Commonwealth Legislative Priorities
2011‐2012 Legislative Priorities

The Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) and the Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) view these issues as the most important items members can address from a legislative perspective. PRPS members are encouraged to work with their legislators on these issues that will benefit the future of parks, recreation and conservation in Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth Legislative Priorities

Renew Growing Greener
As a member of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition, PRPS joins with the Commonwealth's largest coalition of recreation, conservation and environmental agencies representing nearly 350 organizations and government entities. Since 1999, the Growing Greener program has transformed Pennsylvania by empowering communities to create and improve parks and trails, protect working farms, clean up rivers and streams, and revitalize cities and towns.

Despite the program's accomplishments, funding for Growing Greener projects and grants fell from an average of approximately $150 million per year for the last six years to $27.3 million in the current state budget. This represents an 82 percent cut in the program.

• PRPS believes the Commonwealth needs to renew Growing Greener by investing $200 million annually in vital conservation, restoration and community revitalization projects.
  

State Park and Forest System Investment
PRPS is the leading advocate for Pennsylvania's State Park and Forest System. Despite being named the 2009‐2010 "Best State Park System in the Nation" by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), funding allocated for the state park system in the last several decades has rapidly declined. In 2010, General Fund support for state parks was cut by $24.1M or 29.3%.

• In order to maintain the complex system of infrastructure throughout the 20 state forest districts and 117 state parks, PRPS supports an investment of $100M per year to DCNR for critical infrastructure improvements.
  

Pennsylvania Conservation Corps
The Pennsylvania Conservation Corps (PCC) is a statewide program that offers work experience, job training and educational opportunities to young people who complete conservation, recreation and historical preservation projects on the state's public lands. Beginning in 1984,
more than 12,000 young people have served in the program. The PCC has documented that for an annual investment of $6.2M, the Commonwealth recognized a return totaling some $13.1M or a $2.09 return for each dollar invested. Currently, the program has been eliminated in the FY 10‐11 budget, however, HB 1683 has been introduced which transfers the PCC from L&I to DCNR.

• The Commonwealth benefits from a number of returns on the PCC investment, therefore PRPS supports HB1683 and believes the PCC is a valuable program that should be restored.
  

PA State Board of Education ‐ Chapter 12 Proposed Changes
In 2010, the PA State Board of Education voted to advance revisions to Chapter 12 of the regulations that would increase exercise and nutritional guidelines in public schools, making Pennsylvania's response to the growing issue of childhood obesity one of the strongest in the
country.

• PRPS supports these proposed changes and encourages members to work collaboratively with local school districts to assist with implementation.
  

Federal Legislative Priorities

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
In 1965, the LWCF was enacted to help preserve, develop, and assure access to outdoor recreation facilities to strengthen the health of U.S. Citizens. When originally authorized, LWCF required a minimum of 60% of the total funds to be allocated to the State Assistance program.
In the 1970s, this provision was removed and since that time, State Assistance funding has steadily declined, going from more than $376 million in 1979 to a mere $40 million in FY10. Over the last 25 years, only 16 percent of LWCF funding has gone to the State Assistance Program.

In 2009, the National Park Service reported that states and local communities have more than $12 billion in unmet needs.

• PRPS joins with NRPA to urge Congress to authorize the annual allocation of 40 percent of the total Land and Water Conservation Funding to the State Assistance Program
  

Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act (URLC)
Nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population currently lives in urban areas, many of which are struggling with declining economies, poor public health, and higher rates of crime and at‐risk youth. Access to parks, green space, and recreation opportunities has proven to be a vital part
of the solution of many of these issues. Funding for URLC would be provided through a competitive grant process administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• PRPS joins with NRPA in support of the URLC Act (H.R. 709) which would provide federal grant funding, a portion of which local governments would be required to match, to revitalize urban areas through local park and recreation projects and programs.
  

Transportation Enhancements
PRPS joins with NPRA in recognizing that transportation connections to public lands and parks have been an essential component of transportation
policy and planning for more than three decades.

• PRPS calls on Congress to maintain funding for active transportation that connects communities to parks and public lands by maintaining current levels of funding for the Transportation Enhancements Program, Recreational Trails Program, Safe Routes to School Program, and the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Education Trust Fund (formerly Wallops‐Breaux Act).
  

Children and Nature
The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) and Moving Outdoors in Nature (MONA) Acts were introduced in the 111th Congress with the shared goal of reconnecting children with nature. NCLI seeks to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to include environmental education.
The NCLI bill introduced in the 111th Congress defined park and recreation agencies as eligible funding partners ONLY for the Environmental Education Grant Program. MONA seeks to improve our children's health, support economic growth and strengthen the future of conservation
in America by incentivizing states to develop and implement innovative strategies to reconnect our youth and families with the natural world.

• PRPS joins with NRPA to ask Congress to strengthen the NCLI bill by ensuring that parks and recreation agencies are eligible funding partners for ALL three grant programs.
  

Health, Wellness, and Physical Activity
Administered by the CDC, the Healthy Communities Program (HCP) provides funding to communities of all sizes—small, medium, large, rural, urban, and suburban. Local resources have leveraged an average of three dollars for every one federal dollar invested making the program
highly efficient. Funding HCP at $22.7 million represents the same funding level as FY08 and is half of what the program received in FY05.

NRPA urges Congress to maintain funding for the Healthy Communities program at $22.7 million in FY12 with funding provided through the Community Transformation Grants Program.

For more information on state and federal legislative priorities, or to become a member of the GAC, please contact Greg A. Weitzel, GAC Chair at 610‐437‐7750 or Weitzel@allentowncity.org.