How Sustainable Is Your Parks and Recreation Agency? · Microsoft PowerPoint - ResearchPresentation_RevLogo.ppt [Compatibility Mode] Author: kkava Created Date: 10/6/2009 10:34:24

How Sustainable Is Your Parks and

Recreation Agency?

January 2009 Benchmark Research

Environmental Stewardship in

Parks and Recreation

Goals

Understand …

• How agencies perceive their stewardship roles

• What environmental programs they have

implementedimplemented

• What they have planned for the future

• Their key environmental challenges

• What they want to learn

Above All

Open a sustainability dialogue among all agencies,

allowing them to share best practices and move to a allowing them to share best practices and move to a

more sustainable future.

Methodology

• Questionnaire developed by Landscape Structures

and NRPA

• 49 closed-ended questions, 3 open-ended questions

• 445 parks and recreation agencies participated

Respondent Demographics

Respondent Demographics

Respondent DemographicsNumber of Parks in Jurisdiction

22.56%

29.22%

24.94%

17.10%

Respondent DemographicsAnnual Operating Budget

21.51%

6.41%

9.84%

18.76%

43.80%

200 6040

Who is Primarily Responsible For Your Environmental Initiatives?

• Director/Assistant Director of Parks 33.86%

• Parks Superintendent 15.47

• Operations/Facilities/Maintenance Mgr. 12.56• Operations/Facilities/Maintenance Mgr. 12.56

• Environmental/Resources Manager 5.83

• Planning/Development Manager 4.26

• Other 18.83

• No One 9.19

How Would You Self-Rate Your Agency’s Environmental Stewardship?

How Do You Share Your Environmental Accomplishments and Goals?

Only 13% of agencies produce an annual

Sustainability Report that shares their Sustainability Report that shares their

accomplishments and goals.

How Well Do You Know Your City’s Goals?

73% did not know if their Mayor had signed the

U.S. Conference of U.S. Conference of

Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

What Is Your Role?

• Parks and recreation agencies should offer

recreation environments for all age groups,

from young children to seniorsfrom young children to seniors

Strongly/Somewhat Agree 97%

Strongly/Somewhat Disagree 1%

What Is Your Role?

• Parks and recreation agencies should play a

leadership role within municipal government in

protecting the environmentprotecting the environment



What Is Your Role?

• Parks and recreation programming should

play a role in teaching children about the

outdoors/natureoutdoors/nature



What Is Your Role?

• One role of a parks and recreation agency

should be to encourage members of the

community to be better environmental stewardscommunity to be better environmental stewards



What Is Your Role?

• Over the past five years environmental

stewardship has become more important

to our parks and recreation departmentto our parks and recreation department



What Is Your Role?

• Our city is very progressive about protecting

the environmentthe environment



What Is Your Role?

• We are very aware of the amount of water we

use in the day-to-day operation of our facilities

and parksand parks



What Is Your Role?

• Our parks system has adequate amounts of

protected green spacesprotected green spaces



What Is Your Role?

• Our parks and recreation agency does a good

job of researching and purchasing environmentally

preferable productspreferable products



What Is Your Role?

• Our management team is very well educated

about environmental issues and procedures



Are You Moving Toward a More Sustainable Future?

Stewardship Initiatives in Agency Management and Policies

Already Planning

Adopted to Adopt

• Print on both sides of sheets of paper 64% 11%• Print on both sides of sheets of paper 64% 11%

• Use of biodegradable cleaners 33% 19%

• Developed a “green team” to focus on sustainability 30% 14%

• Restrict the use of Styrofoam 27% 10%

• Program to purchase environmentally preferable

products 21% 24%


Stewardship Initiatives in Parks and Green Spaces

Already Planning

Adopted to AdoptAdopted to Adopt

• Reduce the use of pesticides 40% 11%

• Reduce the use of chemical fertilizers 34% 15%

• Design and construction of green buildings 26% 21%


Stewardship Initiatives in Electricity Use

Already Planning


• Program appliances to sleep mode 58% 15%

• Convert to compact fluorescent light bulbs 56% 18%

• Install motion sensors to reduce electricity use 40% 17%

• Use of solar heating systems 6% 12%


Stewardship Initiatives in Water Conservation

Already PlanningAlready Planning

Adopted to Adopt

• Implementation of reduced watering practices 54% 10%

• Use of water-efficient irrigation systems 52% 15%

• Use of collected rain water 15% 12%


Stewardship Initiatives in Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Already Planning


• Plant trees to cool the park environment and

reduce CO2 77% 9%

• Purchase/use of fuel-efficient vehicles 41% 12%

• Use of bio-fuels/compressed natural gas in specialty

vehicles 23% 11%


Stewardship Initiatives in Recycling

Already PlanningAlready Planning

Adopted to Adopt

• Use of recycling bins for bottles and cans 79% 9%

• Institution of food waste recycling programs 15% 8%

Do You Spend Wisely?

• 21% have instituted programs to purchase

environmentally preferable productsenvironmentally preferable products

• 24% plan to do so in the near future

Environmentally Preferable Products

A product that has a reduced negative effect or

an increased positive effect on human health an increased positive effect on human health

and the environment when compared with

competing products that serve the same

purpose.

Environmentally Preferable Products

• May consider raw materials acquisition,

production, fabrication, manufacturing, packaging,

distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance and distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance and

disposal of the product.

• Visit www.epa.gov/epp for more information

Which Categories Have an Environmentally Preferable Product?

• Cleaning products 91%

• Lawn fertilizers 81%

• Irrigation systems 70%• Irrigation systems 70%

• Playstructures 70%

• Utility vehicles 67%

• Lawn mowers 52%

What Have You Accomplished?

Name a recent environmental initiative that you

believe was particularly effective:

• Instituted various recycling programs

• Planted trees/removed non-native vegetation• Planted trees/removed non-native vegetation

• Formed an environmental green team

• Instituted water conservation programs

• Drafted and implemented environmental plans

What Have You Accomplished?

Five initiatives that we found most innovative:

• Used pervious concrete in parking areas

• Began on-site food waste composting program• Began on-site food waste composting program

• Converted to geothermal energy

• Built a biomass-burning water boiler

• Conducted a carbon footprint study

What Environmental Challenges Do You Face?

Five most common responses:

• Finding funds to support green initiatives

• Struggling with the effects of reduced water supply

• High initial cost of many environmentally friendly

products/practices

• High fuel costs/fuel consumption

• Educating the public about green initiatives, including

recycling programs, water use, mowing, etc.

What Do You Want To Learn More About?

• Conversion to alternative energy: solar,

geothermal, wind

• Using organic/green fertilizers• Using organic/green fertilizers

• Purchasing environmentally preferable products

• Drafting environmental/sustainability plans

• Water conservation/irrigation

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How Sustainable Is Your Parks and Recreation Agency? · Microsoft PowerPoint - ResearchPresentation_RevLogo.ppt [Compatibility Mode] Author: kkava Created Date: 10/6/2009 10:34:24