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NUTRITION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PLAN FOR THE COMMUNITY
GRPA supports legislation that mandates more physical activity for our school age children through in-school or after school (recreation) programs.
We further support the efforts of the Take Charge of Your Health, Georgia! and its efforts to develop and implement a 10 year nutrition and physical activity plan.
The access, opportunity, affordability and inclusive nature of parks and recreation are critical components in combating the negative effects of sedentary lifestyles. Member agencies throughout the Georgia are taking the lead roles within their respective communities to promote the benefits of physical activity and are providing ample opportunity for participation.
We further recognize that obesity is rapidly rising in the State. According to the Georgia Department of Human Resources 1 in 4 adult Georgians are obese. A breakdown by ethnic categories shows that 32% of African Americans, 22% of Whites and 17% of Hispanics are more likely to be obese. Also, adults with low incomes are twice as likely to be obese than adults with high incomes.
The Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System states that the annual cost of obesity in Georgia is estimated at $2.1 billion, which includes direct health care cost and lost productivity from disease, disability, and death.
In 2003, there were 5,200 (8%) deaths attributed to obesity in Georgia. They also report that the average length of stay in a hospital by obese individuals is 85% longer than for normal-weight individuals, nationwide.
GRPA believes that active recreation for all people is vital to the promotion and maintenance of physical and mental health and wellness. The relationship between recreation, physical activity and disease prevention is substantiated by numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Surgeon Generals Report on Physical Activity and Health and various other studies. These benefits include reduced rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, anxiety, and decreases in the severity of depressive symptoms. Physical activity also helps maintain healthy body weight, aids in the management of osteoarthritis, reduces the risk of falls and fractures and enhances the quality of life according to the 2006 Georgia Physical Activity Surveillance Report.
Joseph Lee stated that Play for children is the gaining of life and that play for adults is the renewal of life. Dr. William Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity with the CDC stated in testimony before the House Government Reform Committee on July 25, 2002 that Physical activity represents our most effective strategy for obesity and the one for which the most substantial body of evidence exist.
Members of GRPA have served as a part of a statewide collaborative Take Charge of Your Health, Georgia! . This collaborative group has also worked on partnership with DHRs and Governor Perdues Live Healthy Georgia campaign to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Through these working groups and we as a strong advocate for physical activities for all ages we recommend the following:
" That policies, programs and practices ensure that all children and youth engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
" That the awareness of the physical inactivity epidemic be raised in an effort to help promote a sustained state and national campaign promoting increased physical activity.
" To align existing programs to promote increased utilization of such in increasing physical activity.
" Encouraging the legislature to mandate more physical activity in schools and after school (recreation) settings.
" Identify and advance environmental and public policy strategies and resources that might impact change.
" Develop and initiate solutions to increase physical activity for Georgias children and youth.
" Through recreation agencies provide programs that offer social support for increasing physical activity such as walking clubs and other group activities.
" That member agencies incorporate the physical activity plans principals and recommendations into programming.
" That GRPA provide members with valuable resources to assist with executing the initiative.
GRPA joins CDC, the National Recreation and Park Association, YMCAs Active America and Action for Healthy Kids in recognizing that our kids spend as much or more time out of school than in school, it is essential that we ensure the community environment supports physical activity. Therefore, we support efforts that can encourage community environments to include:
1. Promote programs that encourage regular physical activity, particularly for high risk populations.
2. Design community evaluation tools to incorporate measures of availability of opportunities for physical activity.
3. Expand opportunities for physical activity including safe recreation facilities, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, bike paths, routes for walking or bicycling to school, and safe streets and neighborhoods, especially for high risk populations.
4. Advocate the prioritization of capital improvement projects to increase physical activity.
5. Encourage walking and cycling to school and recreation facilities. Develop both schools and recreation facilities within a distance of the neighborhoods that they serve.
6. Create a network of walking and cycling trails that provide an opportunity for exercise, recreation and community connectedness.
7. Demand secure recreation sites.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)
Georgia Recreation and Park Association supports the continued full funding of the CDBG program for city and county communities. The value of the economic development programs and projects is invaluable to the State. We further support the continued administration of the CDBG program at the state level.
Many of the recreation and park projects developed over the years in cities and rural communities have been the result of Community Development Block Grants. The quality of life of many Georgians has been enhanced by projects funded in this manner. Additionally, CDBG projects have served to create jobs for citizens in the state. These projects have been used for various projects including affordable housing, stabilizing neighborhoods and providing necessary public services, including recreation, to local government entities throughout Georgia. Cities and Counties in Georgia have received over $100 million annually to support improved quality of life projects.
LOCAL OPTION REAL ESTATE TAX FOR GREENSPACE
Georgia Recreation and Park Association supports legislation authorizing a local real estate transfer tax for funding of land conservation and greenspace acquisition for passive and active development.
The legislature passed the Georgia Land Conservation partnership Act to develop a statewide land conservation plan and provide for state acquisition of strategic parcels of land, loans and grants to counties and cities for greenspace acquisition. However, the Act does not provide for a specific funding source. GRPA advocates the Georgia needs an ongoing and adequately funded incentive grant program to meet needed greenspace, recreation and parks priorities not currently available. GRPA also supports funding legislation providing local governments the local tools to assist in financing land conservation and greenspace acquisition.
RECREATION AND CONSERVATION FUNDING
The Georgia Recreation and Park Association supports the creation of a stable source of grant and loan funding to assist local governments in open space protection, acquisition and renovation, and the development of park areas and recreation facilities.
Limited funding has hampered the ability of most cities and counties in Georgia to develop adequate open recreational space and public recreation facilities. Recent studies by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Recreation and Park Association clearly document funding needs to support the states growing population.
In the past the State of Georgia had a program that provided assistance to counties and municipalities in the development and renovation of facilities. The Recreation Assistance Fund assisted many communities in creating recreation and park facilities.
GRPA fully supports the reinstitution of such as program. Most states have developed a fund and agency that is a one stop shop for technical assistance. The staff of a technical assistance office would be knowledgeable in grant preparation as well as grants that are available to local entities.
The federal program Land and Water Conservation Fund has all but been eliminated by Congress. GRPA supports the full funding of LWCF in the budget of the U.S. Department of Interior. We also seek the continued lobbying by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in educating our Congressional delegation on the importance of such legislation.
GRPA supports the use of LWCF funds to :
" Increase the quantity of outdoor recreation resources
" Enhance the quality of outdoor recreation resources for public
" Ensure close-to-home public outdoor recreation resources
" Increase the number of acres protected for outdoor recreation
" Ensure that outdoor recreation resources funded via LWCF be retained and used for public recreation in perpetuity
" Stimulate planning initiatives to help communities identify needs and establish the implementation strategies to meet those needs
" Leverage local and state matching investments
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
GRPA is cognizant of the continued growth and development in the State. We are not concerned simply with bricks and mortar, but with such I issues as water supply and quality; with runoff sedimentation in the rivers and streams. We are concerned about energy generation and conservation, climate and pollution control. Essential to our livability is sustained communities. In order for us to see this happen we support issues related to environmental ethics. Factors related to this include preservation of our landscapes, including protecting our most precious and sensitive natural lands as well as the provision of recreational, green and open spaces. Furthermore; as an association we are concerned an support legislation that affects water quality, chemical runoff and erosion. We support the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program which contains funding for bike-pedestrian transportation corridors and projects.
The Georgia Recreation and Park Association is taking great strides to ensure our park development professionals take care of the environment. During 2006 a task force of GRPA members developed a set of Best Management Practices for Environmental Ethics. The document provides quality directions and information from the acquisition of the land through all stages of development. The main purpose of this document is to protect our natural resources while constructing parks for our residents. After approval by our Board of Trustees, the document will be placed on our website so all of our members will have access to the information.
TOURISM and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
GRPA advocates the repositioning of recreation, parks and cultural arts as the driver of increased economic impact and tourism dollars. Public park, recreation and cultural arts agencies have been overlooked in the past as a beneficiary of tourism taxes and revenues.
Nationwide more than three out of every four Americans participate in active outdoor recreation each year. Americans spend money, create jobs, and support local communities when they get outdoors. Simple, healthy outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping, or wildlife viewing generate enormous economic power.
The recreation economy contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Across the U. S. 6.5 million jobs are supported by the recreation economy. $88 billion in annual state and national tax revenue is generated. Rural communities receive substantial growth from the recreation economy.
Many people do not realize that having fun and staying healthy in the outdoors is essential to the continued growth of our economy. Over one half of the visits to national and state parks are not extended stay visits but day trips.
Over 30% of the adults and 16% of children and teens are obese. Increased participation is a natural solution to the obesity crisis as well as a strong economic tool. With these revenues being generated by recreation activities GRPA advocates the return of tourism dollars as a possible source for a stable funding source for grants and loans for purchase and development of facilities and lands.
STATE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN
SCORP is a planning document designed to improve outdoor recreation in Georgia and guide the distribution of Land and Water Conservation funds.
GRPA supports the update of the SCORP for the 2008-20013 period as authorized by Georgia Code 12-3-1 and has been an active participant and partner in the update. |
