August 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 61

local economies and even tourism in
their communities. " The intent, she
says, is to provide benefits that fit the
unique character of each region.
As a result, grant projects run the
gamut from smarter signage to more
family-friendly fishing holes. In St.
Charles Parish, Louisiana, for example, kiosks now offer visitor information, event guides and lessons in local
history. And at a nearby levee area,
crabbers, picnickers and campers can
enjoy improved facilities. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, home to a 350-acre
sports complex that plays host to numerous regional tournaments, a wayfinding system now guides visitors
efficiently to the correct field. And in
Kingwood, Texas, Rain CII employees turned out to plant dozens of new
trees to line the drive through a 63acre community park.

" It has been a relationship-building
experience, " Foret says of the funding project. " I know I could go to
[Rain CII management] eventually
and say, 'You know what, guys? The
15-20 spaces in the boat launch aren't
enough to meet the demand. We're
going to need 40.' I feel fortunate to
have that kind of relationship. "
Pointing the Way
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Ann Jones of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, parks department also praises the program for forging stronger
ties between Rain CII and the local
community. As in St. Charles Parish,
Hattiesburg's grant addressed needs

the new system. " One of the young
men who came out had never been to
the park, " Jones says with a chuckle.
" He was our guinea pig for finding his
way around. And he did just fine. "
Laying a Foundation for
Ongoing Partnership
Features like signage, picnic pavilions, tree plantings, boat launches
and visitor kiosks are often the first to
get cut from stretched local budgets.
But, as Jones and Foret point out,
they make the difference between
an enjoyable recreational experience
and a frustrating one.
Wagner says the company plans to
continue the grant partnership and

" We have chosen NRPA because of their commitment
to parks, communities and the environment at large

Lifting Up a Levee
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
Park directors praise the grant program for its responsiveness to community needs, needs that are sometimes unconventional. In the case of
St. Charles Parish, a flood control
structure the park department leases
from the Army Corps of Engineers
has long served as a popular family
fishing and camping destination. The
Bonnet Carré Spillway, which diverts
water from the Mississippi River into
Lake Pontchartrain, offers area residents a getaway where they can fish,
crab, picnic and pitch tents.
And, St. Charles Parish Park Director Duane Foret is quick to add, the
spillway recreation area is continually
voted among the best crabbing spots
in the country. The $8,000 grant provided the crabbers, canoers and kayakers with a new boat launch - and
campers with signage throughout the
28-acre primitive campground.

across the country. "
at a recreational hot spot. At Tatum
Park, where regional sports tournaments deliver a multimillion-dollar
impact each year to the local economy, visitors kept getting lost in the
maze of ball fields.
" Wayfinding was a huge challenge
to everyone who came in, " Jones explains. " And park employees were
constantly being asked, 'Where's Field
7? Where's the best place to park?' "
Now that Phase One of the $10,000
grant project is complete, color-coded
banners mark fields while kiosks and
signs point players and their families
to the right soccer field. Phase Two
will expand the wayfinding to the
other sports hosted in the complex.
Employees from the nearby Rain CII
Purvis, Mississippi, plant turned out at
the completion of Phase One to try out

cites a list of future plans that include
planting and trail projects along with
continued dialogues with existing
grant recipients.
" We've been part of the industrial
landscape in these communities for a
very long time, " Wagner summarizes,
" Our goal with these grants is to be
partners and good corporate citizens. "
And, according to Jones, programs like Rain CII's partnership
with NRPA accomplish that goal
and much more. The collaborative,
locally based design of this kind of
grant program, she states, " sets the
bar higher for other businesses and
industries. "
Maureen Hannan is a Virginia-based writer
and former senior editor of Parks & Recreation
(BellflowerMedia@gmail.com).

W W W. N R PA . O R G | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 |

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