ASHBURN, VA — Did you ever wonder how your local parks and recreation program compares with those in other cities and states?

As the voice of the U.S. parks and recreation community, the National Recreation & Park Association benchmarked 3,100 agencies around the country.

While the results make for good reading, the NRPA more importantly expects its 2009 “Operating Ratio Report” to guide community leaders and legislators in their efforts to better understand the importance of parks and recreation in the health and well being of all Americans.

Some of the more interesting facts and statistics on U.S. parks and recreation programs derived from the NRPA survey include:

• 20 – the median number of parks or sites maintained by parks and recreation agencies.

• 450 – the median number of acres of land maintained by parks and recreation agencies.

• 10 – the median number of miles of greenways and trails managed by city and county parks and recreation agencies.

• 20 – the percentage of agencies that passed a bond referendum in the last five years. The last three years have seen a decrease in “yes” votes.

• 128 – the median number of volunteers assisting parks and recreation agencies. Volunteerism is crucial to the livelihood of the vast majority of parks and recreation programs.

• 40 – the percentage of parks and recreation agencies assisted by foundations. A smaller percentage report having advocacy groups to support particular parks or entire park systems.

• 50 – the percentage of parks and recreation programs receiving in-kind support.

Almost all parks and recreation agencies offer instructional classes and festivals/community events. The next most popular are team sports, seniors, and summer camp programs.

When evaluated by jurisdiction type, environmental education is more common for counties while fitness classes are more popular for municipal and special district agencies.

Playgrounds, picnic areas with shelters, and diamond/rectangular fields are the most popular recreation facilities. Less than 2 percent of agencies charge a fee to use playgrounds, while more than half of the agencies charge a user fee for the other areas.

Reports in this study and the accompanying dynamic online database offer baseline data on community demographics, land area, budget, personnel, programs and facilities. They provide broad “yardsticks” against which an agency's operations can be measured.

A free executive summary of the “Operating Ratio Report” is available by visiting www.nrpa.org .

For more information or to purchase subscriptions to the full report, contact Meredith Bridgers at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

 

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The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of 20,000 professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources.

 

Headquartered in Ashburn, VA, NRPA works closely with local, state, and national recreation and park agencies, citizen groups, and corporations to carry out its objectives. Priorities include advocating favorable legislation and public policy; increasing public awareness of the importance of parks and recreation; providing continuing education, professional certification and university accreditation; and conducting research and technical assistance. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org.

 

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National Recreation And Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148 United States