Public policy highlights.

NRPA continues to evolve into the definitive voice for parks and recreation across the country and on "the Hill" to advocate for funding and support for vital federal, state, and community programs. Our opinions make a difference. In fact, this past year, NRPA educated, mobilized, and led park and recreation advocates and partners to victory in two noteworthy cases.

Gaining Support

NRPA has long been the leading advocate for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) state assistance program. The far-reaching stateside matching grants program has provided 40,000 grants to states and local agencies totaling $4 billion over the past 40 years, and has helped each and every state and territory build critical park and recreation facilities and acquire park land for public use and recreation.

After receiving a poor score on an Office of Management and Budget review designed to assess program performance, the Bush Administration recommended zero funding for LWCF-stateside and then proposed to terminate the program in the 2006 budget. In response, NRPA redoubled its efforts, partnered with other leading national associations, and as a result, dramatically increased Congressional support--especially in the Senate, gaining 52 signatures on a "Dear Colleague" letter calling for an appropriate level of funding of the LWCF state assistance program. Originally faced with outright termination, LWCF survived in large measure due to NRPA's advocacy, which led Congress to reverse the administration's recommendation to terminate LWCF and restore partial funding at $30 million in FY 2006.

In addition, NRPA is playing a key advocacy role in a new legislative development that could result in long-term, dedicated funding for the LWCF state assistance program. A provision in a bill that passed the Senate, S. 3711, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Independence Act of 2006, would open a new area in the western Gulf to offshore drilling. Much as the original LWCF Act of 1964 came to be funded by Outer Continental Shelf lease revenues, this bill would establish a "conservation royalty" by returning to a similar funding formula based on the principle that if there is to be permanent extraction of our nation's offshore energy resources, then a small portion of the revenues should be used for a permanent conservation and recreation benefit for the American people. Should a bill be approved by Congress after a conference with the House on a similar bill, LWCF could receive a dedicated portion of 12.5% of drilling royalty revenues for years to come.

Many other issues will eventually determine if this bill passes, but NRPA hasn't seen this kind of congressional support as a result of its advocacy in many years. NRPA applauds the remarkable efforts of its members and national coalition partners who have brought us this close to a long-term funding solution sought for so long.

Protecting Natural and Cultural Resources

Every ten or fifteen years, the National Park Service (NPS) rewrites and updates its Management Policies. These policies provide the essential guidelines to the Park Service on how national parks should be operated and managed. In 2004, a new revision to the Management Policies was released for public comment consistent with Director Fran Mainella's policy of civic engagement on such matters. Many, including NRPA, who reviewed the draft policies felt that the proposed policies did not support a critical provision of the Organic Act of 1916. The Organic Act states that should a conflict ever arise between conservation of the resource and the enjoyment and use of the national parks that could impair the resource for future generations, then decisions regarding such use should always be made in a manner consistent with the basic mission of the Park Service, namely in favor of conserving such natural and cultural resources unimpaired for future generations.

In response to NPS' request for comments, NRPA's Public Policy Committee convened a working group to review the 2004 version and offer constructive input regarding the revisions of the Management Policies. As an association that fully supports the mission of the National Park Service, and which works closely with the Park Service in many ways, NRPA's tireless research, impact analysis, and advocacy efforts sought to reaffirm the mission of the National Park Service within the Management Policies in line with the goals of the Organic Act, goals that have guided the National Park Service substantially unchanged for over 90 years. NPRA's critical support delivered through comments, letters, and Congressional testimony helped the NPS to achieve an excellent outcome with the adoption of the Management Policies of 2006.

National Urban Park and Recreation Agenda

In May 2006, nearly 400 big-city park and recreation directors, civic leaders, and advocates from metropolitan areas across the United States gathered in Chicago for the first-ever Urban Park and Recreation Summit to launch a national agenda to bring increased awareness, commitment, and funding for parks and recreation back to city centers.

Participants issued a Call to Action about the importance of urban parks and recreation in cities across America. Throughout the event, attendees signed a national agenda that calls federal, state, and local advocates to action on behalf of urban parks and recreation. Since the event, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a policy resolution based on the Call to Action for Urban Parks and Recreation, and endorsed by attendees of the Urban Park and Recreation Summit in Chicago. The City of Fort Worth, Texas also passed its own resolution fully supporting the National Agenda for Urban Parks and Recreation. Other proposals from top cities in America continue to come forward.

NRPA is committed to providing continuing leadership in carrying forward the goals and objectives identified at the Summit and detailed in the subsequent comprehensive plan for implementation.

The Summit was funded by a grant from the National Recreation Foundation and led by NRPA with partners the Trust for Public Land, City Parks Alliance, Roundtable Associates, and the Ethnic Minority Society.