NACPRO News

May 12, 2026

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After more than 65 years of building outdoor furnishings, some things become very clear
Courtesy of Pilot Rock

Durability matters more than appearance over time: Products in parks and campgrounds aren’t used lightly—and they aren’t replaced often. They need to perform year after year, in all conditions.

Materials and finishes make or break longevity: The difference between a product that lasts and one that doesn’t often comes down to the details—steel quality, coatings, and how everything is put together.

Consistency matters: From design to manufacturing, consistency ensures that what gets specified is what gets delivered—and performs as expected.

While designs have evolved, so has the technology behind them. Today, Pilot Rock utilizes advanced tools throughout the process—from 3D CAD design to robotic welding and CNC manufacturing—helping ensure precision, quality, and consistency at every step.

Read more:
https://www.pilotrock.com/search/?searchkeyword=frame+kits

Reclaiming Space for Community, Recreation and Respite
Courtesy of NRPA

By Clement Lau, DPPD, FAICP

Finding land for new parks is becoming one of the biggest challenges facing urban communities. In Los Angeles County and other densely developed regions, land is limited, costly and often already committed to existing uses, even as the need for community space — for recreation, cooling, gathering and respite — continues to grow.

Increasingly, the answer lies in rethinking what constitutes parkland. Rather than relying solely on vacant parcels, agencies are reclaiming land shaped by legacy infrastructure, industrial uses and public systems. These efforts—ranging from large-scale transformations to smaller, distributed interventions—require coordination, remediation and sustained investment, but offer some of the most promising opportunities to expand access to open space in communities that need it most.

Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/blog/reclaiming-space-for-community-recreation-and-respite/

Arizona emerges as national leader in wildlife crossings
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

The state has completed multiple wildlife crossing projects including bighorn sheep overpasses on Highway 93 and elk crossings on Route 260, which have reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions by over 90%. These investments demonstrate how coordinated planning can simultaneously deliver safety, economic, and conservation benefits.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/05/137513-arizona-emerges-national-leader-wildlife-crossings

From Pet to Pest: UToledo Research Warns Invasive Goldfish are Reshaping Freshwater Ecosystems
Courtesy of River Management Society

By Shawn Salamone

A new peer-reviewed study conducted by researchers at The University of Toledo and University of Missouri provides some of the first rigorous experimental evidence that goldfish — one of the world’s most popular pets — can dramatically change freshwater ecosystems when released or they escape into the wild.

• Water quality collapsed rapidly.
• Native species declined across multiple trophic levels. 
• Native fish suffered.
• No lake type is safe. 

Read more:
https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/04_28_2026/from-pet-to-pest-utoledo-research-warns-invasive-goldfish-are-reshaping-freshwater-ecosystems

‘Point of no return’: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds
Courtesy of The Guardian

By Oliver Milman

Ongoing sea-level rise and the rampant erosion of wetlands in southern Louisiana will swallow up the New Orleans area within a few generations, with the new paper estimating the city “may well be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century”.

Southern Louisiana is facing 3-7 metres of sea-level rise and the loss of three-quarters of its remaining coastal wetlands, which will cause the shoreline “to migrate as much as 100km (62 miles) inland”, thereby stranding New Orleans and Baton Rouge, according to the study, which compared today’s rising global temperatures with a period of similar heat 125,000 years ago that caused a rise in sea level.

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/04/new-orleans-sea-levels-relocation-climate-crisis

Green blocks are up to 4 degrees cooler than treeless streets
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

A new study from the Healthy Green Spaces Coalition reveals that city blocks with more trees are significantly cooler than blocks without shade, highlighting the importance of tree canopy for reducing the urban heat island effect. In some cities, that gap reaches 20% to 40%. On a series of extreme heat days, a one‑degree shift in ambient conditions can mean the difference between 'very hot' and 'dangerous,' especially for people with health risks.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/05/137510-green-blocks-are-4-degrees-cooler-treeless-streets

Supreme Court cements access to millions of acres of 'checkerboard' public land
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

The case stemmed from several incidents in 2020 and 2021 when elk hunters in Wyoming crossed the corner of a private ranch to move across public lands. The ranch filed a lawsuit, but the court determined that the hunters were not in the wrong. "The appeals court held that, so long as members of the public do not 'physically touch' private property, they cannot be denied access to federal public lands.

This checkerboard pattern of land ownership originated during the United States’ westward expansion, with Congress first dividing territory in the Land Ordinance of 1785 and later distributing it to settlers through the Preemption Act of 1841 and the Homestead Act. During this period, Congress also subsidized the development of railroads by granting them ownership of every other parcel in a 10-mile-wide strip as they laid tracks westward.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/05/137472-supreme-court-cements-access-millions-acres-checkerboard-public-land

NYC e-bike injury study highlights 'critical infrastructure deficiencies'
Courtesy of Planetizen

By Diana Ionescu

While some point to the study as proof that we need more restrictive e-bike laws, the study itself notes that "infrastructure redesign — including separated lanes and intersection protections — may offer the most immediate opportunity to reduce neurosurgical trauma burden." According to the study, 94% of cycling fatalities in 2023 happened on roads without protected bike lanes.

Read more:
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/04/137441-nyc-e-bike-injury-study-highlights-critical-infrastructure-deficiencies

Colorado Warns of Severe Fire Risk in Southwestern States. It May be Difficult to Share Resources.
Courtesy of Inside Climate News

By Colorado College Journalism Institute

Colorado’s top wildfire officials said they expect a significantly increased risk of wildfire this summer—and while they’ll partner with neighboring states as much as they can, resources for fighting the blazes will be tested. A dismal snowpack this winter is likely to leave a parched landscape and tinderbox conditions from Colorado’s thickly forested ski mountains to its grassy eastern plains. Officials here are anticipating an exceptionally dire next few months in their state and beyond. The increased fire risk extends to the multi-state region.

Read more:
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06052026/colorado-severe-fire-risk-resources/

When Winter Weather Is an Accessibility Disaster
Courtesy of Streetsblog

By Naomi Hess

This experience is a common one for disabled people during snowstorms and other severe weather events. Disabled people in cities all over the East Coast suffered this winter due to cities’ lack of planning for how to ensure mobility for disabled people in the aftermath of the snowstorms.

Many disabled people experienced a worsening in their physical condition due to being stuck inside when it snowed. “Winter is a worse time for me physically in general,” said Kelly Mack, a wheelchair user and writer in Washington. So the aquatic therapy followed by the whirlpool are things that help me maintain my strength, and I definitely lost strength and I was having worse chronic pain.”

Read more:
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/05/05/how-do-we-remember-to-remember-disabled-people-accessibility-is-a-winter-weather-disaster

Grant Funding Opportunity
Courtesy of the National Special Park Districts Association
 
Department of Transportation
FY 2025-2026 Railroad Crossing Elimination (Crossing Safety) Program

WHAT DOES IT FUND? This program funds highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that improve the safety and mobility of people and goods. Projects may include grade separations, track relocations, signal and device upgrades, and related planning and design activities. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Eligible applicants include states, political subdivisions of states, federally recognized Indian tribes, local governments, public port authorities, and metropolitan planning organizations.

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $1,146,528,000

WHEN IS IT DUE? June 8, 2026

Read more:
https://railroads.dot.gov/crossing-safety-program

Recordings Available: Access for All
Courtesy of SORP

Access for All was our four-part April series sharing practical strategies and case studies to improve accessibility and inclusion in outdoor recreation. Attendees were able to learn actionable approaches to expand participation, reduce barriers, and create more welcoming trails, parks, and programs for all.

Recordings are available if you were not able to attend live. Our webinar recordings are available to all for the first six months before they become a member-only resource. The recording access also has presentations, other resources, as well as how to earn continuing education credits.

Check it out:
https://library.recpro.org/libraries/recent-webinar-recordings

NEW - Executive Director
Pekin Park District, Illinois
$120,000 - $150,000 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 12, 2026

Park Development Division Director
Fairfax County Government
Fairfax, Virginia
$116,320 - $209,377 Annually
Application Deadline: May 29, 2026

Deputy Director- Community Recreation Operations, Strategy & Program Innovation
Bernalillo County
Albuquerque, New Mexico
$89,128 - $111,946 Annually
Application Deadline: May 31, 2026

Director of Human Resources
Forest Preserves of Cook County
Chicago, Illinois
$125,000 - $152,006 Annually
Application Deadline: May 30, 2026

Chief of Police
Forest Preserves of Cook County
Hinsdale, Illinois
$125,000 - $149,735 Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 30, 2026

For more information:
https://nacpro.mcjobboard.net/jobs

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