July 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 47

N R PA I n A c t i o n

Behind the Scenes

NRPA's Quarterly Membership Brief
s the seasons change and NRPA gets ready for a great

summer, NRPA wishes to draw attention to its important
successes over the past several months. As NRPA continues to focus on achieving its mission, there is ample cause to
celebrate a variety of accomplishments in the areas of advocacy,
knowledge, public outreach, and strategic partnerships. Included
below are highlights from various initiatives that have helped NRPA
serve the park and recreation community and achieve prominence
and relevance for the association. These activities have not only resulted in increased leadership roles for NRPA, but also increased
press attention and partnership opportunities by prominent media
outlets and organizations in the United States.

Public Policy
Urban Parks Congressional
Briefing
NRPA recently helped lead the establishment of the U.S. House of Representatives' Congressional Urban Taskforce.
On April 20, the taskforce held a Congress briefing to highlight the importance of urban parks in building healthy,
livable, and sustainable communities.
NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane moderated a panel discussion featuring former
NFL star and landscape architect Eddie
George. The panel discussion made a
compelling case for the economic benefits of investment in urban parks, and
chair of the taskforce, Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-NJ), stated that Congress and the
Administration realize that urban parks
cannot be separated from broader urban
revitalization efforts.

National Physical Activity Plan
NRPA co-chaired the Parks, Recreation,
Fitness and Sports section of the National Physical Activity Plan, which was
released by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention and the University of South Carolina on May 3. The
plan is meant to be a roadmap for getting America more physically active
by targeting policy and environmental changes in communities across the
United States. Among other provisions,
the plan calls for dedicated funding for
urban parks and recreation, as well as
increased funding for all parks. NRPA is
a member of the National Coalition for
Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA),
which has been charged with leading
the implementation of the plan. To view
the plan, visit www.physicalactivityplan.
org/theplan.htm.

Urban Revitalization and Livable
Communities Act
Due in large part to NRPA's advocacy
efforts during the Legislative Forum in
March, there are now 120 co-sponsors
for the Urban Revitalization and Livable
Communities Act in the U.S. House of
Representatives. Sheldon Whitehouse
(D-RI) has agreed to introduce a version of the act in the Senate. NRPA is
currently working with the senator's

staff on draft language. According to
Sen. Whitehouse's staff, the Senate version of the bill will be more comprehensive than the House bill, and will allow
for special park districts to directly apply for funding.

Rep. Ron Kind's Obesity Bill
NRPA contributed to the drafting of a
comprehensive obesity bill, introduced
by Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Mary Bono-Mack (D-CA),
and Marci Fudge (D-OH) on May 5. Included in the bill was language from NRPA's work with the Outdoor Alliance for
Kids (OAK) coalition, which is aimed at
drafting legislation to fund initiatives to
connect children with nature. A summary of the potential funding opportunities for agencies and organizations that
could be made available by the bill will
be available in the near future.

Additional Advocacy Interests
NRPA continues to monitor the situation
surrounding the Gulf oil spill, as it could
significantly affect plans for drilling expansion, and therefore affect allocations
to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
NRPA continues to stay informed on
the White House's childhood obesity
initiative, Let's Move. The White House
Interagency Task Force on Childhood
Obesity just released a new report,
" Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity in a Generation. " The full report is
available at:www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html.

MEMBER SERVICES
2010 Congress & Exposition
Registration and Housing Launch
NRPA recently launched registration and
housing for the 2010 Congress & Exposition in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October

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Parks & Recreation 45

July 2010 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2010 - Parks & Recreation