Parks & Recreation

2010-11 Legislative and Policy Platform

 FF  I  UPARR  I  LWCF  I  CDBG  I  NCLI   I  CDC-DNPAO  I   HELP  I  RSA  



Florida Forever (FF)
Florida Forever and its predecessor, Preservation 2000, have protected more than 2.4 million acres of land. The land has many uses, from recreation to water quality preservation to protecting our military. Florida Forever has touched nearly every county in Florida and greatly improved our great state's quality of life.

Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act (UPARR)
Interior Appropriations-National Park Service

The Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act (UPARR) was authorized in 1978 as a competitive matching grant program administered by the National Park Service to assist cities and urban counties. UPARR has provided matching funding to cities for the rehabilitation of more than 1,500 deteriorating urban parks and recreation facilities. However, UPARR has not been funded since 2002 and the needs for rehabilitation of deteriorating urban parks have only grown greater in the years since UPARR last received appropriations.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
Interior Appropriations-National Park Service

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) state assistance program is a matching federal grant program administered by the National Park Service (NPS) that has funded over 40,000 park projects in the 40 year life-span of the program. Local and state grantees have acquired parks, constructed recreation centers, built athletic fields, maintained trails, preserved conservation areas, and purchased public lands.

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
Appropriations-U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) which provides block grants to eligible cities and urban areas.  Approximately $100 million of CDBG funds are utilized annually for park and recreation projects which often are initiated along with more comprehensive community redevelopment initiatives.

No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) 
Legislation-HR 3036 and S.1981

The No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI), introduced in 2007 in the House as HR 3036 and in the Senate as S.1981, would enable the states to create plans to develop environmental literacy in students; provide funding for teacher training in environmental education; and provide funding to develop state and national capacity in environmental education. This legislation contains no new federal mandates or testing requirements. Public park agencies and other governmental entities would be authorized as eligible partners.

Centers for Disease Control State-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases (CDC-DNPAO)
Appropriations-U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) administers this program to help Americans achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Currently, state health departments in more than 20 states receive funds to address inadequate physical activity and poor nutrition in communities. Seven additional states receive larger grant amounts to implement interventions, disseminate effective policies, and conduct surveillance and communications campaigns.  Local public park agencies play an essential role in implementing and developing these state initiatives in collaboration with their state health departments.

Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention America Act (HELP)
Legislation S. 1342 and HR 2633

The HELP Act seeks to improve the health of Americans and reduce health care costs by reorienting the nation's health care system towards prevention, wellness and self-care. This legislation would convene a taskforce on childhood obesity and establish a National Advisory Committee on Community Sports Programs for Individuals with Disabilities. It would provide employer and employee tax credits for fees paid to athletic or fitness facilities on behalf of employees, provide for the development of a tool to measure community barriers to participating in physical activity, and provide grants for the development of model communities of play.

Rehabilitative Services Administration Recreational Program Grants
Appropriations-U.S. Department of Education

The Department of Education's Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA) maintains a competitive grant program to provide recreation and related activities for individuals with disabilities to aid in their employment, mobility, independence, socialization, and community integration.

If you cannot view PDF files, you can download Acrobat Reader  for free from Adobe Systems, Inc. In order to use PDF files, you must have Acrobat installed on your computer.