National Parks Conservation Association’s Post

It’s National Park Advocacy Week! National parks are reaching a critical breaking point from declining budgets and staff, skyrocketing visitation, cumulating maintenance needs and worsening climate disasters. The good news: There are solutions available for lawmakers to act on right now. We're focused on four key actions this Park Advocacy Week: 1. Increase park funding by at least $250 million to help bring back thousands of park staff 2. Extend the Great American Outdoors Act to help #FixOurParks 3. Preserve our history by enacting the Cultural Resource Challenge 4. Tell the story of all Americans by supporting individual bills that expand our National Park System, including the Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act, Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act and Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act. #ParkAdvocacy #FundOurParks #ParkProtection #LobbyDay #HillDay #NationalParks #ParkAdvocate

Now more than ever, our state’s parks need us. This January, we’re seeking 100 new park champions to become a member by making a gift of $25 or more, so that we can confidently meet urgent needs in our beloved parks all year-round. Your increased support will help us tackle urgent projects in 2024, such as: 🌊 Building climate resiliency across the state to combat the ongoing impacts of sea-level rise, wildfire frequency and severity, and more. 🧡 Advocating at the statewide level so that California state parks have the necessary funding to reach their full potential and best serve visitors. 🌳Expanding access to parks so that all Californians can experience their positive impact on health, happiness, and quality of life. Can we count on you to help protect California’s amazing 280 state parks and ensure that access to their beauty, culture, and history is available to all? Become a member today: https://lnkd.in/gCtdbSF5.

via Christina Taylor Say #NoCutsToParks! @NYCMayor has slashed the @NYCParks budget, and more cuts are coming. Already 1450+ frontline parks maintenance workers have been lost. More cuts mean more trash-filled parks, playgrounds, beaches and ballfields. Send a letter: https://lnkd.in/exqCENaX This administration’s proposed cuts of 10% so far, and soon to be 15%, will devastate our park system. This will result in a $75M reduction to an already deprived agency, that has fewer workers today than it did before the pandemic. Year after year, NYC Parks staff does more with less. This past summer, they once again stepped up and took care of 30,000 acres of parks, with limited resources. The staff is already stretched too thin. They are tired and frustrated, and so are we. NYC Parks staff need more resources to do the work that the public expects and deserves–not less!

Hey Hoboken, New Jersey 👋 We see you and your strides in climate change resiliency! While many people think of parks purely in recreational terms, they are playing an increasingly essential role in combatting the devasting effects of climate change. A recent NYTimes article highlights the importance of investing in parks and green spaces, focusing on Hoboken’s prioritization of these areas as they work toward a more successful approach to handling extreme weather events. We’re pleased to see our neighbors make new, innovative approaches to combat climate change! We are proud to be making our own investments in green solutions here in Riverside Park. From new drainage swales that protect our playgrounds to planting meadows in place of lawns to maximize water absorption, we aim to mitigate the extreme weather-related run-off that is increasing in frequency and severity. In NYC, only 0.6% of the City budget is allocated to parks – and new budget cuts just announced will only deepen the crisis. Now more than ever, we need to invest in our public green spaces so we may be better prepared for the future. For any New Yorker concerned with the effects of the recent storms on our city, we urge you to read the full article and advocate for park funding. Full article in The New York Times: https://lnkd.in/eu5B25ab #PlayFair petition from New Yorkers for Parks: http://playfair.nyc

Geauga County Ohio

In the last five decades, New York City has built 200 new parks. In 1970, NYC Parks headcount was 11,000. Forty-five years later, and we are looking at a headcount of only 7,000. A simple math question: How can we have 200 more parks today and 4,000 fewer Parks workers? Parks only continue to exist if they are maintained by people. We demand the mayor fulfill his campaign promise to devote 1% of the budget to Parks.

Here's a nice Axios piece on ParkScore--and on the role of parks and greenspace in connecting people with each other, combatting loneliness, promoting civic engagement, growing social capital, strengthening communities, and enabling democracy. Trust for Public Land https://lnkd.in/gJqKCT-S

Let’s face it: state parks deserve more. Although many Californians love the state’s parks, they are not aware that many of these places are state parks. With a looming budget deficit that may cut off access programs and much-needed funding, this lack of awareness can lead to missed opportunities for all Californians to enjoy the parks and a shortage of financial support and vital stewardship state parks need to thrive. Read John McKinney’s Los Angeles Times op-ed, “Californians love the state’s parks. We just don’t know they’re state parks,” here: https://ow.ly/NJo050RHkgo.

Passed in 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act serves as a legal and funding tool to assist with initiatives to provide more green space for residents in rural and urban communities. The Outdoors for All Act, currently awaiting Senate approval, would expand on this progress by increasing access to parks and green spaces in low-income communities and communities of color. Read our latest Insight article, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘵: 𝘈 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩, by the Network's Leah Terry, below. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eM4pKmWM

In New York City, four iron monkeys, once part of the decor at Riverside Park's Ten Mile River Playground, have been removed to a storage yard on Randall’s Island, a stone's throw from where Robert Moses, the influential yet contentious parks commissioner, once wielded his power. This action followed the resurgence of interest in a segment of Robert Caro’s 1974 biography "The Power Broker," which scrutinizes Moses' urban planning decisions, suggesting the monkeys were a racist affront to the predominantly Black neighborhood. The book accuses Moses of implementing urban planning strategies that discreetly marginalized African American and Puerto Rican communities, including the allegation that he designed low overpasses on the Southern State Parkway to restrict these communities' access via bus to suburban amenities and beaches like Jones Beach. The controversy surrounding the iron monkeys and Moses' broader legacy highlights a complex debate about urban planning's role in shaping racial and social landscapes. However, the article challenges the straightforward interpretation of the monkeys as a symbol of racism. It points out that similar decorations are found in a playground in a predominantly White neighborhood, suggesting a different intent behind their placement. Furthermore, the supposed shackles on the monkeys are speculated to represent the rings children play with in playgrounds, not chains. This interpretation is bolstered by the historical demographic composition of West Harlem during the 1930s, which contradicts the assertion that the playground was situated in a predominantly Black area. The discourse around Moses, including the design of parkway overpasses to potentially limit minority access to certain public spaces, illustrates the intricate ways in which infrastructure can embody and perpetuate social divisions. Yet, this account is met with nuanced perspectives that challenge the simplicity of labeling Moses' actions as solely motivated by racial prejudice. His contributions to New York's public spaces and infrastructure are undeniable, though his legacy remains marred by allegations of racial discrimination. The fate of the monkeys, amidst this reevaluation of Moses' impact on New York City, emphasizes the ongoing dialogue about historical memory, urban planning, and social justice. Their removal from Riverside Park reflects not just a moment of controversy but a broader reconsideration of the symbols we maintain in our public spaces and the histories they represent. #RobertMoses #UrbanPlanning #SocialJustice #NYCHistory #PublicSpaces #ThePowerBroker #Infrastructure #RacialEquity #LegacyReevaluation