resilient and economically vibrant communities. The success of these areas and services are a direct result of the tireless efforts of hundreds of thousands of park and recreation professionals and volunteers. These individuals, who come from myriad backgrounds and experiences, are important for the future of parks and recreation.

Park and recreation agencies must be intentional in building and retaining a diverse workforce that will lead the field into the future. Having a staff that reflects the communities they serve is critical in ensuring agency services, programs and amenities meet the public’s needs and desires. One way to do this is by exposing young people to the many career options in the field.

The latest NRPA research report, Workforce Development and Career Exploration at Parks and Recreation (nrpa.org/WorkforceDevelopment Report), looks at programs that connect youth and young adults to the possibilities of a park and recreation career. These programs take many forms, ranging from entry-level jobs or internships to specialized skilled-based training programs.

Workforce development and career exploration programs expose youth and young adults to a wide variety of occupations within the field, such as recreation programming, natural resource management, planning, operations and public safety. Program participants gain valuable work experience, build selfconfidence, develop foundational skills and learn how rewarding a park and recreation career can be.

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Parks & Recreation

Three in 10 park and recreation agencies currently offer a workforce development and/or career exploration program that targets teenagers, young adults and other people entering the labor force for the first time. Fifty-six percent of survey respondents from urban agencies report having one of these programs.

Park and recreation leaders view workforce development and career exploration programs as a key method to developing future professionals and leaders in the field. Many young adults have their first-ever job at a local park and recreation agency, providing not only a chance to earn money, but also a place where they can build self-confidence and gain valuable work experience. Forty-two percent of these leaders indicate that a critical goal of their agencies’ workforce development and career exploration programs is to recruit a more diverse agency staff.

Partnerships are essential to the success of many park and recreation workforce development and career exploration programs. Partners assist in recruiting participants, providing mentoring services, and providing financial and logistic support. Eightyeight percent of park and recreation agencies partner with one or more

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organizations (e.g., nonprofit organizations, local school systems, other non-school local government departments) to implement these programs.

Agency locale plays a large role in determining the type of workforce development partnership. Non-school local government departments are more common partners for urban agencies (77 percent) than for suburban (49 percent) or rural (36 percent) agencies. Conversely, an overwhelming majority of rural park and recreation agencies partner with their local school system (90 percent), well above the percentage of urban (53 percent) and suburban (54 percent) agencies that do so.

While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put a strain on workforce development and career exploration programs, sharply reducing the opportunities for youth and young adults to interact with current park and recreation professionals, opportunities do exist and planning for the future generation continues.

Park and recreation professionals indicate these programs are likely to become more common over the next few years. One in five park and recreation leaders is looking to establish workforce development and career exploration programs at their agencies within the next two years.

Sustainable funding, partnership development and increased training will ensure that these programs lead to an innovative and equitable future for parks and recreation.

Melissa May is NRPA’s Senior Research Manager (mmay@nrpa.org).

NRPA PARK PULSE

Parks and Recreation: Leaders of Vital Environmental Initiatives

6 in 7 U.S. adults support their local park

and recreation agency’s environmental efforts.

Top initiatives include:

Wildlife conservation

Environmental education

Nature resource management

Other environmental efforts widely supported by U.S. adults include alleviating climate change impacts, nurturing pollinator habitats and managing land for flood mitigation. Park and recreation professionals play a vital role in the protection of our environment through green infrastructure, conservation of public lands, wildlife habitat creation and more.

Each month, through a poll of 1,000 U.S. residents focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse helps tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted. The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com).

Visit nrpa.org/ParkPulse for more information.

FINANCE FOR THE FIELD Public-Private Partnership Models

By John L. Crompton, Ph.D.

I

n public-private partnerships, both a park and recreation department and its partner bring assets to a collaboration that make it a viable proposition. The deal structures for almost every joint venture are unique. However, many share enough common characteristics to allow several general frameworks to be identified.

This column focuses on four characteristics: outsourcing, public-sector leasing, leaseback from the private sector and takeover of failing private ventures. Four additional models will be described in next month’s column.

Outsourcing The park and recreation field has a long history of outsourcing, so the principle is well-accepted. However, the range of services now being outsourced has increased, as financial resources have been reduced.

While the focus is usually on direct cost savings, there are often other indirect benefits.

Outsourcing frees department staff time for other purposes. It not only saves money, but also removes the headaches and hassles associated with day-to-day management.

One manager in the context of concessions noted that these included: “scheduling of part-time employees, purchasing perishable foodstuffs or imported souvenirs, determining what stands to open and for how

long, determining whether the sanitation policies are enforced, determining who might be stealing cash.”

On a similar theme, another manager observed: “I am not suggesting that people who work in food and beverage are one iota more dishonest than anyone else, but these staff are dealing in cash, food and drinks. I can’t think of three more temptingly tradeable or consumable commodities handled together.”

Further, departments do not have the freedom to establish autonomous purchasing and personnel procedures, which a contractor can do.

This freedom is especially important in revenue-producing services, where success often depends on an ability to respond rapidly to changes in market volume and preference.

In public-private partnerships, both a park and recreation department and its partner bring assets to a collaboration that make it a viable proposition.

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Public-Sector Leasing This uses the department’s land bank as leverage to stimulate private-sector investment. The usual model is for a partner to inject initial capital investment to create or improve facilities in exchange for the resulting cash flow for a fixed period, a proportion of which is shared with the department.

NRPA board member Jack Kardys offered an example in the August 2015 issue of Parks & Recreation.

The Miami-Dade Department of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces partnered with a private company that invested more than $3 million in developing and operating smallsided soccer fields at three of the department’s parks. The department received a guaranteed minimum fee and a percentage of gross revenues.

The business model included stateof-the-art floodlit facilities, afterschool and summer camp programs, and youth and adult soccer fields.

Many agencies have partnered with waterslide suppliers that install and operate waterslides at their pools at no charge and share the accrued revenues. Similarly, a growing number of departments are partnering with healthcare providers and hospitals to incorporate preventive and rehabilitation facilities into a recreation center’s traditional fitness operations.

Leaseback From the Private Sector It is not unusual for governments to lease office facilities from the private sector. A similar approach can be used to fulfill equipment or

facility needs without paying large capital sums upfront or seeking a bond issue. Because it is built with more expensive private capital rather than tax-exempt bonds and incorporates the partner’s profit margin, the cost to the city will be higher than if the city had financed it. However, the low interest rate for borrowing money that has prevailed in recent years means the advantage of tax-exempt bonds is currently relatively small.

In broad terms, leasebacks can be classified into two categories: build and transfer (BT) or build, own and operate (BOO). In both cases, the financing of construction is borne entirely by the private partner and the facility is leased to the department at a previously negotiated annual fee. A major advantage of this approach is that there are no change orders.

In the BT model, the partner’s responsibility ends with the construction of the facility, whereas a BOO agreement requires the partner not only to design, build and finance a facility, but also to operate, maintain and renovate it for the lease period. The BOO option provides a guaranteed budget for the length of the lease, which is an appealing feature for some cities.

A partnership between the city of Dublin, Ohio, and the Columbus (Ohio) Chill ice hockey team owners partially used this approach to develop a $3.3 million indoor ice rink. The city agreed to the Chill building and operating the ice arena on an eight-acre parcel of city land, and in return leased back 20 percent of the ice time to the city. The city received use of a state-of-the-art facility for its residents and a regional attrac

tion that lures thousands of ice hockey fans to the city to attend tournaments and annual events.

Takeover of Failed Private Ventures The takeover of a faltering private recreation facility may be an opportunity to retain a community asset that would otherwise be lost.

Taking over facilities, such as golf courses, ski facilities, softball complexes or ice rinks, is consistent with the public’s image of what a department typically offers and, therefore, is unlikely to be controversial.

A department may be able to operate a facility that commercially fails for two reasons. First, the facility would not have to yield a return on equity, however, it could be operated either as a self-sufficient entity (without the return on investment) or with a tax subsidy.

Second, it is possible it can be acquired for substantially less than the original cost, making annual debt repayments less onerous. For example, if a bank forecloses on a recreation facility, it may take an offer from a city to purchase it at (say) half of its original cost, so the bank could recoup some of the outstanding loan amount on the property.

By enabling the facility to continue operating, the bank would contribute to the community’s quality of life and enhance its image as a good corporate citizen.

Join the Spring 2021 Urban Park Roundtable!

A P R I L 2 9 –3 0 , 2 0 2 1

The Institute for Urban Parks will convene urban park professionals to explore and develop the “next practices” in urban park management. This free, virtual conference will include guest speakers from a variety of urban park organizations across North America.

To learn more about the Urban Park Roundtable and register for the event, visit centralparknyc.org/roundtable

John L. Crompton, Ph.D., is a University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University and an elected Councilmember for the City of College Station (jcrompton@tamu.edu).

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ADVOCACY

Local governments and their park and recreation departments need to receive more attention and funding from the federal government as we continue to recover from COVID-19.

The Case for Local Relief

By Kathy Maness

M

arch marked the passage of one year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s catastrophic impacts on life in the United States. As we look back, one often-forgotten sector has been profoundly impacted, but has received little attention from Washington, D.C. — local governments.

Local governments provide infrastructure in our communities that is appreciated but expected, including local park and recreation facilities.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the average local government has experienced a 20 percent drop in revenues, while simultaneously experiencing nearly a 20 percent increase in expenditures. This sudden disparity between demand for services and capacity to meet that demand has brought many cities near their breaking point. Local governments have been forced to cut jobs to offset revenue loss. This has been a serious problem since the beginning of the

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pandemic, but it came to a head when nearly 25 percent of the 140,000 jobs lost nationwide during December were local government jobs.

One issue that has impeded progress on the matter is that state and local governments are often lumped together in discussions surrounding relief. While both types of government have experienced significant revenue shortfalls during the pandemic, their funding mechanisms are much different.

State government revenues rely primarily on capital gains taxes, which have responded more quickly due to the stock market’s tendency to

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rebound at a faster rate than the real economy. Local government revenues are predominantly financed by intergovernmental transfers, property taxes and sales taxes, and, as such, are far more reliant on local economic conditions than activity on Wall Street. Congress must recognize this as it seeks to provide relief.

The timeliness of federal response to local needs also is fundamentally important during a crisis like COVID-19. The expeditious allocation of federal funds to local governments is critical to maintain stable services until economic conditions rebound to normal levels.

In 2020, the lengthy pause in talks regarding additional stimulus was incredibly harmful.

The initial aid passed in early 2020 was insufficient to keep our towns and cities providing essential services

for what now has been more than a year of lockdown measures, and many local governments received no funding at all. According to the National League of Cities’ November 2020 survey results (tinyurl. com/2ao8lfeu), a staggering 29 percent of local governments, estimated to represent greater than 6,000 cities, towns and villages, received no funding at all from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Without remedy from the federal government, sustained reductions in revenues inevitably lead local governments to make last-resort decisions that help in the short term, but hurt over time. They are forced to make cuts by furloughing and terminating employees, as well as eliminating whole programs or offices.

Despite facing such adversity, local park and recreation departments proved themselves to be more essential than ever. Local parks allowed people a respite from the grief, anxiety and isolation caused by the pandemic. They also provided people with a COVID-19-safe environment to exercise and spend leisure time.

Access to safe recreation spaces is critical for child development and is important to the mental and physical health of adults and seniors.

While parks are essential to community members, access to the outdoors, unfortunately, is not shared evenly. Parks and open spaces are few and far between in too many communities. According to The Trust for Public Land, 100 million U.S. residents, including 28 million chil-

dren, do not have a park within a 10minute walk of home (tinyurl.com/ retdu356). Access to high-quality parks often is inequitably split along racial lines. We cannot wait any longer to address this inequity.

Local governments and their park and recreation departments need to receive more attention and funding from the federal government as we continue to recover from COVID-19.

If we are going to truly build back better, stronger and more equitably, then relief must be provided at the community level. Local governments and their staff need consistent, reliable support from the federal government during times of crisis.

Kathy Maness is a Councilmember for Lexington, South Carolina, and President of the National League of Cities (advocacy@nlc.org).

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Can Parks Leverage Libraries?

How park and recreation agencies can enhance services by working smarter with libraries

By Noah Lenstra, Ph.D., MLIS, and Teresa L. Penbrooke, Ph.D., CPRE

P

“

arks and libraries and learning: There are so many overlaps and compatibilities. ...When we work together, we get a greater good.” — James (Jim) E. Ziemnik, director of Lorain County (Ohio) Metro Parks

When Anastasia DiamondOrtiz, CEO and director of the Lorain Public Library, came to the county in 2016, one of the first things she did was meet with Metro Parks Assistant Director Jennifer Bracken. The two talked about active transportation.

“We just had a great conversation trying to figure out how we could support that in the community,” remembers Diamond-Ortiz.

“Several years ago, I got to know Anastasia very well on a streetscape project. We’ve done a variety of projects together,” Ziemnik recalls. “Our staff had formed relationships years ago that focused on getting families and children to the

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS

Finding Common Ground

The Little Library on the Lake houses various games and sports equipment, all of which are available to be checked out using a library card.

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beach, to the parks, for story time.”

Over the years, navigating this partnership has not always been smooth sailing.

“I think there are some people who will question it from a purist point of view. Why do you work with the library if you’re a parks person?” says Ziemnik. “I think that is just a parochial point of view. People don’t see those compounding benefits; when we work together, we get a greater good.”

“For us, it was just a matter of trying to talk to the board and to the community, and to our staff, so that everyone understands that this is really a shared cost,” says DiamondOrtiz.

Lorain County Metro Parks and the library found common ground centered around the promotion of health and wellness. Both had preexisting relationships with the local health department, which served as a third key partner, providing crucial financial assistance and logistical advice.

“Our worlds came together [through] the conduit of the health district, with which we both have very strong relationships,” says Ziemnik. “We are three organizations, and through a compound-

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ing of talents and reach, we get so many more benefits.”

Early and open conversations built a climate of trust and transparency, which eventually led to the Go Lorain Bike Share (tinyurl.com/ 7b18k8ni), a collaboration with Lorain County Public Health, Lorain County Metro Parks and the Lorain County Community Action Agency.

As the partnership expanded, it evolved into the Little Library on the Lake, which is modeled on the Cleveland Public Library’s Book Box, which sits on the beach at Edgewater Park as part of a partnership between that library and Cleveland Metroparks. It houses various games and sports equipment, such as bocce ball, horseshoes, soccer balls, tennis rackets, badminton sets, bird-watching kits, and bikes, helmets and bike locks. All items are available to be checked out using a library card. Visitors also can take advantage of the Little Library’s free Wi-Fi, which covers the entire beach. During Summer 2020, the library had nearly 1,000 checkouts.

Collaborating Through a Pandemic When the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit, the partners did not initially know if they’d be able to continue the Little Library on the Lake project. The project’s success in the middle of a pandemic reflects the commitment of staff in both organizations.

“I’ve seen passion from everyone

on both sides for doing this project,” says Diamond-Ortiz. “This is really a shared cost. It’s not like in the middle of a pandemic we’re going out and assuming all of that risk ourselves; it was important to everyone to know that lots of people in the community wanted this and we’re sharing the cost, whether that’s monetary or sweat equity.”

Ziemnik adds, “We’ve continued to push as hard as we can on these types of collaborations and to make them successful, because we serve the same people in many ways.”

pact! Collective impact is the commitment of multiple sectors to work together toward a common agenda.

Listen to the full conversation between the authors, Ziemnik and DiamondOrtiz, at tinyurl.com/2jclrgge.

Noah Lenstra, Ph.D., MLIS, is the Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science and Director of the Let’s Move in Libraries initiative (letsmoveinlibraries.org), at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education, where he is an Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science (lenstra@uncg.edu). Teresa L. Penbrooke, Ph.D., CPRE, is the Director of the Healthy Communities Research Group and Educator for GP RED (gpred.org), and CEO and Founder of GreenPlay, LLC, (greenplayllcc.com)(teresap@greenplayllc.com).

Lessons Learned Some of the key lessons gleaned from these examples include: Start small and build. The logistical work needed to bring Library Storytime and StoryWalk programming to parks paved the way for larger, more complex initiatives like the Little Library on the Lake.

Similarly, the relationship building that Ziemnik and Diamond-Ortiz established by working together on a streetscape community planning project set the stage for interinstitutional collaboration.

Know your partner. The more two partners can understand about how the other operates, the greater the likelihood of success, and the smaller the likelihood of challenges. It is also helpful to talk early on about what will happen if the project or program doesn’t work, and how you’ll support each other if the worst occurs.

Be transparent. The critical foundations of trust and open communication, which must occur at both the administrative level and the staff level, can be used to build and to reaffirm relationships over time.

Communicate collective im

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EQUITY

Virtual volunteer events offer a low-barrier way to engage people from communities of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other groups that are often underrepresented on public lands.

Using Virtual Volunteering to Engage Diverse Communities

By Tony Richardson

T

he coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic fundamentally changed the way U.S. residents were able to engage with public lands. From iconic national parks to local urban green spaces, physical distancing requirements meant that many public lands would not be able to host in-person outreach and community engagement events. This had a significant impact on nationally recognized events like National Public Lands Day (NPLD) — one of the nation’s largest single-day volunteer efforts.

In response to physical distancing requirements, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) launched the NPLD virtual event sponsorship. The sponsorship was designed to support innovative virtual events that connect the public to local parks, national forests and other public lands and waters during the annual NPLD celebration. These events served as a great alternative for park professionals who were uncomfortable with in-person events;

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or who were not allowed to host inperson events due to physical distancing requirements in their area.

What Is Virtual Volunteering?

Virtual volunteering refers to volunteer activities completed, in whole or in part, using the internet and a computer or other internetconnected device, such as a smartphone or tablet. It allows anyone with internet access to contribute

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time and expertise to nonprofit organizations, land management agencies and other entities that utilize volunteer services.

Park professionals and land managers from across the country are beginning to turn to virtual volunteer activities to connect diverse audiences to their public land sites. This type of volunteering has helped land management agencies cultivate community support — especially in times of great disruption, such as COVID-19.

Connecting to Diverse Communities While NEEF originally launched this sponsorship opportunity to support safe and physically distant activities on NLPD, we learned that

virtual volunteer events also provide an ideal opportunity to engage diverse audiences. The nature of virtual volunteer events offers a low-barrier way to engage people from communities of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other groups that are often underrepresented on public lands. Following are real-world examples of two innovative virtual NPLD events that specifically impacted diverse communities: Bringing the Outdoors to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Communities – Latino Outdoors (Fresno Region) hosted a virtual tour of the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area (Mono Basin) located in Lee Vining, California, to celebrate NPLD 2020. The event highlighted the unique landscape and prominent features of the area. While the Mono Basin historically attracts upwards of 200,000 visitors a year, social and economic disparities have long limited the accessibility for BIPOC communities. While in normal years it is difficult, even impossible, for many BIPOC folks to visit a remote and beautiful destination, such as the Mono Basin, COVID-19 has further limited travel and economic resources, giving even more reason to highlight the lack of access to public lands. While this event was open to all people, Latino Outdoors’ outreach efforts were directed at members of the Latino community and members of other communities underrepresented in the outdoor recreation space. Latino Outdoors partnered with staff from the Mono Lake Committee and other local experts from the region to provide accurate and informative ecological information about the area. The overall goal of this event was to “bring the outdoors” to BIPOC communities and provide opportunities for meaningful community engagement and environmental education.

Virtual Group Cycling With Diverse Leaders – In celebration of NPLD, the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) hosted a series of virtual bike rides that brought together people from different corners of the United States for “group rides” through iconic public land sites. In total, nearly 20 “group rides” occured across the country on NPLD. To help reach a larger and more diverse audience, ACA chose to have each group ride led by people from underrepresented communities — Black, Indigenous, Latino, LGBTQ+ or people with disabilities. Each event leader was asked to engage at least three people from their community to join the group ride. ACA provided small stipends to each group leader to be used in any way that helped them organize their event. The purpose of this series of events was to highlight bicycle travel experiences of people from underrepresented communities and give

them an opportunity to enjoy the adventure and camaraderie of a bicycle journey in an environment that is welcoming, and with a ride leader who they can identify with.

Extending the Reach of Public Lands With Virtual Volunteering The rise of virtual volunteering has opened new pathways for all segments of the U.S. population to engage with public lands and waters without leaving home. While in-person volunteering always will be in high demand, the increased use of technology has made virtual volunteering an emerging trend. Many people who search for virtual volunteer opportunities are looking for volunteer opportunities that they can complete at home or work.

This may be due to time constraints, personal preference, disability or because they do not feel comfortable volunteering in person. By their very nature, virtual events can help eliminate these barriers to participation and help land management agencies reach new people.

Tony Richardson is Director of Public Lands Engagement for the National Environmental Education Foundation (trichardson@ neefusa.org).

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An advocacy group and several people experiencing homelessness filed a class action suit against the City and County of Denver and several of their officials.

Due Process Notice for COVID-19 Sweeps at a Homeless Encampment

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

I

n the case of Denver Homeless Out Loud v. Denver, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13027 (Dist. Colo. 1/25/2021), an advocacy group for the homeless and several people experiencing homelessness filed a class action suit against the City and County of Denver (Denver) and several of their officials. In their complaint, plaintiffs Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) and the individuals experiencing homelessness alleged that Denver officials had “swept numerous homeless encampments around Denver with either no or insufficient notice, and have seized or disposed of homeless individuals’ property without due process.”

In addition, DHOL claimed Denver officials had “political motives for providing insufficient notice, including not wanting to alert those who might want to protest the sweeps.” DHOL further alleged that Denver had made at least 11 sweeps during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including a sweep of Lincoln Park on July 29,

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2020. In so doing, DHOL alleged Denver had violated constitutional guarantees against deprivation of property without due process under the 14th Amendment.

As described by DHOL, the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated the detrimental effects of the sweeps and endangered the lives of these displaced individuals. In-

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stead of living in encampments, DHOL alleged the sweeps had forced many people experiencing homelessness to live in congregate shelters, which might increase the risk for the homeless, as well as the community at large to contract COVID-19 based upon guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In part, Denver’s displacement of homeless encampments was being carried out through enforcement of the Denver “Camping Ban” ordinance, which prohibited unauthorized camping on public property. According to Denver officials, “camping bans and encumbrance ordinances were not regularly enforced early in the pandemic.”

Denver officials, however, found significant health concerns arose as encampments grew and living conditions deteriorated. In Lincoln Park, Denver noted “members of that encampment dismantled security cameras, street lighting, and the sprinkler system.” Moreover, considerable amounts of food waste, trash, human waste and used needles had accumulated. As a result, a pre-existing rat infestation had become the worst rodent infestation in Denver’s recent history.

In addition, there was widespread open use and trade of drugs, and increasing incidents of violence. On July 22, 2020, the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) conducted voluntary COVID-19 testing and found a 2 percent positivity rate. On July 23, 2020, one person was killed, and two others were seriously wounded in a shooting in Lincoln Park.

Twice, Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) Park Rangers observed someone in Lincoln Park shooting a handgun in the air.

According to Denver officials, they had “tried to strike a reasonable balance between being sensitive to the people experiencing homelessness in the encampments and the need to remediate the significant public health and safety risks.” Beginning in mid- to lateMarch 2020, the Denver Police Department (DPD) Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) advised individuals experiencing homelessness living in encampments about physical distancing and symptom monitoring. According to the supervisor of DPD’s HOT, “people in the encampments did not listen” and failed to “socially distance or follow other [COVID-19] guide

lines, including having their tents in very close proximity.”

As a result, on July 27, 2020, Park Rangers, Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) employees and other outreach workers began to advise individuals experiencing homelessness in the Lincoln Park encampment that a temporary closure of the location was imminent and offered connections to services, storage, shelter and transportation.

DHOL, however, claimed there was no advance written notice of the actual sweep on July 29, 2020.

Instead, on the morning of the sweep, DDPHE posted a written area restriction notice, stating Lincoln Park was being closed immediately due to a public health and safety emergency. According to DHOL, the notice did not identify or describe the emergency, or provide clarity whether the emergency was related to public health and safety.

Preliminary Injunction In its lawsuit, DHOL requested that the federal district court issue an injunction prohibiting Denver officials from conducting sweeps, or other displacement of encampments of individuals experiencing homelessness “at least until public health authorities have determined that the COVID-19 pandemic is over”; i.e., “when the state of emergency ends in the State of Colorado as issued by Governor Polis.” In addition, DHOL requested that the court issue an order requiring Denver to provide restrooms, sanitation services (including trash services and personal hygiene facilities, as well as handwashing stations) to individuals experiencing homelessness in the encampments. Further,

the requested injunction would prohibit Denver from conducting sweeps without at least a seven-day written notice. Under the requested injunction, Denver also would be prohibited from discarding and/or destroying unabandoned property of individuals experiencing homelessness in the encampments.

As noted by the federal district court, DHOL had to establish the following to obtain the requested preliminary injunction: (1) a substantial likelihood that DHOL would eventually prevail at trial on the merits of their case; (2) that DHOL would suffer irreparable injury unless the injunction was issued; (3) that the threatened injury to DHOL outweighed whatever damage the proposed injunction might cause Denver; and (4) that the injunction, if issued, would not be adverse to the public interest.

Due Process Notice As cited by the federal district court, in pertinent part, the 14th Amendment protects property: “No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.” U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1. As required by the constitutional guarantee of procedural due process under the 14th Amendment, the court would address the following two questions: first, “whether there exists a liberty or property interest which has been interfered with by the State”; and second, “whether the procedures attendant upon that deprivation were constitutionally sufficient.”

In this case, the court found the existence of a property interest was not in question because Denver had not challenged DHOL’s argument that individuals experiencing home-

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lessness had “a property interest in the sorts of items they fear will be seized in future sweeps.” Accordingly, the court would address the second procedural due process question, which would generally require the individuals experiencing homelessness at issue to “receive, at a minimum, notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them of property.”

Denver officials claimed notices of the area restrictions were posted the morning of the sweeps.

In so doing, the federal district court would consider the following factors to determine whether the government’s procedures provided an affected individual with due process: (1) the interests of the individual in retaining their property and the injury threatened by the official action; (2) the risk of error through the procedures used and probable value, if any, of additional or substitute procedural safeguards; and (3) the costs and administrative burden of the additional process, and the interests of the government in efficient adjudication.

In this particular instance, when Denver officials seized the property of the individuals experiencing homelessness, DHOL claimed Denver violated the procedural due process rights of individuals in the following three ways: (1) Denver officials provided no (or deficient) notice prior to seizing their property, (2) Denver officials summarily discarded (and destroyed) the property of these 30 Parks & Recreation

individuals experiencing homelessness without any process for challenging the destruction, and (3) post-deprivation, Denver officials did not provide an adequate process for DHOL to challenge the seizure of the property of these homeless individuals or retrieve their property.

In so doing, DHOL claimed Denver’s “underlying basis for the lack of notice was that people might come to the encampments and protest.” DHOL contested the legal validity of Denver’s apparent rationale. According to DHOL, “public scrutiny and the threat of First Amendment activity is not a reasonable basis for failing to adequately provide advance notice.”

In response, Denver officials disputed the alleged lack of sufficiency of the notice provided, because individuals experiencing homelessness at Lincoln Park were warned by park rangers of “the impending sweeps and need to move.” Specifically, Denver officials claimed notices of the area restrictions were posted the morning of the sweeps. In addition, when individuals experiencing homelessness were told they had to leave, Denver officials claimed “no one was rushed or intentionally denied re-entry to the area to collect personal property.” One individual, however, stated notices were “posted on RVs at the encampment, but no one spoke to anyone who had tents at the encampment.”

As noted by the federal district court, Denver officials did not dispute that these individuals experiencing homelessness had “a possessory interest in their personal property which was located at encampments.” Moreover, the court acknowledged that “tents

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and non-contaminated blankets are necessary to protect individuals from rain and extreme weather.”

Denver officials had stated that “all non-hazardous, unattended personal belongings were stored, and to the extent they were inadvertently disposed of, property owners could file an [online] claim for reimbursement with Denver.”

At least one individual, however, claimed Denver officials had disposed of his unabandoned, uncontaminated property in the sweep.

Insufficient Notice In pretrial evidence, the federal district court found that DHOL had presented sufficient declarations and testimony to establish that there was a significant risk that Denver officials would erroneously deprive individuals of their property in sweeps of the encampment at Lincoln Park. In particular, the court noted that evidence indicated individuals experiencing homelessness at Lincoln Park had “only received notice of the sweeps early on the morning they occurred.”

According to testimony from one individual living at the Lincoln Park encampment, he received no notice that the area would be swept until “he woke up and saw Denver officials and trash trucks” on the morning of July 29, 2020.

In the opinion of the federal district court, procedures for providing notice of an area restriction by the DDPHE “did not afford homeless individuals sufficient time to remove their property from designated areas such that they might avoid seizure.” Given “such limited notice as was provided for the DDPHE area restrictions,” the court found individuals

experiencing homelessness “had little time to collect and remove their belongings prior to the commencement of the sweeps.” Based upon testimony of these individuals, including plaintiff Lamb, the court found Denver’s procedures for providing notice “amounted to effectively no notice whatsoever”: For homeless individuals like Lamb, even if they are present during a sweep, they may not be able to move all of their property quickly enough to avoid seizure.

Lamb gathered a small amount of his belongings, moved them a few blocks away, but by the time he was able to return to Lincoln Park, it was enclosed by the six-foot high fence, and Denver officials refused to let him reenter. Lamb “watched from behind the fence as Denver officials took his property, threw it into a trash truck, and destroyed it.”

Similarly, the court found other individuals who were not physically present at an encampment during an area restriction risked having all of their property seized.

In addition, the federal district court found that Denver’s current procedures did not appear to afford individuals experiencing homelessness a meaningful way to recover confiscated property. While these individuals appeared to have some recourse in finding their property in storage, or recovering its value through a claim reimbursement, the court found this process carried “serious risks”: For instance, one homeless individual was told by a Denver official that his property might have been stored, he went to the storage facility, only to have EHS [Environmental Health and Safety] tell him they had stored no property on Septem

In pretrial evidence, the federal district court found that DHOL had presented sufficient declarations and testimony to establish that there was a significant risk that Denver officials would erroneously deprive individuals of their property in sweeps of the encampment at Lincoln Park.

ber 15, 2020. Another individual, Marcos Sepulveda, testified that after losing property in a sweep, he submitted a reimbursement claim, but was told there was not enough evidence for reimbursement because “they didn’t think they’re liable.”

In conducting DDPHE-led area restrictions with only morning-of notice, the court concluded the limited process afforded by the Denver officials carried “a significant risk that homeless individuals have been and will be erroneously deprived of property.” In the opinion of the court, these homeless individuals would have had “a better chance to protect the property critical to their survival” if Denver officials had “provided homeless individuals with additional advance notice of sweeps.”

Significant Public Health Interest Having considered the notice requirement of procedural due

process, the federal district court then examined “the government’s interest at stake in conducting these sweeps.” In so doing, the court acknowledged: “The government’s overarching interest here — maintaining public health and safety — is unquestionably significant.”

Not only must the Denver officials handle the extraordinary task of navigating the Denver community through the COVID-19 pandemic, but they must simultaneously address those challenges in the context of Denver’s homeless population and the growth of encampments throughout the city.

As described by Denver officials, “Lincoln Park had deteriorated and included large amounts of trash and food waste, a rat infestation, improperly discarded syringes, and safety concerns for workers trying to clean the park.”

Moreover, Denver’s decision regarding the timing of the notice

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for the Lincoln Park area restrictions was prompted by safety concerns. Earlier, when DDPHE had provided advance notice, a group of protestors had come to the site.

According to Denver officials, these protestors were aggressive, shouted and tried to enter the areas secured by the police. Denver officials claimed that these protesters had “created security challenges and led to concerns for the safety of the team working to implement the area restriction.”

However, when asked to articulate why the written notice of the Lincoln Park area restriction was posted no earlier than the morning of the day of the sweep, the responsible official had simply said, “[W]e felt that it was safer to provide notice the day of.” Accordingly, written notice was only posted early in the morning on July 29, 2020, the day of the sweep.

Despite “substantial challenges” and safety concerns, in the opinion of the court, Denver officials had not effectively demonstrated that the government’s significant inter-

est justified “providing written notice no earlier than the morning of DDPHE area restriction sweeps.”

More Procedural Protections As a result, based upon the totality of pretrial evidence, the federal district court found that “the area restriction sweeps demanded more procedural protections than the Denver officials afforded DHOL and the homeless individuals at issue.” Under the circumstances, the court found DHOL and the individuals experiencing homelessness effectively received no advance notice of the Lincoln Park sweep.

While acknowledging “the importance of Denver’s governmental interest in preserving public health,” the federal district court found “the decision of DDPHE managers to conduct the sweeps at issue in the manner that they did were not based on actual, scientific, or evidence-based, public health concerns.” Instead, the court found that the decision to conduct these area restrictions with effectively

The court found a preliminary injunction would be appropriate in this case because “it is always in the public interest to prevent the violation of a party’s constitutional rights.”

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no advance notice to the residents of the affected encampments were actually based on “the possibility of additional (and vociferous) public scrutiny and the threat of First Amendment protected activity, and these managers’ preference to avoid [the] same.”

Further, within the context of the collection or destruction of the possessions of people experiencing homelessness that are left unattended in a public space, the federal district court acknowledged that “courts have found that minimally, the municipality must provide advance notice and a meaningful way to collect the property.” In this particular instance, despite outreach workers’ attempts to communicate with those living in the affected encampments before the sweeps, the court found testimony from the affected individuals experiencing homelessness “made it quite plain that they remained to a very great degree unaware that the sweeps were imminent, thus leaving them without sufficient notice or time to gather their belongings and avoid seizure.”

While the Denver officials may have articulated in broad terms the public health reasons for undertaking the area restrictions in the first instance, in the opinion of the federal district court, Denver officials had not “demonstrated that the timing of their notice procedures had a basis in anything other than a bureaucratic pronouncement of DDPHE managers, one devoid of any basis in medical science.” In particular, the court found no evidence to indicate that the public health situation in the Lincoln Park encampment was “so exigent that

effectively no advance notice was required before depriving Plaintiffs of most, if not all, of the meager property in their possession.”

Further, the court found no evidence to indicate that Denver officials “could not accomplish the same goal of remediating the encampments and the health threats they allegedly posed if DDPHE had instead given even 48 hours’ advance notice to encampment residents.”

Accordingly, the federal district court held DHOL and the individuals experiencing homelessness at issue had “met their burden of showing a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their procedural due process claim” to warrant an injunction against Denver officials conducting sweeps with little or no notice during the pandemic.

Irreparable Harm As noted by the federal district court: “A showing of probable irreparable harm is the single most important prerequisite for the issuance of a preliminary injunction.”

In this particular instance, the court found DHOL had met the burden of establishing irreparable harm based on pretrial testimony of individuals experiencing homelessness alleging violations of their 14th Amendment procedural due process rights.

After the seizure of his property in a sweep, one individual testified that he had “nothing but the clothes on his back and he had to try to make a tree into a shelter because it started blizzarding that night.” Another individual whose property was seized and destroyed in the sweep of Lincoln Park stat

ed that he was forced to sleep on the streets without a tent. This individual slept unsheltered on a median for multiple nights because he feared being swept again.

Based upon this pretrial testimony, the federal district court concluded that these individuals experiencing homelessness would suffer irreparable harm if an injunction was not issued. Absent an injunction in favor of DHOL, the court found it likely that “vital possessions, such as tents, blankets, tarps, and other items necessary to survive outside in the elements, particularly during the winter in Colorado, will be seized and potentially destroyed without sufficient advance notice.” Further, the court found a preliminary injunction would be appropriate in this case because “it is always in the public interest to prevent the violation of a party’s constitutional rights.”

Narrow Pandemic Injunction In requiring “a specific amount of notice before a sweep,” the court was “mindful” of Denver’s concern that a preliminary injunction would “to some degree limit Denver’s health experts from making decisions to combat the spread of disease and the deterioration of public health.” Moreover, the court recognized that “the City is facing a pandemic with constantly evolving scientific understanding and policymaking.” That being said, based upon the pretrial record, the federal district court found that Denver officials had “not come close to demonstrating that a requirement of at least seven days’ notice before an encampment sweep will preclude it from

The federal district court concluded that these individuals experiencing homelessness would suffer irreparable harm if an injunction was not issued. fulfilling its duty to protect public health and safety.” Accordingly, to ensure DHOL’s “procedural due process rights are protected,” and Denver officials “are not unduly restrained in their ability to maintain the public health and safety,” the federal district court decided to “issue the narrowest injunction possible” which provided, in pertinent part, as follows: The Denver Defendants shall provide to all residents of affected homeless encampments not less than seven days’ advance written notice prior to initiating a largescale encumbrance cleanup performed by DOTI [Department of Transportation and Infrastructure], or a DDPHE-ordered temporary area restriction of such encampments.

In addition, prior to any sweep, the court’s preliminary injunction would require Denver officials to provide advance notice of any sweep to DHOL’s attorney. Further, any sweep with less than seven days’ advance notice would require Denver officials to obtain a written determination from state and local public health officials that a public health or safety risk existed based on “reasonable, evidence-based reasons.”

James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Sport, Recreation and Tourism Management at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu.edu).

Link to law review articles archive (1982 to present): mason. gmu.edu/~jkozlows.

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Parks and Recreation Fends Off

Wild Park and recreation professionals across the United States protect local land and communities from wildfire

By Jennifer Fulcher

W

hen a wildfire, known as the Holiday Farm Fire, swept across Oregon in September 2020, staff at Willamalane Park and Recreation District in Springfield, Oregon, had to take on new roles in the community: disaster responders.

Even though the wildfire stopped about six miles away from the park district’s borders, locals experienced a tense week of thick smoke, air quality warnings, mandatory evacuations and the imminent threat of a destructive wildfire.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY (NORTH CAROLINA) PARK AND RECREATION

fire During a prescribed fire in North Carolina, a firebreak keeps the fire contained and under control.

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“It was terrifying, but it was also really inspiring to see how people jumped in,” Kenny Weigandt, community engagement manager at the Willamalane Park and Recreation District, recalls. “The smoke and the ash really caused a huge, prolonged issue for us.”

Experience responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic proved helpful in the district’s response to the wildfire. Many staff were able to continue coordinating relief efforts because of the remote-work technology and policy that they had implemented for COVID-19. The district also had a crisis communication plan ready. This plan includes a process for communicating updates to staff first during a disaster — which includes anything from wildfire and floods to medical events and COVID-19 to security breaches — and sharing this information to the public and media outlets.

The district became an informa-

tion hub for the community and press. People were encouraged to stay indoors to minimize exposure to the hazardous air, updated about the status of the wildfire and given information about where to donate and access resources. “We were connected to partner agencies and were able to help joint communication,” Weigandt says.

Coming Together for a Collective Response As a relatively large district with 46 parks and four indoor facilities, the Willamalane Park and Recreation District decided to put some of its resources to good use during the crisis. It designated two of its indoor facilities, the Bob Keefer Center and Adult Activity Center, as smoke respite shelters. The district quickly found out that it needed air scrubbers to clean the smoke out of its HVAC system, which was pulling outside air into the building.

The city of Springfield provided air

scrubbers to the district so it could continue operating these facilities as daytime shelters. These facilities provided access to clean air and water, restrooms, Wi-Fi and parking. “It was really valuable for people who needed it,” Weigandt says.

“The most important thing that we learned during this is you have to rely on your partnerships with other municipalities or likeminded agencies,” Weigandt says.

The district joined a collective community response, communicating and coordinating relief efforts with the Red Cross, local school district, neighboring park agencies, utility board and the health department. Through this effort, the district learned that firefighters needed a site to stage response that was outside the burn zone but close enough to quickly get to the wildfire. The district offered one of its park areas and firefighters used that location to coordinate efforts and take breaks between shifts.

King County Prepares for Wildfires

PHOTO COURTESY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION

Increasing numbers of wildfire events are prompting many park and recreation agencies to prepare by gathering data and implementing plans. One such agency is King County Parks and Recreation in Seattle.

As a changing climate brings more flooding and tree stress, it also brings wildfires closer to the Puget Sound area in Washington state. “We’re seeing increasing evidence that we better be ready,” says Sarah Brandt, King County Parks open space government

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relations administrator. This evidence includes more frequent wildfire-smoke events.

King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (tinyurl.com/ 5l3psgee), updated in 2020, offers guidance for preparing for and responding to climate change. The plan outlines the county’s 30-Year Forest Plan and its 3 Million Trees initiative that includes not only planting new trees, but also protecting current forested landscapes — which can mean thinning aging forest stands to improve resiliency, according to Brandt. “[It’s] King County’s effort to, hopefully, lift all boats and provide support where we can to our partners who are also managing forests,” she notes.

Another piece of the Strategic Climate Action Plan is the King County Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy, which will look at wildfire risk reduction comprehensively, says Lara Whitely Binder, King County Climate Preparedness program manager. “We will be providing recommendations related to what we could be doing to improve forest health, what we could be doing to manage wildfire risk at the wild and urban interface, and what we need to be doing to increase our capacity to respond to [a] wildfire when it occurs and to manage wildfire smoke impacts.”

Developing this strategy involves gathering information from experts in numerous fields across many organizations, which notably includes parks and recreation.

“There’s an incredible wealth of information and understanding of the landscape in park staff,” Whitely Binder says. The strategy, sched

PHOTO COURTESY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION

After a prescribed burn, trees remain unharmed and invasive underbrush is cleared from the nature preserves in North Carolina.

uled to be completed in the fall, also will include input from the U.S. Forest Service, tribes, public utilities, extension agents, permitting agencies, fire districts, emergency management and public health departments, the clean air agency and the state department of natural resources.

“As you see in King County, parks can have a really significant set of assets in terms of being the stewards of forested landscape,” Whitely Binder says. “I think there’s a strong role for parks departments at large to play in being part of the conversation around wildfire risk reduction, because they are stewards of forest landscapes that could be either affected by or a conduit for fire that’s moving across the landscape.”

King County’s wildfire preparation will have to look a little different than in other areas of the West, since the area has not evolved with wildfires. Recent fires are a new

occurrence because of climate change, Whitely Binder says. Large amounts of forest thinning and prescribed burns, a well-known tool to prevent wildfires, could radically change the local ecology and harm native species. That means a focus on managing areas that sit between the forests and residential communities and figuring out the best response for the local ecosystem, she explains.

California Park District Develops Incident Command Center Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District in Carmel, California, has seen several of its parks impacted by wildfire events, with portions of parkland containing burned vegetation. Currently, it is designing and developing an Incident Command Center (ICC) at one of its parks to help address future wildfires and other natural disasters. “The ICC is being planned in coordination with

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JEN VANDERHOOF, KING COUNTY

the state’s and region’s fire management authorities and offices of emergency management,” says Rafael Payan, general manager of the district. Fire response and other emergency crews will be able to use the ICC as a staging area. The district plans to begin constructing the ICC this summer. In the meantime, it has outlined plans to use its existing facilities as staging areas for disaster response and emergency housing, if necessary.

The ICC includes a two- to threeacre dog park that can be adapted as a wildfire response staging area.

It provides space for “pumpkins” or “portable swimming pool-like structures” that supply water for helicopters doing aerial water drops, Payan says. The space also could temporarily hold livestock displaced by fires.

The district’s wildfire preparation also includes establishing reliable water sources for firefighting, using grazing cattle to reduce the

vegetation that contributes to wildfire spread and installing exhibits that educate about the hazards of wildfires and the benefits of controlled burns. After wildfires, the district has used firebreaks as recreational trails and established aerial, drone and ground-photo resources to monitor ground-cover recovery, Payan says.

Prescribed Burns Help Wildfire Prevention in North Carolina On the East Coast, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation has a long-standing tradition with one common tool to reduce the likelihood of and risk from wildfires: prescribed burns. About 20 years ago, this North Carolina district started conducting prescribed burns to help prevent wildfires, says Christa Furtsch Rogers, Mecklenburg County Natural Resources manager. “We try and burn at least 500 acres of

our nature preserves annually, and a big part of that is for wildfire prevention.”

The program started as part of the county’s Piedmont Prairie Restoration Program to protect and restore several endangered plants on prairie lands that depend on fire for survival. This expanded to forested areas because the county saw the benefits in maintaining a more desirable composition of species and reducing the coverage of invasive species, Furtsch Rogers says. “It helps us cut down costs for treating those invasive plants, and we gain a lot of really positive benefits along the way, like improving wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling and encouraging herbaceous growth on the forest floor,” she explains.

The county’s Natural Resources Section manages the burns, which are made possible by working closely with numerous groups, including the North Carolina Forest Service, local fire departments, local air quality agency and the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council. The county notifies nearby landowners before a burn takes place and uses CharMeck Alerts (CharMeckAlerts.org) to update neighbors within a certain proximity of the burns. Furtsch Rogers recognizes the challenges of gaining support from public officials and the public for a new prescribed burn program. “Take any opportunity to show people the risks of wildfire and the benefits of prescribed fire,” she says. “It takes some trust-building, so start early.”

Native Americans Bring Fire Back to the Land Smoke from wildfire is becoming a more common problem for those in Seattle.

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Being able to conduct prescribed burns has two very important meanings for the Yurok Tribe in California. “The continuance of

our culture depends on putting fire on the land,” says Margo Robbins, member of the Yurok Tribe and executive director of the Cultural Fire Management Council. The Yurok people are basket weavers, and this culturally important activity relies on using hazel sticks that are produced after hazel bushes are burned. “The art of basket weaving was dying because of fire exclusion and the fire suppression policy that has been in place for over 100 years,” Robbins says.

Fire suppression of the past also has riddled the tribe’s mountain terrain with an extremely dense underbrush. This made the community concerned for its elders.

“We live in a very remote region,” Robbins says. If a wildfire occurred, they worried the elders might not be able to escape. “For those two reasons, we started down this path to reclaim our right to use fire,” she explains.

“Our first burn took place on seven acres in a traditional hazel gathering place and was celebrated by the entire community,” Robbins says. The need to continue these burns resulted in the 2013 formation of the Cultural Fire Management Council, a community-based nonprofit composed primarily of tribal members.

Because the tribe’s ancestral territory spans a half-a-million acres, the group began working on conducting larger burns through The Nature Conservancy’s Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges (TREX) program. The program invites firefighters to places across the country that need prescribed burns and provides them with real-world

PHOTO COURTESY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION

A Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation staff member helps conduct a prescribed burn.

training. Through the program, the council hosts two TREX burns a year, with up to 30. Tribal members also have received training and help families conduct small burns around their homes, clearing underbrush from their personal property. In seven years of burning, there have been no escapes, thanks to their training through the TREX program, Robbins says.

Prescribed burns require scraping a fire line around an area that will be burned, cutting the brush back and digging down to the soil for a buffer of many feet. The methodical process goes line by line across a landscape and places people to monitor and put out any sparks outside the fire line, Robbins says. “You keep control of it, and that’s the difference between a prescribed burn and wildfire," she adds.

Burns leave trees mostly unharmed and produces “biochar” that improves soil health and cleans the water that flows through it. New growth comes back faster,

and water becomes more plentiful since overgrowth does not demand the resource.

“I think it’s really important for anybody and everybody [who have] responsibility for tracks of land to learn how to take care of it in the best way possible,” Robbins says.

“Prescribed fire can be used to reduce the risk of wildfires, but also helps restore fire to natural areas that depend on it,” says Marek Smith, North America fire director with The Nature Conservancy. Communities living in fire-prone or adapted landscapes can explore this and other wildfire adaption practices (tinyurl.com/ lnofre9e) provided by the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network. If park and recreation agencies want to learn more, they can begin by getting involved in their state’s prescribed fire council (www.prescribedfire.net).

Jennifer Fulcher is NRPA’s Web Editor (jnguyen@nrpa.org).

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Born on the

The goal of the Houston Botanic Garden was to give Houstonians a serene setting where they could enjoy nature and experience the physical and emotional health benefits of spending time outdoors. Since opening, the garden has admitted more than 24,000 ticketed visitors and continues to welcome firsttime and returning guests every day.

Y BAO

By Ted Vuong, P.E., LEED A.P., ENV SP

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YOU H

ouston has long been a hub for visionary ideas in medicine, energy, manufacturing and aeronautics.

That same forward-thinking spirit inspired a group of Houstonians to work for more than 30 years to bring to their city a botanic garden like those they had witnessed firsthand having a positive impact in other communities around the globe.

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PHOTOS BY © BARRETT DOHERTY

How a golf course was repurposed into the worldclass Houston Botanic Garden

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B AY O U

By January 2015, that longheld vision became a reality when the Houston City Council unanimously approved a long-term lease agreement and partnership with the Houston Botanic Garden to transform the former Glenbrook Golf Course into a worldclass garden.

“They had a desire that Houston join in the growing interest in botanic gardens and add to the city’s ecosystem of cultural institutions by creating a world-class garden in Houston,” says Claudia Gee Vassar, president and general counsel at the Houston Botanic Garden.

Located near Hobby Airport, the site for the Houston Botanic Garden offered easy accessibility to the greater Houston region and the opportunity to develop the garden around the Sims Bayou in an area with little investment in green spaces or cultural amenities.

“The influence and integration of the bayou in the garden allows visitors to understand these beautiful waterways that are integral to the resiliency of the ‘Bayou City’....”

“The influence and integration of the bayou in the garden allows visitors to understand these beautiful waterways that are integral to the resiliency of the ‘Bayou City,’” Vassar says.

The 132-acre Houston Botanic Garden is also a long-term investment in Houston tourism and another jewel in the city’s revitalization of its green spaces.

“It is a fantastic addition to the Houston area and one that will bring joy and serenity to future 42 Parks & Recreation

generations,” says Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

The Houston Botanic Garden includes eight different facets, each of which serves an educational component: Global Collection Garden, Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden, Culinary Garden, Pine Grove, Community Garden, Woodland Glade, Stormwater Wetlands and Coastal Prairie.

The garden also features twoand-a-half miles of walking and hiking trails, a lagoon and a nature play area for children.

Addressing Design Challenges The Sims Bayou channel runs through the middle of the Houston Botanic Garden, dividing it into two separate areas — the Island and the South Gardens. Because the site was a former golf course on an island off Sims Bayou, many of the project’s challenges involved balancing the desire to maintain the existing tree canopy while constructing the landscape and structures of a botanic garden.

“We strategically designed the layout and systems to avoid as many existing obstacles as possible,” says Donna Bridgeman, senior landscape architect at West 8.

Engineering firm Walter P Moore was involved in the initial site review and served on the building team that created the more than $100 million master plan for the Houston Botanic Garden. Construction on Phase I of that master plan — which incorporated existing natural features and elements to mitigate potential flooding — commenced in spring 2019 and was substantially completed in fall 2020.

“Walter P Moore was instrumental in spearheading the chal-

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lenges of permitting a multiphase project while leading the design of challenging structural, grading and drainage systems,” Bridgeman says.

Detention and Drainage To develop the property, which encompasses an area of Sims Bayou and includes the floodway as well as 100- and 500-year floodplains, permitting required coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Harris County Flood Control District and the City of Houston. During the design phase, in response to Hurricane Harvey, the city changed the detention and floodplain mitigation criteria for any development within city limits, which required additional coordination with the Houston Public Works Department on the project.

The Houston region is susceptible to flooding, and the city and Harris County reviewed the development criteria within the floodplain to address the flooding issues in this region.

“The permitting process of this project was at the time when Houston was about to update [its] detention and floodplain requirement,” says Chong Ooi, senior associate at Walter P Moore.

As a result, the new detention and floodplain volume mitigation were incorporated into the project’s master plan. The floodplain mitigation on the site was designed as the Coastal Prairie, which is a major ecosystem of the Houston region, to handle the inundation of stormwater during major rain events. Additionally, a detention pond serves as a Stormwater Wetlands exhibit, using the permanent body of water to allow planting of aquatic plants.

Typically, addressing floodplain mitigation requirements is done

by offsetting the fill volume within the floodplain by removing the same amount through excavation.

In most other developments, the areas excavated for floodplain mitigation are seeded and left unattended after completion.

“However, the Houston Botanic Garden incorporated this area as a part of the garden to demonstrate a unique natural land feature, usually located alongside a waterway, that can become inundated during high-water events,” Ooi explains.

“After the water is recessed, naturally formed depressed areas in the Coastal Prairie temporarily hold water, and, over time, a unique ecosystem is developed in this area for flora and fauna.”

Furthermore, the garden’s innovative drainage structure in the

Stormwater Wetlands was designed so it could be partially hidden within the bank of the pond’s slope. During a rain event, the amount of water that fills the area depends on the size of the storm event. Water above the Stormwater Wetlands area becomes detention volume. The structure’s weir wall controls stormwater release, draining within 24 to 48 hours.

Included in the weir wall are small orifices designed to control the water level and regulate release.

These are water-flow control to imitate the pre-development storm runoff. During a rain event, the pond water level will rise beyond the Stormwater Wetlands, and the detained stormwater will be released slowly into a nearby stream through an orifice. A valve system

Garden designs accommodated existing trees on-site and developed strict criteria for working around them.

allows additional control of the water level for maintenance purposes.

One valve drains the entire Stormwater Wetlands, and a second valve controls the water level in the area.

Valuing Conservation Knowing the importance of water as a valuable natural resource for the garden, an additional riser structure was designed for the children’s lagoon. A small aquatic garden surrounds the lagoon, which is separated into two sections. The riser structure is hidden underneath a decomposed granite pathway — the only portions visible are the screen and the concrete top of the structure.

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B AY O U

Conservation goals also had an impact on how the floodplain was constructed. The garden required excess soil material to be reused elsewhere for the project. To accomplish this, Walter P Moore used Civil 3D to do multiple design iterations of the entire project. As a result, excess material was limited to approximately 2,000 cubic yards of earthwork, which was recycled in the Global Collection Garden.

“The team designed with the existing soil, employing an extensive

The 132-acre Houston Botanic Garden is critical to the city’s revitalization of its green spaces.

44 Parks & Recreation

rehabilitation process of harvesting layers of existing soil, stockpiling and restructuring soils with cover crops and amendments,” Bridgeman adds.

In another example of the garden’s commitment to conservation, designs accommodated existing trees on-site and developed strict criteria for working around them.

“We had to work equipment strategically around the tree protection fence to ensure we did not damage the existing trees on the site,” says Carolina Hernandez, project manager at Harvey Builders.

The trees are a significant and stunning part of the entry drive

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and provide shade in Picnic Grove.

The landscaping designs highlighted the proper spacing from these trees so they could continue to thrive and flourish in a new setting. The designs contained no grading around the trees, creating a design problem because of all the landscaping additions and a preference for adjacent areas with higher elevations. The result is a blend of new and existing flora and fauna.

Bridge Design and Maintenance Because the site included the original Sims Bayou meander and newer channelized bayou cutting

through it, connectivity across the bayou provided a unique challenge to the building team in creating access to and throughout the garden.

As part of the site review, five pedestrian bridges were evaluated for structural integrity. Improvements were recommended to extend the lifespan of the existing bridges. Some of the issues included deterioration from deferred maintenance, incomplete existing bridge drawings and documentation, and bridge scour.

Ultimately, a new entry bridge was designed and constructed to cross the Sims Bayou meander and allow vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian access from Park Place Boulevard to the Island.

To accommodate the bridge, areas at both ends were filled to raise the approach elevation, achieving the required floodplain clearance

from the city and Harris County Flood Control District.

“The low-chord elevation is 25.65 feet above sea level and approximately two feet above the 100-year flood event,” says Muna Mitchell, managing director, bridge engineering at Walter P Moore. “The City of Houston provides minimum freeboard requirements, so new bridges do not block stream flow during flood stages or flood events.”

The raised approaches to the new bridge resulted in an additional prairie area just beyond the entry garden, featuring native coastal grasses and plants that can tolerate occasional inundation.

Positive Reaction At the onset of this project, the goal was to give Houstonians another serene setting where they

could enjoy nature and experience the physical and emotional health benefits of spending time outdoors.

“The garden is an enhancement to the city’s infrastructure and will serve as a place for inspiration and education for all Houstonians and its visitors,” Mayor Turner says.

Since opening its doors on September 18, 2020, the Houston Botanic Garden has admitted more than 24,000 ticketed visitors and continues to welcome first-time and returning guests every day.

“For being the first botanic garden in Houston, the reaction from the public has been overwhelmingly positive, especially during a global pandemic,” Mayor Turner says.

Ted Vuong, P.E., LEED A.P., ENV SP, is a Principal and Managing Director of Civil Engineering Services at Walter P Moore (tvuong@walterpmoore.com).

The Latest Park and Recreation News and Trends

On the Go Available on iTunes and Google Play

www.openspaceradio.org

The Official Podcast of NRPA

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Sara Sinclair, oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa and GermanJewish ancestry, a Columbia University professor and editor of the book How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America, takes in the view of the Navajo Nation’s Monument Valley Park in Arizona.

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Protecting History

the Land

and Its

Sara Sinclair and Stephanie Lozano discuss Native lands in the past, present and future

A

s far as Sara Sinclair and Stephanie Lozano are concerned, you don’t have to know much about the history of the Indigenous people or the tribal nations of North America to start a dialogue. You just need to have enough curiosity and desire to ask the questions and broaden your foundational knowledge about Native people.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA SINCLAIR

By Cort Jones, Vitisia Paynich and Roxanne Sutton

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PROTECTING THE LAND

“I think, sometimes, conversations don’t happen because people are afraid of revealing how little they know, and that’s ultimately really damaging to everyone. So, find a way to engage with that curiosity. There are lots of resources out there to be found more and more,” says Sinclair, an oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa and German-Jewish ancestry, a Columbia University professor and editor of the book How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America.

“I think, sometimes, conversations don’t happen because people are afraid of revealing how little they know, and that’s ultimately really damaging to everyone.”

As for Lozano, she is a tribal liaison for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, which works with 11 federally recognized tribes located within the state to provide child welfare support for families and other critical services. She is part of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Recently, Sinclair and Lozano shared their insights with NRPA and Parks & Recreation magazine about the tribal nations in North America, how they define equity as it applies to Indigenous people, and why land acknowledgement should be important to everyone.

Parks & Recreation: Could you tell us a little bit about who you are and the work that you’re currently doing?

Sara Sinclair: I was invited to be part of the [TEDxCollegePark] conference [in March] to speak…about a book that I’ve been working on for the last few years. It came out in October [2020 and] it’s called How 48 Parks & Recreation

We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America. The project actually began as my thesis work; I came to New York City to study oral history at Columbia University. And while I was in the program, I started interviewing other Native students that I was meeting in the Columbia community, and then…people specifically from Native American reservations, who left their homes to come and study at these elite academic institutions and then moved home again to work for their nations. But in the context of doing that work, I quickly envisioned putting these interviews together in a book, because the people that I was interviewing were such incredible narrators, storytellers and educators. I felt like they were able to narrate North American history — not Native American history — in a way that was really lacking from most North Americans’ experiences. There’s a lot of research being done recently, in particular, an organization called IllumiNative (illuminatives.org). They’ve done some research that shows that 87 percent of state-level history standards fail to cover Native people after 1900.

That’s crazy! We’re in 2021 and 87 percent of people are not learning anything about what happens to Native Americans after 1900. So, I was really motivated by what I thought was a real gap in the educational experiences across the continent.

Ultimately, I went to Voice of Witness and said, “I want to do this book. Do you want to do it with me?” Voice of Witness is [a nonprofit] organization that works to amplify the voices of people impacted by and fighting against injustice. They said, “Yes.” So, I was able to travel far and wide across North America, speaking to people about some of the most universal issues that are impacting Na-

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tive life today. These are issues that include environmental injustices, the legacy of the Indian residential school system, the high prevalence of kids in foster care today, extraction, treaty violations, barriers to healthcare and education, and on and on.

Stephanie Lozano: Before I came to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, I worked for my tribe [Ho-Chunk Nation] for several years doing child welfare work, focusing on Indian child welfare.

And as a part of that experience, I got to learn not only my language, my culture, my kinship system and how we’re all interrelated, but I [also] started learning a lot about the history and how children were coming into foster care as a result of these federal Indian policies that were impacting tribes back in the 1800s, and, in particular, how they impacted my tribe, our children and our families — some of that historic trauma that we carried with us.

One of the things that I do for the department…is provide a lot of training to them on tribal history and how that impacts the programs and services that we’re providing out there.

In particular, [we’ve] been focusing a lot on…land acknowledgements, making sure that folks [know] the importance of why we need to start understanding the history of the land and how we’re connected to it, who was there before us and why that changed. It’s been really incredible to see other departments look at establishing their own land acknowledgements…[and] being able to provide them with the resources to do that and do it with a level of accuracy.

P&R: Sara, at this writing, you’ll be speaking at TEDxCollegePark’s ‘An Equal Future.’ One of the things that will be discussed is

to understand her own tribe’s history and the history of colonialism in the United States, she became really drawn to books about the Holocaust that she could find in her school library. When she read those stories, she saw in them the intergenerational trauma, [which] was something that she recognized in her own communities but didn’t yet have the language for. And so, reading about it in that other context helped her to better understand what was happening…in her own community.

P&R: Stephanie, could you talk a little bit about the Ho-Chunk Nation’s history, the land and some of the key conservation and environmental challenges your tribe is currently facing?

Lozano: The Ho-Chunk land actually spanned from what is now Green Bay (Wisconsin) to Minneapolis (Minnesota), down to St. Louis and up to Chicago. So, that was our original territory. Throughout the 1800s, the federal government had a policy of removal. They [wanted] to move tribal people West. And my people got removed from this plan several times. There are differing accounts of exactly how many times, but we know that our people were moved to Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa and, eventually, Nebraska.

So, the Ho-Chunk people that are here in Wisconsin are actually the descendants of the ones that continued to come back…or the ones that never left. Sometimes, they hid out and would avoid the removals. When our last removal was to Nebraska, a portion of our family stayed there and a portion of us came back. And now, we’re two separate tribes — federally recognized. We have the same language, the same culture, the same history, but we are counted as two

PHOTO COURTESY OF TANIA CORNELIUS

the importance of amplifying contemporary, Indigenous voices to help change the narrative for future generations. Can you expand a little bit on the importance of amplifying these voices?

Sinclair: I think one of the things that was really important for me when I was working on the book is that…the book should be a call to action. For non-Native readers, I wanted them to be able to contextualize these issues within a much longer historical context and within a much broader sociological one. [Within] the 12 narratives that are contained in this book, there are people who are working really actively to change the narrative for future generations.

There are people who’ve experienced real challenges and injustice in their own lives, but [also] there are people who are actively working to change that reality for future people.

[For example,] Marian Naranjo, who is based in Santa Clara Pueblo (New Mexico)…, was a victim of a secret radiation experiment when she was a young person. And today, she leads her pueblo and surrounding pueblos to do the rigorous work of filing environmental impact statements, to make explicit what the consequences of living near Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory are for her people, their health and their sacred territories.

So, for non-Indigenous people, I want them to have a lot more context about the ongoing struggles that exist for Native people and [their] community to protect rights and life. And then for Indigenous people, I think a lot about…one of the first people I interviewed for the book, Ashley Hemmers. She’s from the Fort Mojave Nation, which is a small nation where California, Nevada and Arizona intersect. And, she spoke about how before she became aware of the resources that would help her

Stephanie Lozano, tribal liaison for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

different tribes. And I think it’s this piece for me, in terms of the land that we’re connected to and some of the challenges that are faced. The Ho-Chunk people have always considered themselves to be stewards of the land. We are mindful of the wildlife that is here and making sure that things continue in harmony, but I’ve not really heard about my tribe facing a lot of environmental challenges like some of the other tribes with the pipelines and different things like that. I see us supporting other tribes and their struggles, but I think a lot of it has to do with some of the fierce advocates that we have that are speaking on our behalf on state and national levels.

And Ho-Chunk is actually in our language and…means “people of the big voice or people of the sacred language.” So, we’re kind of known out there for being pretty outspoken and pretty strong in our advocacy.

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P&R: Stephanie, could you share any insights around activists, activism and advocacy within the Ho-Chunk Nation?

Lozano: One of the things that we had going on here [in Wisconsin] about five years ago, was some pending legislation regarding a piece of land that had to do with our burial mounds in Madison. And so, it [was something] to see…the people come down to the capital and start advocating against that legislation to support the land and our heritage. Those mounds are really connected to who we are as a people.

We were one of the only mound builders in the area. And, there’s a company that had purchased some land that had a mound and had been slowly destroying that mound because there were a lot of minerals and rocks buried within it that were quite valuable.

“Here in Wisconsin, our governor has really stood up and challenged every single cabinet agency to do better in terms of our tribal consultation and making sure that we are putting tribal voices at the front of development versus an afterthought.”

It’s been really nice to just watch and learn and be able to just share that with folks who don’t know the history. They don’t know what’s going on. When nobody’s out there promoting or sharing the information, it’s kind of up to us to educate each other — even one or two people at a time. They go out and they tell another couple of people. And before you know it, there’s an entire movement.

P&R: Moving to today, the current administration has pledged to put equity at the center of its 50 Parks & Recreation

governing policies. And looking at the needs of tribal nations, as they relate to health and well-being and land and water conservation, what does real equity look like to you?

Lozano: For me, there’s a few different types of equity. There’s an equity in practice, but there’s also equity in consequences. So tribal activists often face harsher consequences than activists from other groups; people of color, in particular. And I think we’re seeing that play out in some of the more recent historical events…who goes to jail or who gets charged and who gets kept in jail, who can make bail — that type of thing. I think it’s really important to make sure that everybody is held to the same standard when we’re standing up for what we believe in.

There’s also equity in policy, which looks a lot like what we’re doing here in Wisconsin, in terms of having a robust consultation policy with tribes and making sure that the leadership understands why it’s important to consult with tribes.

Here in Wisconsin, our governor has really stood up and challenged every single cabinet agency to do better in terms of our tribal consultation and making sure that we are putting tribal voices at the front of development versus an afterthought.

So, one of the things that we’ve been using as a metaphor is: in state government, we tend to bake a lot of cakes for our stakeholders. We develop a policy or a program and we do all of the work here at the capital.

And then we take it out to all of our stakeholder groups and say, “Look at this beautiful cake; look at what we made you. Don’t you love it?”

But we have no idea if somebody has an allergy to gluten, or my personal favorite is, “I like whipped cream frosting, not buttercream.

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How would you know that unless you asked me?” And so, consultation to me is about picking the ingredients together — looking at that recipe and figuring out what’s going to work for everybody that [is] impacted versus coming at me with cake that I might not like. Or, you might have to change [the recipe] because you didn’t talk to me ahead of time.

Sinclair: There’s a movement now to repatriate land…. And, I know a lot of people get scared hearing the phrase ‘land back,’ because they think that it means Indigenous nations are asking for everything back. Of course, that’s not what it actually means. What it means in the United States is finding some of the public lands to give back to Indigenous nations, [but] it also means things in different urban contexts. There are organizations…like Oakland’s (California) Indigenous women-led Sogorea Te’ Land Trust (sogoreate-landtrust.org). It’s funded by local residents and businesses who voluntarily pay them a land tax for living on Ohlone land. The organization has these three plots of land for the local Indigenous community to cultivate traditional medicinal plants, to practice urban farming and to provide space for ceremony. And one of those plots, a quarter-acre site, was gifted by a non-Indigenous organization, Planting Justice (plantingjustice.org), after they returned from Standing Rock and asked how they could support Indigenous people in Oakland.

So, it’s a lot about thinking about how to give back land and also how to share land in different ways.

P&R: How can park and recreation agencies and other local government agencies support some of this work?

Lozano: I think what we see here locally in Wisconsin is a real partnership with local government and

the tribes. So, they’ll partner on different programming. In a lot of our state parks, we have these historical markers that talk about the park or the history of that particular piece of land. A lot of these historical markers have some tribal connotation or tribal tie that goes with them and [tells] the story of that particular area. So, it might be a local family that lived nearby or a village that was in that area, and a piece of history that might’ve happened on or near that land.

[T]here’s a lot of opportunities for partnership, but it really takes that drive and curiosity to go out and find somebody who is knowledgeable and willing to work on it together… having some type of cultural liaison to be able to talk about the history, talk about what’s relevant and talk about it with a level of accuracy based on the stories that…have been passed down from generation to generation. What we might know at the historical society may not be the same as what is known by a tribal community with the accuracy of what is documented versus what actually happened at that site. So, reaching out to those partners and building a relationship. And that level of partnership is really important to go forward and see what would work for that community. But that’s where the relationship comes in.

P&R: At this writing, we’re awaiting Congresswoman Deb Haaland’s confirmation as the next Secretary of the Interior.

What are your thoughts about her confirmation and what do you believe should be at the top of her agenda?

Sinclair: It just makes me happy. I know that she’s still going to have to work within a lot of really challenging and limiting structures, but

she’s going to be bringing a very different mindset and set of values with her to that office. And, I’m excited that someone with her point of view and with her values is going to be the person navigating that very particular set of challenges.

Lozano: I think there’s going to be a lot of competing interests, a lot of different wants, desires and needs out there that she’s going to have to try to balance. At the heart of the administration, they’re placing a high priority on this concept of tribal consultation.

And tribal consultation, hopefully, in a different way. It’s, hopefully, going to move away from sitting around the table and reporting out everything that you’ve done in the last year and really [move] toward having a conversation about where priorities lie.

Not to say that should be her entire agenda, but, hopefully, it will guide the direction…in terms of where she wants to take the department and the relationship. [But] I’m really excited.

It’s been incredible to...see women of color being considered, even for some of these high positions in our federal government.

P&R: Is there anything that you didn’t get a chance to talk about that you would like to share or that you feel is important for people to know?

Sinclair: One of the things that I was really hopeful [for] with the book, How We Go Home, is that it would give people…some good foundational knowledge so that they wouldn’t be afraid of having further conversations. You can start this work in the privacy of your own home. You don’t need to reveal that you didn’t have this education, because it’s become so obvious with the research that is happening today, that so many people

are not learning this in their traditional educational experiences.

But there are now so many other ways to pursue it. There are so many incredible Indigenous thinkers on Twitter and Instagram and many organizations, like IllumiNative, to follow to get a sense of what people are working toward, what Indigenous people are fighting for, what they care about, and then as Stephanie said, it’s going to be really different in different cities and reservations across the continent, but there’s a lot of information out there to start this learning.

Lozano: I go back to the start of our conversation about the importance of amplifying voices and making sure that we’re using the tools and the privileges that are afforded to us to help amplify the voice of another. We talk a lot about equity and inclusion, and to me, those are some of the bigger buzzwords that are happening right now. If you’re not doing equity, inclusion and diversity, then you’re just not doing well in your organization.

But I’d like to take that to a different level in terms of what it means to truly be equitable and truly be inclusive in the work that we’re doing and really making sure that the voices that typically aren’t at the table are there and taken into consideration at the point of development versus having to retrofit. Let’s stop baking the cake and taking it out to our stakeholders, and let’s start building relationships and picking ingredients together.

Tune in to the April bonus episode of Open Space Radio to hear Sinclair and Lozano talk more about preserving the history and land of Native people at nrpa.org/April2021BonusEpisode.

Cort Jones is NRPA’s Communications Manager and Cohost of Open Space Radio (cjones@nrpa.org). Vitisia Paynich is NRPA’s Executive Editor, Print and Online Content (vpaynich@ nrpa.org). Roxanne Sutton is NRPA’s Communications Director and Cohost of Open Space Radio (rsutton@nrpa.org).

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OPERATIONS Portland Parks and Recreation’s Sustainable Park Pathway Lighting Efforts

By Mark Ross

P

ortland (Oregon) Parks and Recreation recently completed a landmark energy efficiency project to improve lighting at many sites while lowering the agency’s costs and maintenance needs. The effort is part of Portland’s Climate Action Plan (tinyurl.com/ 2jotlgh5) and focuses on environmentally friendly park pathway lighting and improvements. Portland Parks and Recreation addressed nine sites in the endeavor, all of them in North and East Portland, areas that are underserved by parks and green spaces. rected upwards), as that can confuse wildlife and increase light pollution. Portland Parks and Recreation notes that the project is consistent with dark sky practices (tinyurl.com/ wq15jmtt) and is supported by Portland Audubon.

“We see this effort as a way to improve parks for people and wildlife while also reducing expenses,” says Portland Parks and Recreation Director Adena Long. “The eco-friendly project is right in line with Portland’s values. Portland Parks and Recreation is committed to stewarding our environment and leading by example.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION

“We are proud to continue work on the Climate Action Plan,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio. “All of us on city council recognize that our city and planet are in a climate emergency and investments like this in underserved neighborhoods will help Portland address equity, conservation and efficiency.”

As part of Phase I of the project, Portland Parks and Recreation replaced obsolete park pathway lighting at seven parks with LED lights and a new control system. In addition to reducing long-term costs and improving reliability, the new LED fixtures feature no “uplighting” (lighting di-

Lighting in Portland, Oregon’s Ventura Park before retrofitting (left) versus after (right).

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Portland Parks and Recreation expects that the $350,000 pathway lighting retrofit will produce approximately $23,000 per year in energy and maintenance benefits. Additionally, the bureau expects the project to result in more than $20,000 in rebates from Energy Trust of Oregon — funds which will be reinvested in more energy efficiency efforts. Portland Parks and Recreation says it is open to increasing the project scope going forward.

“The new lighting control system gives Portland Parks and Recreation maintenance personnel the ability to see any outage, remotely, in real time,” says Darryl Brooks, Portland Parks and Recreation’s mechanical, electric and plumbing manager. “This will help us to fix any issues quickly.

We will see if expanding these sorts of efforts make sense. There appear to be many potential benefits!”

“Well-lit parks help our community feel safer in parks,” says Vicente Harrison, Portland Parks and Recreation’s health, safety and emergency manager. He adds that this project gives their public spaces the ability to be both more secure, appealing and, most importantly, more sustainable for the environment.

City of Portland Procurement and Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability also are project partners. For more project information, please visit tinyurl.com/294coajc.

Mark Ross is Media and Public Relations Officer for Portland Parks and Recreation (mark.ross@portlandoregon.gov).

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(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 ©2021 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.

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Park Bench

BLISS Meadows in Baltimore is a community-managed green space with a twoand-a-half-acre urban farm, where produce is grown based on community needs assessments and personal requests of residents.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA ROSE BRUSAFERRO, BLISS MEADOWS

Finding BLISS in Northeast Baltimore City There are more than 260 parks across more than 4,600 acres of parkland in Baltimore, where the population is greater than 600,000 residents.

Most of that green space is positioned on the western side of the city. But on the lesser-maintained east side, two years of kindling collected — in the form of resources and support — by pediatric nurse and founder of the nonprofit Backyard Basecamp, Atiya Wells, was recently ignited into a 10-acre land reclamation project known as BLISS Meadows. The acronym stands for Baltimoreans Living in Sustainable Simplicity.

Within the unexpected setting of an urban residential neighborhood, one can now find a Black-led environmental education and justice hub designed to reflect, preserve and celebrate Black, brown and Indigenous perspectives of the human-nature connection.

BLISS Meadows is situated in a neighborhood where the five public elementary and middle schools serve 81 percent Black children.

The community, as a whole, comprises a 67 percent Black racial demographic and, in turn, the Backyard Basecamp board of directors and staff intentionally represent a 100 percent Black racial demographic. In contrast to the predominantly white environmental education institutions currently in and around Baltimore City, this organizational commitment to supporting Black lives naturally leads to the centering of culturally responsive educational pedagogy into every outdoor experience at BLISS. To encourage diverse participation in outdoor recreation, we must meet the public with images, language, practices and people who reflect their lived experiences. For example, in the Frankford neighborhood where BLISS Meadows is located, the impact of children learning how to grow food in an urban environment from a young, Black, male farmer with whom they can see immediate commonalities primes them for an entirely different experience than if they were to take a one-day field trip to a dairy farm that is located hours from home. At BLISS Meadows, the staff approach equitable access to nature by introducing neighbors to restorative outdoor experiences in their own backyards.

To groom BLISS Meadows into becoming the community-serving nature hub it aspires to be, Backyard Basecamp approaches environmental justice through five categories of educational and recreational focus: animal husbandry, community green space, conservation, environmental education and food access. Throughout the two-year journey of building BLISS, Backyard Basecamp staff committed themselves to community-based needs assessments and sought out collaborative feedback and consensus from their neighbors before developing programs or starting major projects. By documenting each step of the land reclamation project, Backyard Basecamp intends to eventually share its story and process with others as an example of equity work within the fields of environmental justice, education and sustainability.

As we move into spring and summer, we at Backyard Basecamp invite you to support Black- and brown-led organizations that create a sense of belonging for groups of people who have been historically excluded from enjoying the benefits of outdoor recreation and parks. Learn more and stay in touch by visiting backyardbasecamp.org.

– Dr. Victoria Rose Brusaferro, Environmental Education Programs Specialist, Backyard Basecamp

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The Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks announces the 2021 Partnerships Lab CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW PARTNERS! Centennial Park Conservancy Nashville, TN Denver Park Trust Denver, CO Downtown Detroit Partnership Detroit, MI The Friends of Governors Island New York, NY Friends of Mosholu Parkland Bronx, NY Hudson River Park Friends New York, NY Marine Park Alliance Brooklyn, NY NeighborSpace Chicago, IL

The Partnerships Lab is a collaborative nine-

month organizational mentorship to help urban park nonprofits and agencies in New York City and across the country build their own capacities to steward great parks and public spaces.

Visit centralparknyc.org/institute to learn more about the Institute and the Partnerships Lab.

Support for the Partnerships Lab at the national level is provided by The JPB Foundation. Support for the Partnerships Lab at the New York City level is provided

by The Prospect Hill Foundation, Inc.

PARKS & RECREATION APRIL 2021 ◆ THE CONSERVATION ISSUE ◆ PUTTING OUT THE FLAMES ◆ BEAUTY AND THE BAYOU ◆ NATIVE LAND: AN ORAL HISTORY