NPS Director Lauds Fitness Initiative

June 27, 2002
news release of the NPS

National Park Service (NPS) Director Fran Mainella applauded the efforts of President Bush’s new Healthier US Initiative announced June 12 to promote improved health through the benefits of physical activity and the stress reducing experiences that visiting national parks and participating in park programs provide. As part of the President’s Comprehensive Fitness Agenda, the Initiative included an entrance fee-free weekend on June 22-23, 2002, to all national park sites across the country.

“I am very pleased to join with the President and Interior Secretary Norton in inviting all of America to come out and visit the magnificent natural and cultural resources throughout our country,” said Director Mainella. “We share a deep appreciation of the value of national parks and the role they play in the physical fitness and well-being of all Americans. The entrance fee-free weekend will be a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to experience national parks and exercise their minds and bodies while uplifting their spirits.”

The National Park System Advisory Board Report, “Rethinking the National Parks for the 21st Century,” states, “the National Park Service should be an energetic advocate of outdoor recreation and open space conservation, and of the considerable public benefits they provide.” The report further states, “None of the early national park visionaries could have imagined how much time Americans of the 21st century would spend indoors, how much physical work would be done for them by machines, or how much stress could build up in the faster pace of contemporary American life. Outdoor recreation has become essential to the mental and physical health of Americans.”

“Now more than ever I think Americans are looking for outlets to release tension and relieve stress,” said Director Mainella. “National parks and local trails and greenways can provide a peaceful environment to invigorate the soul and restore the body.”

The NPS is working with other federal agencies to increase opportunities for physical activity and mental health on public lands. Through an agreement that will be signed later this week, the agencies propose to work together to promote uses and benefits of the Nation’s public lands and water resources to enhance the physical and psychological health and well being of the American people. This collaborative effort is being undertaken to help promote healthy lifestyles through sound nutrition, physical activity, and recreation in America’s great outdoors.

Additionally, through its Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, NPS has worked with a variety of health and physical activity partners, from the State of Indiana to the Paso del Norte Health Foundation in Texas, to provide close to home opportunities for recreation and physical activity. Staff from both agencies have participated in cross training activities, presented at each others conferences, and have assisted on local trail projects together. This year, the Rivers & Trails Program has more than 20 local projects involving the health and physical activity community as partners.

The NPS also works to achieve an outdoor recreation network through partnerships with state and local communities to provide opportunities for physical fitness in urban settings beyond park boundaries. Director Mainella recently announced FY 2002 Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (UPARR) grants totaling nearly $29 million to rehabilitate more than 120 recreation facilities in 71 urban cities and counties. This year’s projects include the rehabilitation of 14 central city neighborhood playgrounds in Fort Worth; the repair of six of the seven wading pools in Milwaukee which were in danger of being closed; and the restoration of Peterson Playfield in Detroit to include ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and playscapes.

Through other programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the NPS provides grants to help state and local governments acquire, develop, improve and maintain high quality outdoor recreation areas and open spaces, assuring that the recreation opportunities provided will make the lives of all Americans healthier, both mentally and physically. President Bush’s FY 2003 budget includes $287.0 million for the NPS share of the Land and Water Conservation Fund program. This funding will enable the Service to join other federal agencies in partnering with citizens, land-user groups, environmental organizations, communities, and local and State governments for conservation projects that advance the health of the land and the American people.

The NPS offers a variety of opportunities for physical activities on parklands such as hiking, biking, swimming and mountain climbing while also exercising the mind through the many diverse education programs such as wildlife viewing and tours of historic sites that are available 365 days a year.