December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 23

advo cacy u pdate
By Stacey Pine

Legislative Update
A look at how members benefit from
NRPA's advocacy efforts

ince the 111th Congress (2009-2010) convened on January 6, NRPA has been

hard at work representing the interests of our members and seeking new
funding opportunities. During this time, NRPA's advocacy efforts have yielded significant success. The following measures are just a few examples of the many
ways in which NRPA's advocacy efforts are paying dividends for state and local
parks and recreation agencies throughout the country.

NRPA Legislative Victories
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) went to the floor of the Senate for consideration, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) offered an
amendment that stipulated that none of the funding provided through the ARRA could be used to
fund park and recreation projects, casinos, aquariums or other specified projects. The language in
the amendment made it politically difficult for legislators to vote against it, and it was included in the
Senate-passed version of the ARRA.
However, due to NRPA-led advocacy efforts, the
language prohibiting ARRA funding from being
used for park and recreation projects was ultimately removed from the bill that was signed into law
by the president. As a result, parks and recreation
agencies were able to apply for the billions of dollars available through transportation, energy efficiency, Community Development Block Grants, and
other programs contained within the ARRA.

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Introduction of New Urban Parks and
Recreation Bill
Due to NRPA advocacy efforts, Rep. Albio Sires (DNJ) introduced new legislation on October 6, 2009,
to fund urban parks and recreation projects.
The Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act (URLC) (H.R. 3734) authorizes $445 million to be appropriated annually and provided to
urban park and recreation agencies through federal

assistance grants (which must be matched with local funds). Grants could be used to rehabilitate
existing and develop new urban parks and community recreational infrastructure as well as for the
continued investment in programs that address national issues such as juvenile delinquency and atrisk youth.
Currently, 85 members of the House of Representatives have signed on as cosponsors of the bill.
We are encouraging NRPA members to continue to
reach out to their Representatives and ask them to
sign on as cosponsors. For the most up-to-date list
of cosponsors, visit http://thomas.loc.gov and
type in the name of the bill, H.R. 3734.
We are also in discussions with Senate offices
regarding the introduction of a companion bill in
the Senate.
For advocacy materials, please visit www.nrpa.
org and click on " Get Involved. "

Increased Funding for Land and Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF) Stateside
For FY 2006-FY 2009, the previous Administration
recommended zero funding for the LWCF Stateside
program, and we saw appropriations for the program decline from $144 million in FY 2002 to only
$19 million in FY 2009.
During initial consideration of the bill in May, the
House Appropriations Committee voted to provide
$30 million in funding to Land Water (LWCF) Stateside. Due to the diligence of NRPA advocacy and
the leadership of Reps. Norm Dicks (D-WA) and

www.NRPA .ORG

DECEMBER 2009

Parks & Recreation

December 2009 - Parks & Recreation

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