June 2007

A Reason to Celebrate

The month of July finds Americans celebrating across the country—from Fourth of July barbecues and fireworks to simple summer celebrations with picnics in the park. Here's one more reason to celebrate: The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) has been using the month of July to observe Recreation and Parks Month since 1985.

As part of the observance, recreation facilities and parks across the United States use the month to boost their summer programs and get their communities together to volunteer, get active and advocate for parks and recreation.

The NRPA calls on you to join them in recognizing the importance of our country's parks and recreation facilities. Use this month to learn what you can do to support these places that raise the quality of life in the community, providing a safe place for kids of all ages to play and get active.

One important part of the NRPA's celebration of Recreation and Parks Month is recognizing the contributions made by park employees and volunteers who work and help out in public park and recreation facilities.

"These dedicated supporters keep public parks clean and safe for visitors, organize and coach youth sports teams, provide educational programming on health, nutrition, first aid and gardening, advocate for more open space and better trails, and fund-raise for local improvements," stated the NRPA in a press release announcing this year's celebration of Recreation and Parks Month.

"They ensure that public parks and recreation facilities are safe and accessible places for all citizens to enjoy," the association added.

You can get involved too! Just point your browser to the NRPA Web site, at www.nrpa.org, to find helpful materials, including an official proclamation, letter and local release that you can customize for your community. You can use these tools to encourage your own local leaders to proclaim July as Recreation and Parks Month in your own community.

For more information, visit www.nrpa.org.

And here's one more reason to celebrate: The House Interior and Environment appropriations subcommittee has increased funding for programs that aim to protect public lands, including parks, according to the Trust for Public Land (TPL). The subcommittee provided more than $200 million for federal and state park and recreation projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)—nearly $150 million more than the Administration's budget request.. In addition, another $62.8 million was provided for the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program (FLP), which matches state funding to promote forest conservation, $33 million higher than the amount requested by the Administration in its budget proposal.

Other conservation programs that get a nod in the bill include the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, and the Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup grants.

The bill still needs to go through all of the usual legislative loopholes before the funding increases become official, but as Alan Front, senior vice president of the TPL said, "This is a welcome and important step towards restoring healthy levels of conservation funding to help communities protect their critical lands," adding that the bill "…marks the beginning of a desperately needed turnaround for conservation in America."

Established in 1964, the LWCF has preserved more than 4.7 million acres of land for conservation and recreation purposes. Among its successes are the Redwoods National Park in California, Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, Everglades National Park in Florida, Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which stretches from Maine to Georgia.

For more information, and updates on the progress of the funding bill, visit www.tpl.org.