November 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 21

why they should support green infrastructure, we
have messaging tools and tailored actions for key
audiences that can help you gain support before
exploring shifts in policies to better allow for these
projects. You can find these resources at nrpa.org/
GreenerParksForHealth.
While these strategies for implementing green infrastructure won't happen overnight, continuing the
conversation with policymakers on all levels will continue to make the case that green infrastructure is vital,
especially as disparities in our nation's political and social systems continue to be underscored, the negative
effects of climate change continue to increase, and demand for more equitable park access grows.
A constructed wetland built in a community park in a formerly
industrialized area of Chattanooga, Tennessee, collects and
cleans runoﬀ before it ﬂows into the Tennessee River.

alize green infrastructure in parks to improve community well-being, especially in communities facing environmental, health, economic and social injustices.
In addition, it highlights unique policy areas at the
federal, state and local levels that can be used or explored to support these projects. As a national organization representing park and recreation professionals
on Capitol Hill, it is our goal to act on the federal policy recommendations laid out in the Greener Parks for
Health Policy Action Framework.
During this past summer, we shared these findings
with Congress to spark interest and illustrate the ways
that parks are vital to keeping our communities healthy.
While Congress has done an exceptional job of funding green infrastructure in the past through things like
the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, we challenged
them to think creatively about other policy areas to
provide resources for green infrastructure, like using
Medicare financing to implement green infrastructure
projects in parks that lead to positive health outcomes
for local communities. This innovative thinking was
highly praised, and something that NRPA will continue exploring over the next three years.
The federal policy recommendations are just a small
portion of the Greener Parks for Health resources;
they specifically highlight policy recommendations
that your state and local community can consider to
improve access to green infrastructure, and I would
encourage you to consider them for your community.
If you feel your local officials still need to hear about

Editor's Note: This column has been adapted from
its original version posted to NRPA's Open Space Blog
(nrpa.org/Blog). To read the full text, visit nrpa.org/Green
InfrastructurePolicies.
Kyle Simpson is NRPA's Senior Government Aﬀairs Manager
(ksimpson@nrpa.org).

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Parks & Recreation

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November 2020 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2020 - Parks & Recreation
