Photo: Noah Pylvainen
Conservation + Recreation: 
Landscape Architecture, Bike Gangs, 
& New National Water Trails
In the News

 

Happy National Landscape Architecture Month! To celebrate the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)'s Year of Public Service, we're building on our 13-year partnership to bring volunteer design expertise to communities like yours. Check out successes so far and learn more about landscape architecture.

Students, local partners, landscape architects, and the National Park Service team up to design an interpretive trail in Boise, Idaho. Photo: NPS

 

Naugatuck River Greenway Launches Video. Did you know everything including the kitchen sink used to be in the Naugatuck River? Watch this video to experience the revival of the Naugatuck River in western Connecticut and learn how the National Park Service is helping communities along its banks create a 44-mile greenway!

 

Naugatuck River Greenway
Celebrating the Naugatuck River Greenway

 

The National Park Service, Fingerpost Productions, and Naugatuck Valley Community College teamed up to interview river users and showcase the decades-long partnerships that inspired these communities to transform their river from polluted to vibrant and connect with America's Great Outdoors in their own backyards.

 

New National Water Trails. The Secretary of the Interior just designated two more National Water Trails (NWT)! Explore the Rock River Water Trail and Waccamaw River Blue Trail. Read more about the NWT System in American Trails' spring issue.

 
Findings and Publications

 

Counting Bicyclists and Pedestrians to Inform Transportation Planning. This new brief by Active Living Research summarizes technologies for counting bicycles and pedestrians and describes their benefits and challenges, as well as how to use this data to inform transportation planning. Download it for free.

 

Black Is The (Not So) New Green. This article discusses how youth and people of color are already involved in the conservation movement based on stats from the last election.

 

Pedal Pushers. Bike culture evolves as Millennials mix art, fashion, and bicycling across North America.

 

Upcoming Events

 

National Bike to School Day is May 8.

 

Breaking Through the Language Barrier in Environmental Outreach:Tips for Getting Your Message Out to Spanish Speakers and More. This free webinar will review language trends in the continental United States and provide tips for communicating environmental messages in light of changing demographics. Join one of two sessions May 14 or 15 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST.

 

National Kids to Parks Day is May 18.

 

River Rally 2013. Head to St. Louis, Missouri this May 17-20 to network with river and watershed advocates, learn from more than 80 educational speakers, and participate in field tours. Visit the River Rally website for more information.

 

2013 National Outdoor Recreation Conference. The conference theme, "A Bridge to Prosperity,"  highlights  case studies about how the outdoor recreation profession (planning, management, research, and policy) is a bridge, connector, and catalyst for prosperity through tourism, jobs, health and wellness, education, environmental stewardship, and sustainable communities. The conference takes place this May 19-23 in Traverse City, Michigan. For more information and to register, visit their website.

 

Outdoor Nation Summits. Outdoor Nation Signature and Intensive Training Summits are a proven strategy for engaging a new, diverse and passionate community of young leaders and outdoor champions. Attendees identify the region's most pressing outdoor issues, develop strategies to solving these challenges and commit to taking action - together. The summits are free, and anyone ages 16-28 is encouraged to register for the summits below or host their own.

 

Signature Summits

Raleigh/Durham Summit: June 29-30

Chicago Summit: July 13-14

Seattle Summit: July 20-21

 

Intensive Training Summits:

Boston Summit: September 14-15

Austin Summit: October 5-6

Los Angeles Summit: October 19-20

 

 

News and Events. Does your organization have news or an upcoming event we can help you share?  If so, tell us about it and we'll add it to our recent news and events.  

 

Tools

 

Making Trails Count. Trails for Illinois just released a report quantifying how trails impact the state's economies, health, and environment. Download the report for free and learn how you can apply their counting methods in your community.

 

Making Biking Irresistible. America Bikes tells us how some cities are making biking safer and more fun through next-generation infrastructure and programs.

 

Grants and Job Opportunities

 

Roadmaps to Health Prize - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Due 5.23.13) The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Roadmaps to Health Prize is awarded annually to honor outstanding community efforts and partnerships that are helping people live healthier lives. Winning communities will each receive a $25,000 cash prize and have their success stories shared broadly with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring locally driven change across the country.

 

Bikes Belong Coalition - Community Partnership Grants (Due 5.24.13) These grants are designed to foster and support partnerships between city or county governments, non-profit organizations, and local businesses and to improve the environment for bicycling in the community. Grants will primarily fund the construction or expansion of bicycle facilities such as bike lanes, trails, and paths as well as advocacy projects that promote bicycling as a safe and accessible mode of transportation. Grants range from $2,000 - $10,000.

 

HUD Choice Neighborhoods Program (Due 5.28.13) HUD has announced the availability of planning grants to support the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans. Eligible applicants are public housing authorities, local governments, nonprofits, tribal entities, and for-profit developers that apply jointly with a public entity. Applicants must visualize the revitalization of a severely distressed public and/or HUD-assisted multifamily housing project located in a distressed neighborhood, and propose a viable, mixed-income community. The maximum individual grant is $500,000.


National Park Service: Engaging Youth with Community-Based Conservation and Recreational Opportunities (Due 5.31.13) 
We are looking for great nonprofit partners to help us better engage with youth! We want a partner (or several working together) to administer a range of internships for young adults ages 18-30 doing community-based work that helps younger generations connect with nature and parks in their communities. We will enter into a 5-year agreement with the right partner. Check out details and requirements on Grants.gov. 

  

The Merrell Pack Project (Due 6.1.13) Outdoor Nation and Merrell are proud to announce the launch of the 2013 The Pack Project Grants Program - working to increase participation in active outdoor recreation while also creating meaningful connections to the natural world. In 2013, Merrell will award $25,000 to a minimum of 10 projects through their ambassador program called The Pack. There will be two cycles of the grant program, one in spring and one in late summer. Grants will be awarded to the most innovative, impactful and sustainable projects focusing on increasing outdoor recreation in communities across the country while also creating significant relationships with the environment. Applications are being accepted from individuals between the ages of 18 and 28 and 501c3 non-profits. Please note that individuals are eligible to apply but must have a 501c3 non-profit partner to act as the fiscal agent for the grant.

 

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) (Due 6.3.13) The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the availability of $474 million in grants for 2013.The Appropriations Act that funds TIGER requires that funds be obligated by October 1, 2014, meaning that this round of TIGER will begin to make a tangible difference very soon. That being said, the limited amount of time means the Department will give priority to projects that are ready to proceed quickly.

DOT is looking for ready-to-go surface transportation projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area, projects that will:

  • Improve existing transportation facilities and systems
  • Contribute to American economic competitiveness
  • Create and preserve jobs
  • Increase transportation choices and access to transportation services for people in communities across the U.S.
  • Improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on oil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Improve safety
Trail of the Month

 

The Rock River Water Trail is our Trail of the Month! This water trail in the Upper Mississippi River Region meanders down a gentle gradient through beautiful rural and wilderness landscapes and vibrant urban riverfronts to safely carry the water traveler 330 miles from the headwaters above the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in south central Wisconsin to the Mississippi River at the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa.

 

The Rock River Water Trail is of national significance for its great diversity and landscape, vista, recreation, cultural, and historic experience, and for its ease of accessibility.  It's also one of the newest of 11 national water trailsand was honored by the city of Rockford Mayor and City Council who proclaimed the week of April 21 "Rock River Water Trail Week" in honor of the Rock River Trail's designation. 

 

Learn more about National Water Trails.

 

A Tip of the Hat to...  

 

City of San Antonio's Office of Sustainability & San Antonio Bike Share
San Antonio, TX

By Krista Sherwood

Krista Sherwood (National Park Service) and Julia Murphy (City of San Antonio). Photo:Julia Murphy

 

The City of San Antonio and San Antonio Bike Share have partnered with the National Park Service to expand the San Antonio B-cycle bike share system south of downtown San Antonio to connect to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. As the park boundary is non-contiguous, the new bike share stations enhance non-motorized accessibility for visitors to the park and provide greater connections to downtown and the surrounding community. Reducing the need to accommodate vehicles near the missions is a significant step toward enhancing the visitor experience, as well as limiting the types of uses that could impair the natural and historical resources.

 

This effort, funded through two grants provided by the Federal Transit Administration's Transit in Parks program, has successfully moved forward because of the dedication from the project team, consisting of staff representing each involved organization including the city, San Antonio Bike Share, the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, and the National Park Foundation.

The team held consistent project meetings, went on countless bicycle rides to scope the site locations, and worked closely together through the funding and project implementation process. As the project developed, the partnership grew to include the San Antonio River Authority, Bexar County, and the San Antonio Archdiocese. These additional entities were instrumental in the placement of several of the stations.

We tip our hat to each of these partners for their hard work and dedication for enhancing bicycle access to the missions and for making the south San Antonio community a greater place to live and play!
 

 

Let's Work Together
 
The National Park Service works with partners and helps communities advance their stewardship, conservation, and recreation goals. Conservation and Outdoor Recreation programs extend and expand the benefits of the National Park Service throughout the nation to connect all Americans to their parks, trails, rivers, and other special places. 
 

How can we help you make your vision a reality? 

 

 

This is a free monthly publication to share activities and successes of National Park Service Conservation and Outdoor Recreation programs and partners.

 

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Images courtesy of the National Park Service except as noted.
 
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