April 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 15

the natural environment and protecting open space - should
be important considerations for park and recreation agencies as
they design, fund and deliver their services. Eighty-three percent
say it is " extremely " or " very " important that agencies work to
conserve the natural environment, while 79 percent agree that
agencies need to protect open space.
Similarly, survey respondents adamantly believe that safeguarding the environment is a vital function of their local government. Ninety-five percent of Americans agree that it is important
their local government acts to protect the natural environment. In
fact, just under half of survey respondents would characterize the
acquisition, construction and maintenance of local parks, trails
and green spaces to be " extremely important. " The agreement
that protection of the natural environment is a key local government role is so strong that there are few differences in this support
across key demographic groups, including by generation, race,
ethnicity, household formation and political affiliation.
Most Americans are concerned about how well their local community can withstand or recover quickly from a natural disaster.
These disasters can vary greatly by region but include flooding,
earthquakes, severe thunderstorms, tonadoes, hurricanes, blizzards,
droughts, extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) and wildfires.
As a result, 87 percent of Americans want their local government, including their local park and recreation agency, to
make critical infrastructure investments that would improve
their community's ability to withstand or recover quickly from
natural disasters. A few examples of these opportunities include
placing parks near waterways so they may double as floodcontrol areas, selecting vegetation in open spaces that mitigate
pollution from stormwater runoff, cultivating tree canopies in
urban areas that help lessen heat-island effects and planting
drought-resistant plants.
Beyond our annual Engagement survey, other NRPA research
data highlight Americans' ardent desire for their agencies to
serve as a conservation leader in their communities. This includes the following three recent NRPA Park Pulse poll results:
* February 2017: Eighty-two percent of Americans agree it is
imperative their local government set aside land for the sheer
purpose of preserving the natural landscape. Two in 3 people
- including 7 in 10 millennials - believe that setting aside
land for the sheer purpose of preserving the natural environment is very or extremely important.
* April 2017: An overwhelming majority (83 percent) of
Americans say it is important their local government prioritize environmental initiatives, including sustainable or green
practices, such as water-quality monitoring, green-space
assessment, environmentally friendly buildings and lawn
upkeep. The strongest support for these initiatives is found

among millennials, 63 percent of whom say it is extremely
or very important.
* In this issue of Parks & Recreation magazine, we learn that Americans strongly support efforts, including those of many park and
recreation agencies, that promote pollinator health. Activities include protecting against the decline and death of pollinators, such
as honey bees and other insects, and increasing their habitat. In
all, 94 percent of poll respondents support these activities, which
include the installation and cultivation of milkweed plants.
Overall, NRPA research data consistently demonstrate
the public's broad-based support for parks and recreation's
crucial role as an environmental steward. In fact, the data
suggest that the public actually expects and demands that their
local governments, and, more precisely, their local park and
recreation agency leads their community in this area. Spearheading the protection of the environment is just one way
Americans view their local agency as an essential offering of
their local government.
Kevin Roth, Ph.D., is NRPA's Vice President of Research (kroth@nrpa.
org).

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Parks & Recreation

April 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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