|
The
National Park Service and our partners have many roles to play as America addresses its energy, environmental, and economic challenges. We're
proud that our
partnership with Groundwork USA is helping people improve their own
neighborhoods -- with us helping in our areas of expertise such as building trails and restoring streams, and with other partners helping these groups plant trees, do energy conservation retrofits,
fix playgrounds, and get training for environmental and
green jobs.
Piece
by piece, these communities are rebuilding for a better future. You'll find their
stories below, and also a complete accomplishments report at http://www.groundworkusa.net/.
-- Rick Potts, Chief Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
|
Transforming Brownfields to Parks: Why It Matters
The idea is simple and
beautiful: take polluted land and turn it into a park. But like many things, the reality is complex, says Doug Evans, a
National Park Service staffer and manager of Groundwork USA Initiative. While
large-scale brownfield projects can often pay for themselves if they are turned
into lucrative shopping centers or sports stadiums, advocates must often look
for outside funding to pay for their transformation to parks or open space. Other
issues-including site ownership, back taxes, and who is going to own and
maintain the site after cleanup-can also complicate the process. But despite
these obstacles, communities are increasingly interested in cleaning up
brownfields for public use.
"It's about people
trying to improve their neighborhoods and seeing vacant lots as potential
assets," said Evans. A major vehicle for organizing these efforts has been the
nonprofit Groundwork Trusts across the country, which is being developed by the NPS, with support of the EPA. Groundwork Trusts work with communities to improve their environment,
economy and quality of life, especially through environmental projects. The
value of the Groundwork Trusts, says Evans, is "having the capacity in the community
to see these projects through to fruition."
Lawrence, Massachusetts: National Night Out at Scarito Park (image: Groundwork Lawrence)
|
|
Learning from the Field: Spicket River Greenway, Lawrence, Massachusetts
The Spicket River runs through the poorest, densest neighborhoods
of Lawrence, Massachusetts-an
old mill town an hour north of Boston,
still struggling to recover from the loss of factory jobs years ago. Alongside
the river is a stretch of tree canopy-a "natural place of respite," says Kate
O'Brien, the Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence. The ultimate goal is a
three-mile greenway they've dubbed the "Emerald Bracelet." But to get there
requires many steps, including the rehabilitation of a parcel known as "the old
incinerator site."
Groundwork Lawrence is serving as project manager and
catalyst for the transformation of the Spicket River Greenway, ensuring the
initiative moves forward by doing everything from grantwriting (helping the
city secure half a million dollars) to soliciting public input from neighborhood residents. "City government gets it right
in terms of wanting to build capital projects and to leave a legacy of great new parks,"
says O'Brien, "but often it's a top-down process. Our role is to bring a grassroots
mandate from the residents of the neighborhood who will be using this space."
Through intensive public outreach-including
doorknocking, phone calls, and community organizing-Groundwork Lawrence learned
about residents' desire for a community garden, particularly as food prices
have escalated. "We have to work hard to convince them they should spend time
going to a meeting and giving their opinion," said O'Brien. "But over the
years, we've been building a culture of 'Go to a meeting, give your input, and
then see your input in the ground a few years later."
| |
Lawrence, Massachusetts: Community Design Workshop (top left) Preparing for Earth Day (left) and Spicket River Cleanup (right) (Images: Groundwork Lawrence)
Catalysts: Getting Involved
Learn more about the work of Groundwork Lawrence and of other brownfield initiatives of the national Groundwork USA network. You
can also find more information on brownfields from EPA.
|
Network and Learn
March 30 - April 2: National Main Streets Conference, Chicago, IL. http://www.conference.mainstreet.org April 2-3: Streets
As Places - Project for Public Spaces, NYC. http://www.pps.org April 19-25:
National Park Week -- coming to a park near you. http://www.nps.gov/npweek/ See our conference calendar for dozens of upcoming events. |
|
Let's Work Together
Could your project benefit from 1-2 years' staff time from a National Park Service specialist? If
you're working on restoring a river, building a community trail, or
making an urban park flourish, we'd love to talk with you about ways we
could work together. Please call or email your regional representative today. The next program application deadline is August 1, 2009. |
|
The Update informs Department of the Interior staff, organizational partners, and friends about the program successes and activities of the National Park Service Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Programs. For more details, please contact the staff person involved with each project.
This e-newsletter may be copied or redirected. Our staff would be pleased to assist your editor in adapting each story for your publication; for more information, please call (202) 354-6918 or e-mail [email protected]. Images courtesy National Park Service. | |
|
|
|
|
|