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money, a network of trails supported by
federal transportation dollars, or a community health program made possible by
a federal grant.
Four components that make a site worth
your legislator's time: people, place,
press, and recognition. If your planned
site visit has a strong component of each,
there is a greater likelihood that your legislator will attend.

People
Combining the site visit with an event that
can draw a crowd makes it more attractive to the legislator and his or her staff,
since each person in attendance represents a potential vote in the next election.
If you do not have a planned event
(community concert or festival) that you
can invite your legislator to attend, then
offer a tour of your facility. Schedule the
tour for a time of day when attendance is
high and multiple programs are taking
place. Designate one or two individuals

to meet and escort the legislator when he
or she arrives.

Place
Remember that the main purpose of the
site visit or event is to advance federal
law as it relates to issues that impact your
community. Advocates can contact NRPA's public policy team for information
on their members of Congress (such as
which committees they sit on and which
key issue areas they have been active in).
In determining a site, always relate it to
the legislative priority you want to push.
Keep it short it (15-30 minutes), and develop talking points in advance to deliver
during the tour.
Choose a time when there is a lot of activity taking place. Remember to consider
weather (umbrellas or shelters)-and plan
food around the legislator's convenience.

Press
Creating an environment that is engaging

to local media will go a long way toward
attracting legislators.
The message to the press must be more
than, " Congressman Smith might visit our
recreation center. " It should be something
like this: " 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, and youth performances-and Congressman Smith has
been invited to attend. "
Take photographs at your event, and
present them to your legislator at your
next meeting. Finally, use social media to
your advantage. Facebook, Twitter, and
other social media outlets are great ways
to get messaging out at little or no cost.

Recognition
Recognition can come in the form of
awards, ribbon-cutting, a certificate of
appreciation, or simply mentioning the
legislator's " longstanding commitment to
building better communities. " Tying recognition to a recent piece of legislation will
also make legislators more likely to attend.
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 the issue on
which you are trying to educate the legislator (Land and Water Conservation Fund
State Assistance Program, transportation programs, etc.) Explain your interest in the issue to staff, and tell members
about the substance of the event and the
connection to the legislator. 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 or her 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 appropriately.
This year Congress will be in recess
from August 6th to September 7th.
JOeL PanneLL is NRPA Advocacy and

Outreach Specialist.

Parks & Recreation A P R I L

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April 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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