NACPRO News

September 15, 2026

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Awardee Spotlight

Park & Recreation Program: Aquatic Adventure Camp
East Bay Regional Park District, California

For nine seasons, the East Bay Regional Park District’s Aquatic Adventure Camp has demonstrated how park and recreation agencies can address a critical public-safety issue through innovative programming.

Designed for youth with limited swimming ability, the program moves beyond traditional swim lessons by integrating water-safety education into engaging park and recreation experiences. Participants learn swimming, boating, rafting, and stand-up paddleboarding while developing essential self-rescue, water awareness, and decision-making skills.

Led by Pete deQuincey and the East Bay Regional Park District Lifeguard Services team, the program exemplifies the value of collaboration. The Park District partners with the California Department of Water Resources and the Regional Parks Foundation to expand access to water-safety education and provide meaningful experiences for youth who may otherwise have limited opportunities to participate in aquatic recreation.

In 2025 alone, 164 youth participated at Don Castro Regional Recreation Area, including supervised open-water experiences at Lake Del Valle. Over nine seasons, the program has reached hundreds of children throughout the East Bay.

The Aquatic Adventure Camp is an outstanding example of innovation, community service, partnership, and public-safety leadership—demonstrating how county and regional park agencies can leverage their facilities, staff, and recreational expertise to address community needs. Its success also offers a model that could be adapted and replicated by park and recreation agencies nationwide.

Seeking Comprehensive Agency Master Plans

Polk County Conservation (Iowa) is looking for examples of comprehensive agency master plans that address vision and goals, community engagement, land use, physical development, infrastructure, programming, etc. If you have a master plan you are willing to share, please email to [email protected].  Also, feel free to share if you have hired a consultant that you would recommend.

Tap into our collective experience. Send your question to [email protected] with some background and we will include it in the next NACPRO News.

Does your inspection process need an update?

Courtesy of Jotform

Still relying on paper forms for inspections? Save trees, time, and manual entry with a mobile inspection app.

With Jotform Apps, teams can complete inspections offline, upload photos, capture GPS locations, and submit data from any device. Simply describe what you’d like or upload forms to create your app in minutes.

Share your app with a link, email, or QR code. Data syncs automatically when teams reconnect. Get park status updates in the palm of your hand with Jotform Apps.

Try Jotform’s free no-code app builder:  https://link.jotform.com/4ShyRi2riT\

After 40 years, Southern California’s longest multi-use trail halfway to completion
Courtesy of Planetizen

After 40 years, Southern California’s longest multi-use trail project is over halfway done, with 68 of the planned 110 miles of the Santa Ana River Trail completed or under construction.

The trail will stretch from Huntington Beach to the San Bernardino National Forest, connecting three counties and 17 cities. Several pieces of the trail are already open and serve as popular hiking and cycling routes, writes Jamie Ferrell for Secret Los Angeles.

“The next phase of construction will be completed in five stages beginning in mid-2027, from California Street in Redlands to Orange Street in Mentone,” Secret Los Angeles reports.

Read more:
https://secretlosangeles.com/santa-ana-river-trail-california/

The Safety Dividend: The Surprising Impact of Well-Managed Public Spaces
Courtesy of City Parks Alliance

A growing body of research shows that investing in an orderly, well-managed public realm sets off a chain reaction: it changes how safe people feel, which increases how much time people spend out in public space, which reduces the opportunities for crime to occur, which, in turn, reduces actual crime. That’s why the design, programming and management of the public realm should be a cornerstone of a community’s comprehensive public safety strategy.

Some of the clearest evidence comes from Philadelphia, where in a randomized controlled trial, researchers cleaned, mowed and planted grass on vacant lots across the city — without turning them into activated gathering spaces — and tracked what happened in the surrounding blocks.

The result: a 29% reduction in gun violence and a 22% drop in burglaries in nearby neighborhoods. Residents living near the lots had their own perceptions shift even more sharply — people reported feeling 37% less worried about crime, 39% less worried about vandalism, and 58% less concerned about safety overall.

Read more:
https://medium.com/reimagining-the-civic-commons/the-safety-dividend-the-surprising-impact-of-well-managed-public-spaces-09660fcb99fc

Large Meta Settlement Has the Possibility of Providing Significant Investment for Parks and Recreation
Courtesy of NRPA

The National Recreation and Park Association is encouraged to see many of the programs and services that local park and recreation agencies provide recognized among the approved uses of funding through the Meta settlement. The $17 billion settlement is intended to address the impact of social media on youth mental health. Specific actions outlined in the settlement included after-school and summer programs, outdoor activities, youth sports, and overall mental health programming. This acknowledgment reinforces the critical role that parks and recreation plays in addressing some of the most pressing concerns facing young people today, including mental health challenges, social isolation and more.

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/about-national-recreation-and-park-association/press-room/nrpa-statement-on-meta-settlement-recommendations/

Reshaping Cities, Healing Wounds, and Sharing Prosperity
Courtesy of City Parks Alliance

As cities invest heavily in public spaces, park leaders face the challenge of ensuring these improvements directly benefit existing residents without driving displacement. At Greater & Greener 2026, leaders from across the country gathered to share real-world strategies for healing historical urban divides, transforming neglected assets, and creating shared prosperity through public spaces.

Read more:
https://cityparksalliance.org/reshaping-cities-healing-wounds-and-sharing-prosperity/

94% of wetlands could lose federal protections under proposed EPA rule
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Zachary Whalen

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a new rule on Sept. 4 that would potentially strip federal protections from 94% of U.S. wetlands, according to a preliminary analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The proposed rule would significantly narrow what bodies of water are protected from harmful pollution under the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/09/138386-94-wetlands-could-lose-federal-protections-under-proposed-epa-rule

Outdoor Fitness Equipment Expands Access to Multigenerational Wellness Spaces
Courtesy of Recreation Management

The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the value of outdoor activity not just for the necessary spacing of that time, and its popularity hasn’t faded much. In the ACSM 2026 Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends, outdoor fitness activities placed 18th out of 50 trends among the 1,540 exercise professionals who responded.

Read more:
https://recmanagement.com/articles/156114/no-gym-required-outdoor-fitness-equipment-expands-access-multigenerational-wellness

Forest Service's Proposed Travel Management Rule May Bring Changes for Every Trail
Courtesy of American Trails

The current Travel Management Rule, in place since 2005, rests on a simple default: national forest roads, trails, and areas are closed to motor vehicle use unless specifically designated open. Every designation goes through a process that weighs environmental impact, wildlife disturbance, user conflict, and resource capacity. This meaningful designation criteria has anchored travel planning for two decades.

The proposed revision would flip that default. Under the new framework, routes would generally be treated as open unless specifically designated closed, and the agency has signaled it wants to replace or bypass the nationwide evaluation criteria and public review steps that currently apply. The Forest Service has framed this as cutting red tape and enabling faster, more local decision-making, including expanded recognition of e-bikes and other mobility devices.

American Trails is asking for a transparent, recurring, collaborative review process that keeps all user groups at the same table, while preserving the safety, resource-protection, and conflict-reduction functions the current criteria serve. Deadline for comment is Thursday, September 23.

Read more:
https://www.americantrails.org/resources/what-the-forest-services-proposed-travel-management-rule-changes-mean-for-every-trail-user

U.S. CPTED Association - Call for Presentations

Proposal Submission Deadline: February 1, 2027

USCA 2027 brings together CPTED practitioners, security professionals, technology leaders, planners, designers, architects, landscape architects, public safety professionals, community leaders, and other disciplines working toward a shared goal: creating safer, stronger, and more successful places. The conference provides a collaborative platform for sharing practical applications, innovative strategies, research, case studies, lessons learned, and emerging ideas.

We are looking for engaging presentations that demonstrate how CPTED is being applied in real-world environments and how it can connect with other disciplines to improve the safety, function, and design of the places where people live, work, learn, and gather.

Registration for USCA 2027 is now open. Join us May 19–21, 2027, at Hotel Haya in Tampa, Florida.

Read more:
https://uscpted.com/conference-request-for-proposals/

Community Champions Playground Grant
Courtesy of Recreation Management

Apply for Up to 100% Matching Funds

Make your playground budget go further with matching funds toward eligible GameTime play systems. Apply for a review of your project and the funding level that may be available.

Apply by October 23, 2026. Eligible purchases in the contiguous United States. Funding is subject to review.

Read more:
https://www.gametime.com/funding/playground-grant

Upcoming Webinars from American Trails

• ​October 1: Urban Feasibility and Breaking Down Barriers
• October 29: Prescription Trails: Leveraging the Science of Trail Therapy
• November 5: !T Happens: Leveraging Technology for Traceable Trail Management
• November 12: Building Community through Bike Repair and Placemaking
  ​
  ​​Read more:
  ​https://www.americantrails.org/training/webinars

Webinar: Understanding Recreation Participation Trends
Courtesy of PlayCore

October 21, 2026 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm ET
CEU's available
Free with code COMMUNITY

Join the RecLess podcast team to explore the factors influencing recreation participation and examine practical strategies for better understanding and responding to community needs. Through research and real-world examples, this session will help participants think critically about the future of recreation and its role in strengthening communities.

Read more:
https://education.playcore.com/p/recless

Frontcountry Recreation Webinar Series: Collaboration, Access and Cultural Relevance
Courtesy of SORP

All webinars are FREE
September 9, 16, 23, 30 and October 7 at 12pm MT/ 11am PT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

How do we build outdoor spaces that are truly for everyone while protecting the landscapes we love? Join us for a four-part webinar series exploring the evolving landscape of frontcountry recreation. From the urban parks of Washington, D.C. to the ancient old-growth forests of the Niagara Glen, we’re looking to the heart of modern recreation access and development: meaningful collaboration and cultural inclusion.

Throughout September and October, we will feature four distinct projects that demonstrate how partnerships—between government agencies, Indigenous communities, academic researchers, and local residents—can solve complex challenges. Whether it’s auditing trails for accessibility, preserving Cherokee food heritage, or managing a 40% surge in visitation without restricting access, this series provides practical strategies for land managers and advocates dedicated to creating inclusive, sustainable, and culturally relevant outdoor experiences.

Read more:
https://www.recpro.org/webinars

NEW – Superintendent of Safety & Outdoor Education / Park Police Chief
Johnson County Park & Recreation District
Shawnee, Kansas
$51.62 - $77.43 Hourly
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Construction Manager
Richland County Recreation Commission
Columbia, South Carolina
$85,000 - $95,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Oct 31, 2026

Procurement Specialist
Richland County Recreation Commission
Columbia, South Carolina
$45,000 - $55,000
Application Deadline: Oct 31, 2026

Chief of Planning
Five Rivers MetroParks
Dayton, Ohio
$48.72 - $73.08 Hourly
Application Deadline: Oct 20, 2026

Director Of Park Planning & Development
Morris County Park Commission
Morristown, New Jersey
$116,000 - $121,388 Annually
Application Deadline: Open until filled

For more information:

https://nacpro.mcjobboard.net/jobs

Got a vacancy to fill?

NACPRO will post your vacancy on our website and email a copy to our mailing list of over 1200 parks and recreation professionals for a fee of $125 for NACPRO members and $250 for non-members.