The one-month Stay at Home extension to May 4^th the big thing by far.  Also covered:

• Yet to see the full weight of this – epidemiological modeling at UW predicts 1000+ deaths in our state – would be worse if didn’t do this
• Referenced a chart showing Washington’s rate of COVID-19 cases slowing considerably COMPARED to the likes of NY, New Jersey
• Said the epidemiologists show a rate of slowing in the 80% range – 80% fewer cases than if had not acted
• Believes in next 4 weeks could see millions of masks being produced – couldn’t tell if that was national or WA state figure
• Mentioned an arrangement where incarcerated inmates helping with the production of masks, gowns
• Dr. Raquel Bono, in response to questions, noted the state is confident even with an expected surge that it will have the hospital bed and ventilator capacity it needs.  She did express a concern re ICU bed capacity

On other fronts, during Q&A the Governor made it clear he will:

Summary of “CARES” (Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security) Act

Learn more about the following:

• Relief to Citizens – Direct Income Assistance Payments

An Update From WRPA's Lobbyist: Doug Levy

I wish I wasn’t writing this e-mail, but I need to.  Barring some unforeseen circumstances, our WRPA priority local parks funding options bill (ES HB 2625), which was tantalizingly close to passage this Session, is not going to make it up for a Floor vote by the Friday COB deadline.  The bill is in the Rules Committee – and were it to get to the Floor, the votes are there to pass it.  But we are doubtful it will get there.

What I can tell you is that we worked very hard to get this bill out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee last Friday, and had “pulls” lined up for the Senate Rules Committee both Wednesday and today to get 2625 to the Floor Calendar.  We also had strong support from the Senate Floor Leader (Sen. Liias) who spoke to the bill in the Ways & Means Caucus – and had support in that Caucus discussion from Sens. Keiser and Conway.

Good Morning, Everyone!

Here is my usual Weekly Report and Weekly list of hearings – I’d note that on the Weekly Hearings list, with fiscal committees coming down the homestretch and public hearings reducing in numbers, all my recommendations for today (2/10) and tomorrow (2/11) are “MONITOR.”

Learn About Doug Levy & Legislative Day

What are your primary functions as the State Lobbyist for the WRPA?

As WRPA’s state lobbyist, I’m responsible for helping to develop the annual Legislative Agenda, promoting priority issues for WRPA, and protecting WRPA’s interests to head off any legislation or budget initiatives that are adverse to us. I’m also responsible for ongoing communications with WRPA Member agencies, for keeping local parks officials informed and aware of happenings in Olympia, and hopefully for enhancing agencies’ knowledge of how to move the needle forward for local parks and recreation overall.

What is Legislative Day?

The annual Great Outdoors Day/Legislative Day is a day in Olympia and on “the Hill” where both WRPA and our co-sponsors, the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition (WWRC), can bring a concentration of Members to Olympia to speak with a unified and loud voice about our priorities and about the importance of outdoor recreation and the outdoors when it comes to quality of life, public health, economic development, and environmental stewardship.

Register Today!

WRPA Announces Partnership with National Center for Safety Initiatives to Strengthen Background Check Process for Staff and Volunteers

Seattle, WA  / December 3, 2019 - Washington Recreation and Park Association announced today that it has formed a partnership with the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), a leader in youth-centered safety solutions to offer background checks as part of NCSI’s Affinity Program.

NCSI will serve as the official provider of background checks for the Washington Recreation and Park Association. A SportsEngine, Inc. company, NCSI provides the “Gold Standard” in background screening, serving youth sports organizations, national governing bodies and over 3,000 city and county recreation departments across the country. NCSI is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) and is the only background check provider endorsed by the National Council of Youth Sports.

Have you expressed an interest or submitted an application for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program? The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is seeking your input on the possibility of establishing a maximum amount of funding that can be applied for in any one grant in the WWRP Trails Category. Currently, there are no grant limits.

If you could please take 5 minutes to participate in a survey no later than December 10, 2019, we would be most appreciative. We will share the results with the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board to help them make an informed decision about this issue.

WRPA Announces 2020 Legislative Priorities! 

WRPA is excited to announce the 2020 Legislative priorities. Some of the initiatives include:

• Strongly Support $50,000 Allocation to Update Outdoor Recreation Sector Economic Analysis
• Protect Funding for Dedicated Accounts within the Capital Budget
• Efforts to Address Mental Health, Homelessness, Affordable Housing
• And much more!

Read More

TO:  WRPA Membership

FROM: Justin Brown, Longview/Travis Stombaugh, Si View Parks District – 2020 LEG Day Planning Leads

L&I has filed an emergency rule effective today (Monday, March 11, 2019), regarding the prevailing wage for landscape construction and maintenance workers.

A law passed in 2018 raised the prevailing wage for this group from a low of around $13 an hour up to $50 an hour or more in some instances. This job category included higher-rate landscape construction work (like spreading top soil, seeding, planting and installing sprinkler systems), along with simpler landscape maintenance like lawn mowing and trimming.   

Local government agencies and landscape contractors expressed concern about the unexpected increase in cost for landscape maintenance under the new prevailing wage law. And in February, the Association of Washington Cities requested L&I undertake rule making to separate out landscape maintenance work from the traditionally higher-paid landscape construction work. L&I heard those concerns and has moved ahead with an emergency rule.

Congress Passes Public Lands Packages (S.47)

We wanted to flag that Congress passed the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreations Act (S. 47), a legislative package that has now been sent to the President for his signature. It includes more than 100 individual bills that address natural resources, parks, and water. Most of the individual bills were introduced in previous sessions of Congress, with the relevant authorizing Committees engaging in a significant stakeholder engagement process to inform the final, comprehensive package. The text of S. 47 was introduced this past December and voted on in each chamber over the past two weeks. You can read more about the process, including a list of individual key bills included, here. The President has ten days from Congressional passage to sign the bill into law.

Read More

WRPA Legislative Update - Youth Athletics Facilities Program (YAF)

What is “YAF”? – The Youth Athletic Facilities grant program, administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), provides funds to build, renovate, replace, or acquire land for outdoor athletic facilities such as ball fields, courts, swimming pools, tennis courts, BMX tracks, field lighting, and skate parks. The program focuses on serve youth through age

WRPA’s Request – We are requesting at least a $12 million investment in the 2019-21 Capital Budget to help fund a ranked and evaluated grant list comprised of more than 60 project applicants who sought over $16 million.

Read More

RIGHT NOW: Legislators are making important decisions about our great outdoors. Tell them that you support $130M for #WWRP, so that Washingtonians can continue to enjoy trails, parks, forests, and so much more.

Visit our Take Action Page right now for a sample message you can send to legislators! 

WRPA Stands By the Following Legislative Priorities 

The Board Of Directors recently approved the key legislative priorities for 2019. Check out the condensed version below and visit our Legislative Priority page to learn more about our position on these legislative issues in the Recreation & Parks Community.

• Provide Local Parks and Recreation Agencies with new Funding Options to Address Vital M&O and Preservation Needs and to Enhance Economic Development
• Enact 2019-21 Capital Budget – Including Key Funding Targets for WWRP, YAF, ALEA
• Protect Funding for Dedicated Accounts within the Capital Budget
• Support Efforts to Address Mental Health, Homelessness, Affordable Housing
• Oppose Legislation to Prematurely Place Regulatory Burdens on “Crumb Rubber” Fields
• “Big Tent” Outdoor Recreation Coalition
• Support efforts to make the system of outdoor recreation passes simpler, more equitable, and more convenient
• Advocate for Key “Healthy & Active Communities” Funding within the State Budget Process

Read More

Learn More About How to Help

Dear WRPA Supporters,

I am writing on behalf of the LWCF Coalition to ask for your help to save the Land and Water Conservation Fund, our nation’s oldest and most important parks and conservation program, which will die at the end of September unless Congress acts.