Our voices in Washington: NRPA members convene on Capitol Hill for highly successful Legislative Forum on Parks & Recreation. (Advocacy Update).

Parks and recreation programs play a fundamental role in the American way of life and should be funded accordingly, NRPA members stressed to their federal legislators during NRPA's Legislative Forum on Parks & Recreation, held Feb. 25-March e in Washington, D.C.

Nearly 300 delegates, representing 47 states, came to the nation's snow-bound capital to educate members of the House and Senate on the need for continued federal support for parks and recreation. The state representation was the greatest in the forum's history.

Delegates had several opportunities to make their case. Feb. 27 started with a breakfast for members of Congress, at which time NRPA gave its Congressional Award to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas), Rep. Norman Dicks (D-Wash.) and Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). After the breakfast, NRPA members fanned out across Capitol Hill to meet with their federal legislators.

This face-to-face advocacy is vital to NRPA's public policy success, but is just a small part of the year-round work needed to ensure that Congress understands the importance of the work done by NRPA members.

Be sure to read this column each month and to regularly check the Public Policy section of NRPA's Web site (www.nrpa. org) to learn how you can be an effective advocate.