NACPRO News

January 7, 2025

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The Best Charcoal Grill Sale of the Year is Here
Courtesy of Pilot Rock

Buy One, Get One Half Off Price on ANY charcoal grill during the month of January. This sales event includes ALL charcoal grills including wheelchair accessible grills, stainless steel grills, large group grills and more. 

Learn more:
https://www.pilotrock.com/bogo50-charcoal-grills/

The Glass City’s Riverfront Sparkles with Promise
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Scott Carpenter

OHIO - The community debated for decades about how to transform former industrial sites on Toledo, Ohio’s expansive riverfront from blighted relics of the past into assets for the future. Several times, developers announced plans that never progressed beyond ceremonial groundbreakings. These false starts left behind a road lined with decorative lampposts that some hoped would lead to a reimagined waterfront and others derided as “the road to nowhere.”

In the last six years, however, debate has given way to collaboration in the Glass City, which earned its nickname from a storied past of glass innovation and manufacturing. Today, where a mothballed power plant once stood, a park with unique amenities is creating a new kind of energy, sparking public and private investments beside the largest river flowing into the Great Lakes.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/features/133336-glass-citys-riverfront-sparkles-promise

Biden Signed the EXPLORE Act into Law, Enacting a Host of Outdoor Recreation Initiatives
Courtesy of Outside Online

By Miyo McGinn

On Saturday, January 4, President Joe Biden signed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act into law. The new legislation rolls a dozen or so existing outdoor recreation-relation initiatives into one policy, which includes approval of building long-distance bike trails, the protection of rock climbing anchors in wilderness areas, and a more efficient permit process for guiding companies.

The EXPLORE Act is focused on federal public land like national parks, national forests, and areas overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.

Learn more:
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/explore-act-outdoor-recreation-legislation/


In Cleveland, a Forgotten Streetcar Bridge Gets a Long-Awaited Lift
Courtesy of the CityLab

By Vince Guerrieri

OHIO - Early on the morning of Jan. 24, 1954, a Cleveland Railway Company streetcar left the city’s downtown Public Square and trundled across the lower deck of the Detroit-Superior Bridge for the last time. Not long after that, people started to ponder what should be done with the bridge’s bottom level.

Earlier this year, the US Department of Transportation awarded a $7 million grant to the city, Cuyahoga County and the state transportation department to further develop a proposal to reopen the 3,100-foot-long lower deck as a combined pedestrian and bike connector. The bridge also sits at the nexus of a variety of related urban regeneration projects.

Learn more:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-11-15/cleveland-low-line-sky-park-plan-promises-new-life-for-a-lost-bridge


Don’t Trash Your E-Bike Battery
Courtesy of People for Bikes

The bike industry came together as the first transportation industry to establish a battery recycling program to reduce negative impacts on our planet by removing e-bike batteries from our waste streams. Thanks to this new program, powered by Call2Recycle and endorsed by PeopleForBikes, tens of thousands of pounds of electric bicycle batteries have already been recycled.

With more than 1,900 retail drop-off locations across the U.S., in-person electric bicycle battery recycling has never been easier.

Learn more:
https://www.hungryforbatteries.org


Oak Survival in the Great Lakes: Adapting to a Changing World
Courtesy of Planetizen

Oaks in the Great Lakes region face increasing threats from climate change, including rising temperatures, severe storms, and invasive pests, according to a study by Michigan Technological University. These conditions are stressing oak populations, leaving them vulnerable to diseases like oak wilt and attacks from insects such as the two-lined chestnut borer. The warming climate also extends the range and lifespan of harmful pests, exacerbating their impact on these vital trees. Oaks play a crucial ecological role, providing food and habitat for various wildlife species, including bears and turkeys, making their decline a significant environmental concern.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/01/133531-oak-survival-great-lakes-adapting-changing-world


Detecting Invasive Species Early Through Citizen Science
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Clement Lau

Early detection is crucial for managing invasive alien species (IAS), which pose significant threats to ecosystems, economies, and public health. While official surveillance is vital, a new study highlights the critical role of community science platforms, such as eBird and iNaturalist, in identifying these species. Analyzing 600 official first records of IAS from 30 countries, researchers compared professional databases with 220 million records from public platforms, finding that community contributions were earlier than official reports in 20 percent of cases and equally timed in 30 percent, showcasing the platforms' effectiveness in complementing formal surveillance.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/12/133319-detecting-invasive-species-early-through-citizen-science


New trails in Milwaukee County help curtail illegal park dumping
Courtesy of NACo

By Charlie Ban

WISCONSIN - Milwaukee County, Wis. puts a lot of time, energy and money into its 150 parks, but a good amount of that money was go­ing into things visitors would never see. The parks’ 15,000 acres were also hiding numerous illegal dump­ing sites. And thousands of dol­lars were going into cleaning them up, including $19,000 for a single dumping site. 

The county is doing something about it. First, the Board of Supervisors has au­thorized fines of up to $5,000 for illegal dumping, up from $200. 

A structural fix, though, will make it harder for some of those trucks to reach secluded dump sites. The 2025 budget includes funding to turn some roads into multi-use paths, re­inforcing their purpose to help visitors enjoy the park while limiting automobile traffic. 

Read more:
https://www.naco.org/news/new-trails-milwaukee-county-help-curtail-illegal-park-dumping


Parks have great potential for green stormwater infrastructure
Courtesy of City Parks Alliance

Over the past year, City Parks Alliance has worked with a cohort of parks and stormwater agency leaders from eight cities across the country to inform how to increase collaboration between the parks and stormwater management sectors and address historic inequities. The project is in partnership with the US Water Alliance and the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The report (1) Identifies and addresses the systemic barriers to better collaboration between parks and stormwater management agencies and their partners; (2) Shares recommendations and calls to action for public leaders and policy advocates to help overcome them; (3) Shares examples and resources to help cities tap into the public benefits and opportunities that GSI in parks can provide.

Learn more:
https://cityparksalliance.org/parks-and-green-stormwater-infrastructure


Armed Intruder
Courtesy of PRB Plus

By Eric Spacek

It’s impossible to ignore news reports about armed-intruder incidents at a wide range of locations, including concerts, malls, places of worship, and movie theaters. As leaders assess their parks, recreation, or camp facility, it might be tempting to assume “it could never happen here.”

The fact is, one never knows when an organization may be faced with potential violence. That’s why leaders must be ready—by performing regular security assessments, understanding the warning signs of an event, collaborating with law enforcement, and preparing tabletop drills.

Read more:
https://flipbooklets.com/pdfflipbooklets/prb-january-2025?ref=prbplus.com#page58

New Edition of the Urban Bikeway Design Guide Coming in January
Courtesy of the PBIC Messenger

The Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Third Edition, will help city leaders and street designers create bikeable cities for people of all ages and abilities. It is a blueprint for implementing safe, connected, and equitable bike networks. It covers city policy, network planning, community collaboration, program and project evaluation, bikeway design, curb management, intersection design, maintenance, and operations. Designs and concepts are spotlit with precise, actionable illustrations and diagrams.

Learn more:
https://nacto.org/2024/11/15/new-edition-of-the-urban-bikeway-design-guide-coming-in-january


AASHTO Releases Updated Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
Courtesy of the PBIC Messenger

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released the Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 5th Edition, an updated resource for designing physical infrastructure to support bicycling. The updated edition emphasizes a flexible approach to designing safe, comfortable bikeways that accommodate people of all ages and abilities and are tailored to project-specific conditions. The guide features 16 chapters, including nine new ones that provide guidance on choosing bikeway types; designing shared use paths, separated bike lanes, side paths, shared lanes, and bike lanes; implementing traffic signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons; and planning rural bikeways, among other topics. Developed by the AASHTO Committee on Design and the Technical Committee on Non-Motorized Transportation and based on extensive research, the guide includes updated graphics and illustrations to convey key design concepts. It is available in paperback, as a PDF, or as a combined set through the AASHTO Store.

Learn more:
https://store.transportation.org/item/collectiondetail/267?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1


State Recreation Economy Rankings

Courtesy of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

ORR announced its second annual rankings of state outdoor recreation economies based on the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). These rankings highlight top states in categories such as overall economic size, growth in gross domestic product from outdoor recreation, compensation growth, and job growth. With new data published in this year’s BEA release dating back to 2012, the rankings also highlight growth since the beginning of the time period of the account.  

Learn more:
https://recreationroundtable.org/news/outdoor-recreation-roundtable-releases-annual-state-rankings-based-on-1-2-trillion-economic-impact-report/

Grant Opportunities
Courtesy of the National Special Districts Coalition

FY 2025-2029 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership: Acquisition and Development
WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to provide new or significantly improved recreation opportunities to the public in urban, disadvantaged communities lacking access to walkable outdoor recreation.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State Lead Agencies, which may submit on behalf of eligible sub-recipients, including state agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes, Alaska Native Corporations and Organizations, Native Hawaiian communities, local units of governments and special purpose districts
TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified
WHEN'S IT DUE? June 1, 2025, and November 1, 2025
LEARN MORE:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lwcf/outdoor-recreation-legacy-partnership-grants-program.htm

FY 2026 Challenge America
WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to support primarily small arts organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Arts organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, local education agencies (LEAs)/school districts, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of state or local government, and federally recognized tribal communities and tribes.
TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $2.8 million
WHEN'S IT DUE? April 24, 2025 (pre-submittal in Grants.gov), May 13, 2025 (submittal through NEA portal)
LEARN MORE: https://www.arts.gov/grants/challenge-america

FY 2026 Grants for Arts Projects
WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to support an expansive range of arts activities to strengthen the nation’s arts and culture ecosystem. These activities may include opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; and federally recognized tribal communities or tribes.
TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $62.25 million
WHEN'S IT DUE? Round 1: February 13, 2025 (Grants.gov); February 26, 2025 (NEA portal). Round 2: July 10, 2025 (Grants.gov); July 22, 2025 (NEA portal).
LEARN MORE: https://www.arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects

Somebody Should - Online Think-tank
Courtesy of ActivEnviro

Every second Thursday from 3:30-5:00 PM ET

Each month topics will vary based on key issues, invited Topic Leaders using an interactive format. They center around issues related to connecting, convening, and collaborating around active living, integration of nature and health, organizational management, parks, recreation, community wellbeing ecosystems, planning, policy, education, and related research. 

Learn more:
https://www.activenviro.org/somebodyshould

Upcoming Webinars from American Trails

 - February 6: Together on the Trail: Birdability and Accessible Birding
 - February 13: Increasing Physical Activity Through the Use of Trails and Greenways
 - February 20: Trail Bumps: Lessons Learned from Removing 1,000 Bumps
 - February 27: Making Organizations Inclusive: Stories of Deaf Gain in the Outdoor

Learn more:
https://www.americantrails.org/training/webinars


Visitor User Management Training & Symposium
Courtesy of SORP

Date: June 2-5, 2025
Location: Vancouver, WA
Organization: Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP)

As visitor use increases and public expectations change, we need to have the training and tools to provide high quality experiences while protecting natural and cultural resources.

The Training and Symposium will: (1) Enhance foundational knowledge and skills of visitor use management and sustainable recreation planning; (2) Understand and address the role of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion when planning for visitor use management;  (3) Understand Tribal Treaty Rights in the context of recreation planning and visitor use management; (4) Understand limitations of the Visitor Use Management Framework including perspectives of Traditional/Indigenous knowledge systems; (5) Identify ways to support each other to share and elevate visitor use management work across the U.S. and Canada.

Learn more:
https://www.recpro.org/professional-development/event-description?CalendarEventKey=e58292b6-ed7f-4181-b214-01924956a33f&Home=%2fevents%2fevents-calendar

NEW - Deputy Director of Finance
Lake County Forest Preserves
Libertyville, Illinois
$106,017 - $158,899 Annually
Application Deadline: Open until filled

NEW – Coordinator of Visitor and Business Services
Ottawa County Parks
West Olive, Michigan
$38.66 - $50.26 Hourly
Application Deadline: Jan 17, 2025

NEW – Executive Director
Addison Park District, Illinois
$100,000 - $140,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Jan 31, 2025

NEW - Manager of Park Ranger Operations
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
San Jose, California
$168,490 - $168,344 Annually
Application Deadline: Jan 31, 2025

NEW - Manager of Park Maintenance Services
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
San Jose, California
$138,490 - $168,344 Annually
Application Deadline: Feb 3, 2025

NEW - Parks Planner III
Sarasota County Government, Florida
$67,246 - $80,017 Annually
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Trails Manager
Great Parks
Cincinnati, Ohio
$61,593 - $76,991 Annually
Application Deadline: Jan 11, 2025

Community Services Director
Desert Recreation District
Indio, California
$158,398.00 Annually
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Executive Director
Byron Forest Preserve District
Byron, Illinois
$110,000 - $160,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Feb 7, 2025

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 1100 parks and recreation professionals for a fee of $100 for NACPRO members and $200 for non-members.