February 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 18

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volves veterinarians writing " prescriptions " for walks in state parks, which
dog owners can redeem for free parking (normally $5). Program developers hope the partnership and financial
incentive will encourage more state
residents to get out on the trails with
their canine friends, helping man and
beast alike sustain healthier lifestyles.

Test Your Park
& Recreation
Knowledge
The following question is a
sample Certiﬁed Park and
Recreation Professional (CPRP)
examination question.
When designing a program for
teens, which of the following
activities would best facilitate
socialization?
A.

Volleyball league

Table tennis tournament

Swimming lessons

Computer class

Calling all beginning to midlevel professionals! The Certiﬁed
Park and Recreation Professional
(CPRP) is the national standard
for all park and recreation
professionals who want to be at
the forefront of their profession.
For more information on the
CPRP Certiﬁcation program,
please visit www.nrpa.org/cprp.
Answer - A. Volleyball league

Parks & Recreation

Q A unique partnership between the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the state's Department of Children and Families is
making it easier for foster families to
enjoy the great outdoors together. The
two agencies have donated 15,000
state park passes to foster families for
use in 2013. Florida is currently home
to more than 7,500 foster children
who have been removed from their
homes due to abuse or neglect.
Q The City of Pensacola, Florida,
has received the first installment of a
$360,000 grant that will be awarded
to the city's Veterans' Memorial Park
as part of BP's Deepwater Horizon
oil spill settlement. The $57-million
Gulf Tourism and Seafood Promotional Fund was created to help boost
local tourism and seafood industries
that can help bring business back to
communities affected by the spill.
Money from the grant will go toward
replacing broken lights, establishing
new memorials, and promoting the
park through local tourism channels.
Q A new study by the U.S. Forest
Service offers additional evidence that
exposure to the natural environment,
particularly trees, can improve human
health. The study analyzed the health
decline in communities that have lost
trees due to infestations by the emerald ash borer, and it found consistent
links between the loss of trees and the
increase in cardiovascular and lower

| FEBRUARY 2013 | WWW.NRPA.ORG

respiratory diseases. Even after accounting for influence of demographic differences, such as income, race,
and education, the findings showed
clear associations between lost trees
and declining health in the 1,296
counties studied when compared with
uninfected areas.
Q In Washington State, North Head
Lighthouse has finally been transferred to the Washington State
Parks and Recreation Commission
from the U.S. Coast Guard, marking the end of a nearly 19-year process. Legal problems stemming from
lead-based paint on the 114-year-old
lighthouse significantly delayed the
transfer, but soil cleanup around the
base finally cleared the way for approval. Located at Cape Disappointment State Park at the southwestern
corner of the state, North Head is the
most intact lighthouse reservation in
the Pacific Northwest and is open for
tours from May through September.
Q A patch of ground that was once
home to an abandoned coal processing
plant will soon become a 30-acre city
park, thanks to a partnership between
the federal government, two state agencies, and the city of Wellington, Utah.
The city was approached by the state
Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining more
than two years ago about a project to
reclaim the land where the Knight-Ideal coal loadout facility once stood before it was abandoned in the 1950s.
Long-term plans for the park include a
pond that the state Division of Wildlife
Resources will stock with fish, a skate
park, a walking path, an ATV trailhead
with parking for trailers, and two baseball fields.
For more news from around the industry, visit www.parksandrecreation
.org/2013/February/Briefly-Noted.

February 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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