October 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 15

ing, running, hiking and biking
(82 percent)
* Local amenities that provide the
opportunity to observe wildlife
(e.g., birdwatching) (81 percent)
* Nearby campsites and campgrounds (70 percent)
People largely agree that their
local park and recreation agency
does a good job providing their
community with many opportunities to interact with nature and
the outdoors. However, many also
seek more nearby outdoor recreation options. Nearly 9 in 10 U.S.
residents indicate that their " local
park and recreation agency does
a good job providing outdoor recreation opportunities, " including
57 percent of survey respondents
either agreeing " completely " or
" very much " with this sentiment.
However, 31 percent of survey respondents only " somewhat " agree
that their local park and recreation
agency is doing a good job. Further, 11 percent of survey respondents disagree with this sentiment.
The survey also finds widespread agreement among the
general public for their local government to prioritize protecting
natural resources - including fresh
air, clean water and unpolluted
green spaces. Specifically, 93 percent of survey respondents indicate it is critical that their local
government develops local parks,
trails and green spaces near bodies
of water for the purpose of protecting natural resources in their
community.
The support for ongoing investment in public open spaces spans
virtually every demographic group
of U.S. residents. Perhaps most notably, the robust support for such
investment also crosses the polit-

ical spectrum, with 95 percent of
Democrats and 94 percent of Republicans agreeing with this view.

Additional Analysis
This column merely scratches the
surface by highlighting the many
takeaways from the 2019 Engagement with Parks Report (www.
nrpa.org/engagement). The report also notes how frequently
the public visits their local park
and recreation amenities (on average twice a month), the top reasons for visiting a park (to be with
friends/family, to be physically
active and to be closer to nature)
and the percentage of the public
that says at least one park or recreation amenity is walkable from
their home (7 in 10).

The 2019 Engagement with Parks
Report makes clear this point:
People highly value the work that
park and recreation agencies deliver to their local communities
every day and strongly support
their mission. The public's strong
and broad-based support for parks
and recreation solidifies any case
being made to local political leaders, stakeholders and the media
for greater, more stable funding. I encourage you to combine
the insights from this report and
those from our monthly NRPA
Park Pulse polls with information
about your agency to tell the full
park and recreation story to your
community.
Kevin Roth, Ph.D., is NRPA's Vice President of Professional
Development, Research and Technology (kroth@nrpa.org).

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Parks & Recreation

October 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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