July 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 9

NRPA i n fo cus

Board Member
Lewis Ledford
Advocacy goes well beyond dollars budgeted

A

s director of the North Carolina state parks
system, Board member Lewis Ledford has long

experience with advocacy-and he currently
chairs the NRPA Public Policy committee. When we interviewed him about his vision for park advocacy, he
summed it up as follows: " The recent television series
on national parks called them 'America's Best Idea.' We
want NRPA to be considered the source for more 'best
ideas.' " Below, Ledford's discusses the nature and direction of NRPA's efforts to shape opinion and policy.
Could you discuss NRPA's strategy for effective
advocacy?
By demonstrating past success at the state and local
levels, NRPA has been effective in maintaining momentum for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
and getting traction for the Urban Revitalization and
Livable Communities Act, which could provide $445
million annually for urban park and recreation projects. We've seen steady gains in administrative and
Congressional support for both of these critical pieces of federal legislation. NRPA's advocacy work has
also defended against threatening legislation, such
as amendments to the HUD appropriations bill that
would have prohibited its funding for trails, bike
paths, riverwalks, parks, playgrounds, and similar
projects. When we approach policymakers, NRPA
also carries the credibility of its own initiatives, such
as " Hearts n' Parks, " which teaches children and
adults about physical activity and healthy eating-
and " America's Backyard, " which empowers people to directly support the nation's parks and public
spaces.
Regarding our Legislative Forum, just the attendance (and attention) of Congressional leaders and
key policymakers such as Ken Salazar, Secretary of
the Interior and Ron Sims, deputy secretary of HUD,
speaks to effective advocacy. We must bring these
people to the table whenever possible.
We must still find ways to connect with other

	

important initiatives such as No Child Left Inside and
the Moving Outdoors in Nature Act, as well as those
targeting childhood obesity, environmental literacy,
and community rebirth.
What is the role of membership in helping to
strengthen the effectiveness of our advocacy
efforts? How important is member advocacy in the
current political climate?
These days, you just can't have too many friends.
Partnerships have been key to NRPA's growth and,
for that matter, to the successes enjoyed by many of
the state park systems and even local parks and recreation departments. We can reap rich benefits from
establishing relationships with other parks and recreation advocates, such as the National Association of
State Park Directors, the National Association of Recreation Resource Planners, and the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers. Our
tent must be open also to business interests, trade
associations, conservation organizations and land
trusts, local governments, park friends groups-indeed any organization with similar or overlapping
missions.
And, aside from traditional methods of networking, social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter
allow NRPA and its members to connect to likeminded individuals and stakeholders at the grassroots level. Despite the clamor of voices out there,

www.NRPA .ORG

J U LY 2 0 1 1

The
information
NRPA
provides not
only
buttresses
advocacy at
the national
level, but...it
also helps
members
confront
issues and
sway opinion
at the state
and local
levels.

Parks & Recreation	

7
July 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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