Greetings Special Park District Leaders,

I hope this email finds you healthy and well during this difficult time.  We have heard from many of you about the extraordinary work you are doing on behalf of your community.    We know that special park districts are in a difficult place with respect to the ability to receive funding while still facing the challenges that COVID-19 has brought. 

NRPA has drafted a memo that will provide you additional information about the federal response along with a letter that we plan to send to federal leaders on behalf of special park districts.  This letter asks for equitable treatment when funding is provided.   

Gov. Jay Inslee will address media Monday via streaming video and telephone to provide an update on the state's COVID-19 response.

The governor will be joined by Hilary Franz, commissioner of public lands, Kelly Susewind, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Don Hoch, director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

Connect with Your Industry Peers Online
April 20 - 24, 2020

Now more than ever is the time for the membership to connect, collaborate, and share resources. In order to bring the organization together, we are offering virtual WRPA Network meetings during the week that we otherwise would have had the conference, April 20 - 24, 2020.

Request for Public Comment

If your agency is currently or past the point of contact for a parks and recreation grant or if your agency is interested in RCO's programs, please review the below:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic RCO is proposing reducing an applicant’s match for 2020 parks and recreation grants from a 50% contribution to 25%:

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:

A Message from Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO)

Dear Recreation, Conservation, and Salmon Recovery Partners:

First and foremost, we hope you and your family and friends are safe and doing well in these uncertain times.  At RCO, staff made the transition to working from home and are fully operational and ready to continue our role as an exemplary partner, helping to recover salmon and protect habitats and develop special places to play. 

Stay at Home Order: What You Need to Know

• No more public gatherings – things like basketball games, gatherings on the beach, even weddings, funerals. Emphasized minimizing social and physical interactions.
• If going outside, it should be for “essential activities” like the grocery store, doctor’s office.  Clarified that you can still do a walk, ride your bike, garden at home, etc. – things that are essential for your own health.
• Orders all non-essential businesses to close.  Businesses that will remain open have to fulfill “essential” function that is modeled after federal guidelines. Emergency services; health care; child care; critical manufacturing; grocery stores; food and agriculture; critical local governments; courts; news media.  Even those businesses remaining open must practice and implement social distancing rules.

Learn More About Essential Businesses

• Restaurants can still do takeout as long as practice social distancing.
• Urges people to comply voluntarily – but also stressed will be enforceable by law.
• This is our best tool to hit back at the coronavirus and this ensures we can hit it hard.
• Noted current data of more than 2,000 people have contracted coronavirus and over 100 have died.
• Indicated this brings more family hardships and economic hardships – his office is continuing to search for ways to further mitigate the economic harm.
• Emphasized we WILL get through this – there will be weddings, factories will fire back up, people will be able to celebrate the end of this at a favorite hangout.

View the Press Conference

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.”

City of Spokane Aquatics Gains Best of Aquatics Honor

Read the Article from Aquatics International

The City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Aquatics Program recently earned the Aquatics International Magazine's 'Best of 2019 Aquatics Honor' in the Community Outreach category. 

Read Full Article

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!

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.

Do you want to have a hand in improving and protecting Washington's outdoors?

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is looking for 50 volunteers to serve on its advisory committees, which help determine what new projects will happen around the state. The advisory committees evaluate grant proposals for parks, boating amenities, working farms and forests, and habitat conservation statewide. There’s a committee for just about any outdoor activity you’re passionate about.

Make a Difference for the Outdoors

Created in 1964, the Recreation and Conservation Office provides statewide leadership and funding to protect and improve the best of Washington’s natural and outdoor recreation resources. Volunteering with the RCO, you would join 200 other folks serving on 17 different committees to evaluate about 650 grant applications every 2 years.