Hit a homerun with your next site visit: contacting federal legislators during a congressional recess can be easy and successful with the right approach.

President John F. Kennedy remarked that he looked forward to an America, "which will preserve ... squares and parks of our national past, and which will build handsome and balanced cities for our future." More recently, Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) called Washington, D.C., "19 square miles of irrational thinking." Kennedy was a leader in parks and recreation when he inspired the creation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which helped launch the movement of smart growth and livable communities.

In contrast, Sen. Burns, though he is not as outspoken about his park and recreation beliefs as Kennedy, has still funded LWCF each year since he has been chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. These two decision makers would agree that parks and recreation are worthy initiatives; however, bow these environmental amenities are funded through the political process is sometimes unclear.

So how do we--as the park and recreation community--make the most effective case for what park and recreation resources provide in a sea of vague political priority? By focusing on the neglected, but all-important, site visit.

If park and recreation advocates want to be serious in making their issues a priority with their federal legislators, they should attract decision makers to see their parks, facilities and programs in action. This visible connection creates a conducive environment to foster a mutually beneficial relationship.

Most legislators are able to relate to the benefits of parks and recreation, which have multiple advantages over other issues contending for national priority. Generally, most Americans value public recreation as a core element of their community. We have tangible programs and resources in action year-round. For most people, seeing this hometown-painted picture gives them a clear idea of what the policies or implications mean for federal funding at the local level. If you can make an emotional connection to your system and programs, then that personal interest and emotion will carry into the political arena.

When arranging a site visit, it is important to understand four components that make it worth your legislator's time: People, Place, Press and Recognition. If your planned site visit has a strong component of each, it increases the likelihood that your legislator will visit. Just as important, legislators tend to be in town during congressional breaks. Use these times to secure yourself in their schedule (see Action Alert). It can be as large as a community festival or as small as a park barbeque.

People

These people are the reason the legislator is in office. These are votes in an upcoming election. These are sources of the most powerful and reliable form of public relations--word of mouth. Combining or arranging your site visit with an event that can draw a crowd makes it more attractive to the legislator and his or her stale That is why outreach to get people to the event could be the most crucial component. The event should be planned so it can be a success even if the legislator does not show up--meaning that there must be substance, and not a shallow public relations stunt that could "crash and burn" without the legislator.

Place

Keep in mind that the main purpose of the site visit/event is to advance issues connected to federal law that your community cares about. In determining a site, you must relate it to the legislative priority you want to push. Be ready to coordinate a 15-minute tour that focuses on the talking points you want to convey.

Also, your site should have a lot of activity (if it resembles the atmosphere of a mortuary you probably need to pick a different place). A legislator might be active in one park and recreation area, but not active in another. Taking a legislator to a wetland is not going to connect their emotions to the need for therapeutic recreation services. Remember to consider weather (umbrellas or shelters), and it is always good to have some food on hand or reserved, because many legislators eat on the go and rarely stay from the beginning to the end of an event.

Press

Will the event at your site visit be here today and gone tomorrow? Or will it live on in the local papers, local radio and T.V. stations, and take on a second media life of its own? Providing an environment where press is interested, is also an environment in which a legislator will be interested.

The message to the press must be more than, "Congressman Smith might visit our rec center." Rather, it must be, "We are having an Outdoor Fair and Fitness Expo, and we are demonstrating all the health promotion programs our agency offers. We will have face painting, water balloon tosses, a moon bounce, youth performances, special visits from Barney and a few federal legislators are planning to attend. We will make sure to let you know if they confirm." Don't forget to take photos at your event and present them to your legislator at your next meeting.

Recognition

Recognition can come in the form of awards, ribbon cutting or a certificate of appreciation. All of these can be tied to a recent piece of legislation, which would also make legislators likely to attend. Don't forget to explain and give recognition to your activities. Do not get so caught up in the event that you fail to give the tour mentioned above and convey the talking points related to federal legislation.

Once you have the event planned and have begun the process of preparing, call your legislator's office and make sure to contact the staff" that handles your priority issue such as recreation trails funding through the transportation reauthorization, or after-school/recreation funding through 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Explain your priority issue to staff and tell them about the substance of the event and the connection to the legislator--the people, place, press and recognition.

Ask the staff if they think your legislator would be interested in attending and receiving the particular type of recognition you have planned. Provide a chance for the legislator to address his constituents. Ask the staffer about the proper way to submit invitations to the scheduler, and request that the staffer make sure the invitation is considered. Ask when a good time to follow-up would be, and do so with the appropriate person.

Hitting a homerun for your legislator, and making him or her feel comfortable, will prompt your legislator to hit a homerun for you on Capitol Hill by voting favorably on public park and recreation issues.

Michael Phillips is policy and outreach specialist for NRPA's Public Policy Division. He can be reached at mphillips @nrpa.org.

Action Alert

Legislators usually return to home districts or states during congressional breaks, making this an ideal time to contact them about visiting your park and recreation facilities. Aug. 1 through Sept. 5 will be the next extended break for legislators, so begin contacting their home offices now to schedule a site visit

RELATED ARTICLE: Harkin'ing the call.

There have been many instances where I have used the People, Place, Press and Recognition model in my position as outreach coordinator for NRPA's Public Policy Office. In 2004, as I was submitting key areas of focus for the "Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention in America Act" to Sen. Tom Harkin's (D-Iowa) staff, they contacted me looking for ideal places to promote this piece of legislation during the Fourth of July recess. I gathered numerous agencies to give him options with his schedule and gave tentative dates to local directors. Because of the short notice, I came up with a quick way to explain what the agencies needed to do, and advised them using the aforementioned guidelines. As a result, Director Ron Hopp in Council Bluffs, Iowa, showed off his agency's "Buddy Baseball" therapeutic recreation program. Director Juli Johnson in Coralville, Iowa, welcomed the senator to her Trail Trekkers program. Directors Hopp and Johnson were able to attend the 2004 NRPA Legislative Forum on Parks and Recreation and may have made the most progress with one legislator in six months time. Deep roots back home in the grounds of parks and recreation also helped NRPA public policy in approaching legislators. It was no coincidence that Sen. Harkin's staff was willing to brief the entire legislative forum on health policy. "This site visit and the positive interaction that the senator and his staff had with the youth of our community will provide future benefits [to] Coralville," Johnson says.

If you are planning an upcoming event for your legislator to attend, or have successfully planned one in the past, Parks & Recreation magazine would like to hear about it. Please e-mail edit@nrpa. orgwith details for possible publication in a future issue.