May 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 25

in New York and New Jersey alone.
Proponents of using natural systems
to defend against such extreme weather damage noted that shoreline areas
protected by natural or manmade
dunes avoided total destruction and
suffered significantly less damage.
In the aftermath of Sandy, dunes
along the New York and New Jersey
coast proved their incalculable value in protecting shorelines in those
coastal towns that had protected their
dunes or committed to long-term rebuilding projects. By and large, these
areas were spared much of the major
damage seen in neighboring communities that did not have protective
dunes. The dune barriers consisting of
sand and vegetation served as soft sea
walls that still protected many communities along the coastline even as
they were breached and, in some cases, completely flattened. After Joe Vietri, director of coastal and storm risk
management for the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, toured the damaged
coastlines that took the brunt of the
hurricane's 12- to 14-foot storm surge,
he was quoted in The New York Times
in December 2012 as saying, " The difference was dramatic for areas with vital and healthy dunes systems, which
did better than those that did not. "
As communities recover from the
devastation caused by Superstorm
Sandy, many are reconsidering their
views on dunes. For the most part, it is
prohibitively expensive to build such
dunes on private land. Realistically,
they must be built on public land, and
in fact, it is the only way states and the
federal government will share in the
costs of building them. Some homeowners and local governments in New
York and New Jersey had opposed
the construction of dunes, citing concerns over loss of oceanfront views
and property values. They also spoke

up about the potential loss of privacy
due to signed easement agreements allowing public access to private beach
areas, as required by the Army Corps
of Engineers in order to use public
funds on dune construction and other
coast-protection projects. This view,
characterized by some as choosing
ocean views over ocean protection,
has drawn heavy criticism from many,
including New Jersey Governor Chris
Christie. At a recent Long Beach,
New Jersey, meeting, he stated, " I
want to make it very clear to you that
we are building these dunes, whether
you consent or not, " in reference to
the state's plans for a new system of
protective sand dunes along the entirety of the 127-mile Jersey shore.
Aside from dunes, there are numerous other ways in which parks and recreation agencies prove to be an essential community resource in preparing
for, and recovering from, disasters and
other threats. Many public park and
recreation agencies throughout the
country manage flood-control dams
and stormwater retention basins.
Floodplain lands are often acquired
as public parks and programmed for
conservation and passive recreational
use. For example, the City of Mesa,
Arizona's Parks, Recreation and
Commercial Facilities Department
(PRCF) operates and maintains 133
ponds, wetlands and floodway areas
that serve not only as stormwater retention areas, but also as parks that are
available for public use. Many of these
parks provide opportunities for open
sports field play, playgrounds, paths,
picnic pavilions and more. Maintenance of these properties is funded
through an Environmental Compliance Fee that is charged to all utility customers in Mesa on a monthly
basis. Created in 2006, this fund has
provided supplemental funding for

the PRCF Department. Previously,
all maintenance, utilities, inspections,
etc. were covered by the general fund.
Since the establishment of the Environmental Compliance Fee fund, all
associated costs were shifted to this
restricted source, freeing up General
Fund dollars to be spent in other areas
of park maintenance and operations.
Park and recreation agencies also
play an essential role in responding
to damage caused by extreme weather events and natural disasters. Many
agencies provide support or even take
a lead role with other city departments and agencies in providing temporary shelter and emergency-care
services for affected residents in
community centers or other park and
recreation facilities. Park and recreation personnel sometimes arrange
for the acquisition and transportation
of food assistance to affected areas
following a major disaster. They are
often extremely resourceful and wellequipped to respond to emergency
situations with heavy equipment,
trained forestry personnel, trucks,
boats and other specialized equipment that is valuable in first response.
Equally, park personnel have unique
knowledge of their community's infrastructure, so they often support
first responders in their efforts to
reach affected citizens by clearing
fallen trees, debris and other barriers.
The critical role of parks and recreation in emergency preparedness
and disaster response should be emphasized to the public and to elected
officials. Parks and recreation departments are essential service providers and an invaluable resource when
disaster strikes and our communities
need us most.
Joel Pannell is NRPA's Outreach and
Advocacy Specialist (jpannell@nrpa.org).

W W W. N R PA . O R G | M AY 2 0 1 3 |

Parks & Recreation

23
May 2013 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2013 - Parks & Recreation
