November 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 33

made it clear that they intend to try and
pass a comprehensive spending bill for
FY 2012 in late November that would likely eliminate some federal programs while
boosting others.
Second, the deficit reduction committee or " supercommittee " established by
the debt ceiling deal is required to reach
agreement on at least $1.2 trillion in deficit
savings or face a mandatory $1.2 trillion
cut in FY 2013. Regardless of the supercommittee's outcome, substantial cuts will
be made in FY 2013 to the discretionary
budget. In order to ensure that park and

created new parks of statewide or national significance.
In Illinois, with help from the LWCF
State Assistance, Prophetstown State
Park added 114 acres to its natural
bluffs and lowlands along the Wabash
River. This treasured park encompasses 10,000 years of documented Native
American history, and it makes hiking,
camping, fishing, and the experience of
unspoiled nature and national heritage
accessible to everyone.
Conservation of a 34-mile reach of
the beautiful St. Croix River in Maine
was made possible by the fund, completing a decade-long effort by the
State of Maine, the Province of New
Brunswick, the St. Croix International
Waterway Commission, and private
land trusts to protect one of the most
pristine stretches of boundary water in
eastern North America. Maine's governor, John Baldacci, said of this achievement, " This land is our treasure: It
exemplifies the values we are seeking to
protect ...with the support of the Land
and Water Conservation Fund and our
partners, this jewel of a waterway will
now be preserved in perpetuity for its
exceptional resources and backcountry
recreation opportunities. "
In Bismarck, North Dakota, 50 acres
of land in the northeast of the city have
been acquired. " This acquisition was
absolutely essential to our strategy for

recreation priorities do not receive an unfair share of Congress's FY 2012 and FY
2013 budget cutting, it is important that local parks and recreation advocates clearly and effectively articulate the benefits of
these programs to their federal representatives. With more than $1 trillion at stake
over a period of several months, it is more
important than ever that parks advocates
fight passionately for their priorities.
Jon Wisbey works for the Washington,

D.C., lobbying firm, the Ferguson Group,
which represents NRPA on Capitol Hill.

providing close-to-home recreation, "
said Steve Neu, director of the Bismarck Park District. The new park will
provide, among other things, a driving
range for Pebble Creek Golf Course,
softball, baseball, and soccer fields,
playgrounds, and recreation trails for
all its citizens to enjoy.
The strength of this State and Local
Assistance matching grant program is
its emphasis on creating a leadership
role for states, in full partnership with
both national and local governments,
toward planning, funding, and establishing recreation opportunities nationwide. The federal legislation that
created and funds the LWCF requires
that all these projects be kept perpetually in public recreation use. If we as a
nation can keep this commitment, tens
of thousands of outdoor sites will continue to be recognized as a permanent
legacy that must remain available-not
just for today's citizens, but for all future generations of Americans.
America's Backyard, a grassroots initiative of the National Recreation and
Park Association, is working to preserve
and protect public parks by bringing together citizens who love parks and believe in honoring their legacy. We see
these parks as part of our irreplaceable
national heritage-our birthright, and
our responsibility. Learn more by visiting
us at www.americasbackyard.org.

w w w . N R P A . O R G N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 Parks

& Recreation

November 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2011 - Parks & Recreation