National Parks Conservation Association的动态

It’s National Park Advocacy Week! National parks are reaching a critical breaking point from declining budgets and staff, skyrocketing visitation, cumulating maintenance needs and worsening climate disasters. The good news: There are solutions available for lawmakers to act on right now. We're focused on four key actions this Park Advocacy Week: 1. Increase park funding by at least $250 million to help bring back thousands of park staff 2. Extend the Great American Outdoors Act to help #FixOurParks 3. Preserve our history by enacting the Cultural Resource Challenge 4. Tell the story of all Americans by supporting individual bills that expand our National Park System, including the Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act, Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act and Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act. #ParkAdvocacy #FundOurParks #ParkProtection #LobbyDay #HillDay #NationalParks #ParkAdvocate

Here's a nice Axios piece on ParkScore--and on the role of parks and greenspace in connecting people with each other, combatting loneliness, promoting civic engagement, growing social capital, strengthening communities, and enabling democracy. Trust for Public Land https://lnkd.in/gJqKCT-S

The passing of Issue 47 is a big win for Central Ohio and keeps us on the path to proactively tackle the expected growth in Central Ohio over the next decade or more. Continuing to invest infrastructure is a smart investment.

Let’s face it: state parks deserve more. Although many Californians love the state’s parks, they are not aware that many of these places are state parks. With a looming budget deficit that may cut off access programs and much-needed funding, this lack of awareness can lead to missed opportunities for all Californians to enjoy the parks and a shortage of financial support and vital stewardship state parks need to thrive. Read John McKinney’s Los Angeles Times op-ed, “Californians love the state’s parks. We just don’t know they’re state parks,” here: https://ow.ly/NJo050RHkgo.

Important Update: Noble County Parks Fall Summit Postponed After careful consideration, we’ve decided to postpone the Noble County Parks Fall Summit to spring 2025. This will allow us to ensure a more successful event for everyone involved! Reasons for the change: Key panelists from local parks departments are unavailable. We’ve received fewer RSVPs than usual. Scheduling conflicts are impacting our planning. We’re excited about the opportunity to make the spring summit even better! Stay tuned for updates, and thank you for your understanding. #NobleCountyParks #Update

In New York City, four iron monkeys, once part of the decor at Riverside Park's Ten Mile River Playground, have been removed to a storage yard on Randall’s Island, a stone's throw from where Robert Moses, the influential yet contentious parks commissioner, once wielded his power. This action followed the resurgence of interest in a segment of Robert Caro’s 1974 biography "The Power Broker," which scrutinizes Moses' urban planning decisions, suggesting the monkeys were a racist affront to the predominantly Black neighborhood. The book accuses Moses of implementing urban planning strategies that discreetly marginalized African American and Puerto Rican communities, including the allegation that he designed low overpasses on the Southern State Parkway to restrict these communities' access via bus to suburban amenities and beaches like Jones Beach. The controversy surrounding the iron monkeys and Moses' broader legacy highlights a complex debate about urban planning's role in shaping racial and social landscapes. However, the article challenges the straightforward interpretation of the monkeys as a symbol of racism. It points out that similar decorations are found in a playground in a predominantly White neighborhood, suggesting a different intent behind their placement. Furthermore, the supposed shackles on the monkeys are speculated to represent the rings children play with in playgrounds, not chains. This interpretation is bolstered by the historical demographic composition of West Harlem during the 1930s, which contradicts the assertion that the playground was situated in a predominantly Black area. The discourse around Moses, including the design of parkway overpasses to potentially limit minority access to certain public spaces, illustrates the intricate ways in which infrastructure can embody and perpetuate social divisions. Yet, this account is met with nuanced perspectives that challenge the simplicity of labeling Moses' actions as solely motivated by racial prejudice. His contributions to New York's public spaces and infrastructure are undeniable, though his legacy remains marred by allegations of racial discrimination. The fate of the monkeys, amidst this reevaluation of Moses' impact on New York City, emphasizes the ongoing dialogue about historical memory, urban planning, and social justice. Their removal from Riverside Park reflects not just a moment of controversy but a broader reconsideration of the symbols we maintain in our public spaces and the histories they represent. #RobertMoses #UrbanPlanning #SocialJustice #NYCHistory #PublicSpaces #ThePowerBroker #Infrastructure #RacialEquity #LegacyReevaluation

Beautification is key.

In the world of food justice, Karen Washington is a powerhouse. Dating back to the 80s, she will have corrected you if you claimed here NYC neighborhood was a food desert. After all, food was around.?But it was crap. HEALTHY food was hard to come by. And community gardens had the power to change not only that, but a whole lot more… Green spaces Community gatherings Educational opportunities Just to name a few more So as I start to reach out to climate orgs in NYC and Atlanta to consider filming “How on Earth?” there, I knew I had to reach out to Karen. The image in my head was the powerful woman that took the stage a Bioneers a couple years back called “911 Our Food System Is Not Working.” You can find it by simple typing “Karen Washington Bioneers” into YT. Who joined me on zoom was a humble woman who had been turning her compost bin all day on her farm. In the 30 minutes we shared, I feel in love with a woman I now get to call “Momma Karen.” She brainstormed with me and offered big ideas and concrete actions. She solidified that the biggest power “How on Earth?” has for climate orgs is as a media source to amplify questions being asked by the community. For example, Elizabeth Street Garden (a mainstay of the community) is under threat of being “developed.” Read about it on their website.?A google search of the garden will bring up more news coverage. The questions she pressed for were…. Why take that heart from the community when have other areas in jurisdiction for housing? What makes an administration do this? Why that area? What's the underlying reason? What are the conditions that make a city want to take such a good thing from the community? What is their take on it? So until How on Earth can put a megaphone to these questions, join me in writing a letter to the NYC mayor — no matter where you live! https://lnkd.in/gW22enQB

Water rights, climate change, and community involvement. Can they all coexist? ?? James Eklund, the architect behind Colorado's 2023 water plan, shares his lessons learned in balancing public and private interests, navigating complex legal waters, and fostering community involvement. ?? He says that we need to “remember that the water business is fundamentally about people.” Want to know more about how Colorado is tackling its water challenges? ??Find the full interview in the comments. #Colorado #WaterConservation #Water #ColoradoRiver #SDGs #WaterPlan #WaterReplenishment #WaterStewardship