April 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 12

EDITOR' S LETTER
Sustainability Means Walking the Talk
As I write this month's column, the Texas Panhandle is battling the
Smokehouse Creek fire that has engulfed more than 1 million acres,
killed two people, destroyed about 500 structures and reached 74 percent
containment, according to Texas A&M Forest Service. What's more, this
massive blaze currently stands as the largest and most devastating fire in
the Lone Star State's history and the second-largest wildfire in U.S. history
(tinyurl.com/fmrmr4c3). Although this isn't the news that I long to
share for our Conservation issue, this tragedy serves as a stark reminder
that we all have a responsibility to protect our natural environment and
to preserve our planet's ecosystem for future generations. For the park
and recreation field, these efforts begin with adopting equitable sustainability
practices " for the more than 11 million acres of public land that it
collectively manages " (tinyurl.com/5fnn5taw).
Of course, our sustainability work is not exclusive to our public lands,
but also impacts our shared waterways. In the cover story, " Yamaha Rightwaters, " on page 32,
contributor Joshua Grier shines a light on the organization's efforts to collaborate with other nonprofits
and key stakeholders to not only help clean up our marine habitat, but also to advocate for
legislation that supports resources for restoring and protecting marine life from non-Indigenous
species. " In addition to combating the spread of non-Indigenous species directly, Yamaha Rightwaters'
efforts include connecting experts together to help educate the public and enact change on
management practices, " Grier notes.
Back on land, NRPA's Michele White profiles seven park and recreation agencies across the
country that have participated in our Resilient Park Access program in the article, " Building Equitable
and Resilient Communities, " on page 38. White explains that through this cohort and with
" grant funding and technical assistance from NRPA, " these cities have helped " to advance equitable
environmental resilience at the local level " by embracing a three-layer system change mindset.
Lastly, in the article, " Dynamic Park Design, " on page 44, author Gracie Swansburg highlights
how high-tide waters, massive flooding and seawall breaches caused by storm surge compelled
Boston-area parks to make dramatic improvements using climate-resilient design practices.
These real-world case studies are a testament to our field's commitment to creating park and
recreation infrastructure that, according to NRPA's Sustainability in Parks and Recreation report,
" helps mitigate the impact of severe weather and climate change while agencies develop resources
to improve tree canopy equity, help native habitats flourish and reduce the climate impacts
from their own activities " (tinyurl.com/5fnn5taw). After all, true and meaningful sustainability
is about walking the talk.
PRESIDENT AND CEO
Kristine Stratton
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS
AND ENGAGEMENT OFFICER
Clarissa Garcia
EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND
DIRECTOR OF PRINT AND
ONLINE CONTENT
Vitisia Paynich
vpaynich@nrpa.org
MANAGING EDITOR
Lindsay Collins
lcollins@nrpa.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Alexandra Reynolds
areynolds@nrpa.org
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Chris Brummett
cbrummett@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN
Kim Mabon/Creative By Design
CreativeByDesign.net
SENIOR CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
WESTERN REGION AND ASIA
Michelle Dellner
703.858.4635
mdellner@nrpa.org
SENIOR CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER EASTERN
REGION AND EUROPE
Paul Semple
703.858.2174
psemple@nrpa.org
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Melissa Hunter
703.858.2199
mhunter@nrpa.org
PHOTOGRAPHY
Adobe Stock or NRPA (unless
otherwise noted)
VITISIA " VI " PAYNICH
Executive Editor
Director, Print and Online Content
MAGAZINE ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Roslyn Johnson, CPRP - Chair
Neelay Bhatt
Anthony-Paul Diaz
Ryan Eaker
Kathleen Gibi
Paul Gilbert, CPRP
Tim Herd, CPRE
Denise Johnson-Caldwell
Michele Lemons
Sarah Lisiecki
Sam Mendelsohn
Maria Nardi
Lisa Paradis, CPRP
Paula Sliefert
Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO
Ronnetta Spalding
Anne-Marie Spencer
Stephen Springs
Amelia Storer
12 Parks & Recreation | APRIL 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
http://tinyurl.com/fmrmr4c3 http://tinyurl.com/5fnn5taw http://www.CreativeByDesign.net http://tinyurl.com/5fnn5taw
April 2024 – Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2024 – Parks & Recreation
