Let's Stop the Infighting—Unite for Trail and Transportation Funding
Courtesy of SORP
By Mike Passo, Executive Director, American Trails
Once again, our communities are divided over the push to secure proper funding for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). This deadlock is fueled by misunderstandings about S. 811 and misinformation that does more harm than good. Enough is enough—let’s come together, address concerns, and move forward as one.
Our advocates are frustrated. The policymakers we rely on are confused. Why are we not united in pushing for more funding across all programs?
I would like to address some of the misperceptions about RTP funding directly in the hopes that we can create a common platform and message to move forward:
Misperception:
The RTP Full Funding Act would specifically require that funding come only from the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)—which funds bike lanes and sidewalks—and would bar the money from coming from other sources (as implied in the bill’s last paragraph).
Read more:
https://www.americantrails.org/resources/editorial-lets-stop-the-infighting-unite-for-trail-and-transportation-funding
Heinrich: “Trump and Musk’s Public Lands Firings a Disaster”
Courtesy of SORP
WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Angus Kaine (I-Maine), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee, hosted a virtual roundtable with public lands employees fired President Trump and Elon Musk.
Heinrich continued, “We also need to be clear-eyed that this is just the start. Trump, Musk, and Republicans are defunding management of our public lands to make Americans think that they are being poorly managed. This is all part of their scheme to transfer our public lands to states so they can sell them to the highest bidder. I won’t stand for it.
Read more:
https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-trump-and-musks-public-lands-firings-a-disaster
Forest Service Releases New Trail Maintenance and Construction Notebook
Courtesy of NOHVCC
The U.S. Forest Service has released a new edition of their Trail Maintenance and Construction Notebook. The 2025 edition contains updated techniques, photos, diagrams, and resources, including information on collaborative trail planning, trail maintenance tips, and the science behind designing, building, and maintaining long-lasting trails.
The new edition is extremely user-friendly and provides high quality pictures and diagrams to demonstrate appropriate trail management, maintenance, techniques. You can find the document here. This is a great tool for those managing, maintaining, or volunteering on trails.
Download here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fs_media/fs_document/trail-maintenance-notebook.pdf
Public Parks as Climate Resilience Tools
Courtesy of Planetizen
By Clement Lau
Parks are widely cherished public spaces that bring communities together, but they can also serve as powerful tools for climate resilience when designed with green infrastructure in mind. While climate change remains politically divisive, the impacts of extreme weather—flooding, heat, and drought—are universally recognized. This has created an opportunity for bipartisan support of initiatives that expand and enhance public parks, as demonstrated by the widespread success of state and local ballot measures and federal legislation like the EXPLORE Act. As reported by Claire Elise Thompson, parks designed to mitigate climate risks not only provide recreational and social benefits but also strengthen communities against environmental challenges in a cost-effective way.
Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/03/134545-public-parks-climate-resilience-tools
This small tweak to California parks could help prevent fires
Courtesy of Fast Company
By Nate Berg
In a small section of Los Angeles’s Elysian Park, which spans the amount of land a single sprinkler head can water, a native plant experiment is underway that could change city parks for the better.
It’s called Test Plot. Combining native plant species, volunteer gardeners, and a not insignificant amount of weeding, the experiment is trying to find a new way for urban parks to counter ecological degradation and improve climate resilience. The project launched in 2019 and is now underway in parks across California, and the approach is showing that with the right plants and the right amount of effort, parks can be brought back into sync with the natural tendencies of their environments.
Read more:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91290104/this-small-tweak-to-california-parks-could-help-prevent-fires
City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity
Courtesy of Planetizen
By Clement Lau
The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event that encourages people to observe and document biodiversity in their cities. Participants use the iNaturalist app to take photos of plants, animals, and fungi, contributing valuable data to help scientists better understand urban ecosystems. The event fosters a deeper connection with nature while promoting conservation efforts.
Started in 2016 by the California Academy of Sciences and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the City Nature Challenge has grown into an international effort spanning hundreds of cities. It highlights the importance of urban biodiversity, encourages environmental stewardship, and inspires communities to explore and appreciate the nature around them.
Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/03/134493-city-nature-challenge-explore-document-and-protect-urban-biodiversity
Ice bowling is back for St. Patrick's Day in St. Louis Park
Courtesy of Planetizen
By Derek James
MINNESOTA - The outdoor ice at the Recreation Outdoor Center is being turned green for an unusual St. Patrick's Day, called ShamROC Ice Bowling, which is now in its fifth year.
Crews are keeping busy to recreate the exact bowling experience you'd expect at a typical bowling alley, but this time, it's just on a different surface.
"These are regulation lanes. The length, the width, the pin placement, the bowling pins and bowling balls are from actual bowling lanes, so we have everything specified down to the inch," said Mikayla Buech, with St. Louis Park Parks and Recreation.
Read more:
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/st-louis-park-ice-bowling/
Can Wildlife Heal PTSD? The Science Behind Nature’s Unexpected Remedy
Courtesy of SciTechDaily
Walking in forests was beneficial, but direct engagement with animals — especially when the animals initiated contact — was even more impactful. Participants found a sense of connection and healing, while also growing more aware of conservation issues. Scientists suggest expanding research to further explore this nature-based therapy.
Read more:
https://scitechdaily.com/can-wildlife-heal-ptsd-the-science-behind-natures-unexpected-remedy/
America’s urban wildfire crisis: More than 1,100 communities at risk
Courtesy of Headwaters Economics
While the recent fires in Los Angeles were shocking, hundreds of communities across the United States—including in Florida, Oklahoma, and Alabama—are ripe for a similar scenario. Because it’s important to take action and prepare for these urban wildfires, Headwaters Economics has created an interactive map that shows which communities have risk factors comparable to Los Angeles.
Using data from the U.S. Forest Service’s Wildfire Risk to Communities project, Headwaters Economics examined the risk markers in communities with recent urban wildfires to identify communities that share similar characteristics. There is no way to precisely predict the next disaster, but this analysis shows that more than 1,100 communities in 32 states across the United States share similarities with communities recently devastated by urban wildfires.
Read more:
https://headwaterseconomics.org/wildfire/more-than-1100-communities-urban-wildfire-risk/
Trail Towns & Gateway Communities
Courtesy of American Trails
This is the first collective study to share insights from program managers into the diverse approaches Trail Town and Gateway Community programs take, the challenges they face, and the perceived impacts they have on their communities. The report outlines the current state of these initiatives and offers valuable recommendations for program managers, policymakers, and stakeholders looking to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of trail community programs.
Many trail communities, often rural and under-resourced, recognize the role that trails play in revitalizing their places. Communities seek to better leverage their trails for purposes of economic health, public health, quality of life, and stewardship of the environment. Having organized, regional programs enable communities to band together and better connect to trails. Connecting by way of trails introduces the possibility of more vibrant places. Regional initiatives can help in both jump-starting and sustaining this work. Trail Community initiatives make a difference and must be both maintained and improved upon.
Learn more:
https://www.americantrails.org/resources/trail-towns-gateway-communities
Proposed bill could eliminate Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Courtesy of Statesman.com
By Alexis Simmerman
A Texas lawmaker has proposed a bill that would abolish the state's Parks and Wildlife Department. House Bill 4938, filed by Pat Curry (R-Waco), would assign the functions of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to other state agencies. In addition to the TPWD's responsibilities, the General Land Office, Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Safety would also receive the department's funding. Current TPWD employees would also be transferred to these agencies.
Read more:
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/03/17/texas-parks-and-wildlife-department-pat-curry-house-bill-hb-4938-representatives/82490153007/
Rebuilding and Recovery Micro-Grants for Hurricane Helene-Impacted Recreation Communities
Courtesy of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced the opening of its Rebuilding and Recovery Micro-Grant Program to support outdoor recreation in communities recovering from the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The micro-grant program will award $5,000-$10,000 grants to fund organizations and volunteer groups working to clean up and repair recreation sites impacted by the storm and help alleviate the lingering economic burden of recovery efforts felt by local communities in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.
The application period runs March 5 – April 2 at 11:59 PST and we anticipate awarding grants by the end of April.
Learn more:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbYo1iz-h-lk6WBAQij68KnKtC2tILRape37W2eja612J8SQ/viewform
2025 NACo Achievement Awards
Join us in celebrating county innovation with the 2025 NACo Achievement Awards
Share your county's innovative programs by participating in NACo’s 2025 Achievement Awards.
- New this year – no application fee for counties with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents.
- Achievement Award winners earn recognition that can include local media coverage, features in County News or other NACo publications and a spotlight at the 2025 Annual Conference.
- Application deadline: The deadline to apply is Monday, March 31.
Learn more:
https://www.naco.org/page/apply-2025-naco-achievement-awards
