Your advocacy on behalf of neighborhood parks has paid off once again!
The National Recreation and Park Association has scored a major victory for communities across America in the negotiations over the economic stimulus bill that is to be considered by both houses of Congress today (February 13th).
In the language agreed by House and Senate conferees, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will allow communities to use funding from programs such as Community Development Block Grants, transportation infrastructure, and the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund to support community parks.
Without your phone calls and support and the hard work of NRPA's Public Policy staff, the bill would have explicitly restricted communities from using these funds to support parks and recreation.
Click here to review a brief report from the NRPA Public Policy Office on this significant accomplishment. NPC thanks you for your efforts to advance this agenda. If you have any questions, please contact the NRPA Public Policy Office at 202.887.0290.
February 6th news:
Senator Coburn's amendment was passed on February 6th. This means that funds from the Recovery Act cannot be used for parks. Senator Bingaman's amendment (request $100 million for LWCF) has not been voted on but will later today.
It is unclear how the Coburn amendment may impact the Bingaman amendment should the Bingaman amendment pass. While the Coburn amendment did pass, we still have the opportunity to have "community parks" removed during the House/Senate conference. ____________________________________________________________________________
BACKGROUND
On February 3rd, Senator Coburn (R-OK) submitted an amendment to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that would prohibit community parks from receiving money from programs funded by the bill. Specifically, this amendment would prohibit parks and recreation from receiving funding provided through various programs, including: CDBG funding, transportation infrastructure, special education services, childcare services, and community development block grant programs.
Mr. Coburn’s amendment specifically states: “No funds provided by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, arts center, or highway beautification project, including renovation, remodeling, construction, salaries, furniture, zero-gravity chairs, big screen televisions, beautification, rotating pastel lights, and dry heat saunas.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Ask your Senator to vote against Senator Coburn’s amendment and request that funds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act be used to support local and state park and recreation agencies. We encourage you make these points with your Senator:
* State and local park and recreation agencies provide benefits to communities and should not be precluded from funding.
* State and local parks and recreational facilities are in disrepair in communities across America and have thousands of capital construction and capital maintenance projects that are “on-the-shelf” and ready to go.
* These projects such as new roofs for community centers, irrigation systems for sport fields, repairs to bring facilities into ADA compliance, and electrical upgrades to park and recreation facilities would allow communities to preserve, rehabilitate and maintain the already existing infrastructure that provides numerous recreational opportunities for citizens.
* Enhancing and restoring community parks and recreation resources increases quality of life, attracts new businesses and residents to communities, increases property values, and creates new employment opportunities.
Contact your Senator by phone via the Senate switchboard at 202.224.3121 (To find your Senator, go to www.senate.gov)
Please let the National Recreation and Park Association know if you contact your Senator, and what their response was, so we can continue our advocacy efforts. For questions or updates on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, please contact Becky Webb-Morser at bwebbmorser@nrpa.org or 202.887.0290.
