Land&People, Vol. 29, No. 2 - Fall/Winter 2017 by Trust for Public Land

F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 17 A BENEFIT TO MEMBERS OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

EVERYONE

DESERVES A PARK. + BOSTON’S CAN-DO TAKE ON CLIMATE READINESS + PUTTING PARKS TO WORK FOR PUBLIC HEALTH + THE UNFINISHED PICTURE OF AN INCLUSIVE OUTDOORS

From famous landmarks to hidden backcountry, our public lands are the pride of the nation. But in statehouses and the halls of Congress, powerful politicians are working to convert this public property to private proﬁt. The Trust for Public Land believes the agenda to dismantle our public lands is out of step with the needs of everyday Americans. If you agree, take action now.

WRITE YOUR OFFICIALS

SIGN THE PETITION

SUPPORT OUR WORK

SPREAD THE WORD

contents

t h eo st ro o mer

40 “These things matter— where public land is, and the story it tells.” ~ j am es edward m il l s , w r i t e r in g a i n i n g g roun d

54 Everyone Deserves a Park ........................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 We’re launching a nationwide campaign to ensure that everyone, in every neighborhood, has a park within a 10-minute walk of home.

To Your Health ........................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Public health solutions don’t stop at the doctor’s office door. See how Denver neighborhoods are putting parks to work for community wellness.

Gaining Ground ................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Advocates have worked for years to ensure that we can all see ourselves in

patrick morga n

mar ie d. de jesu s

F EAT U R E S

the outdoors. Will progress be threatened by attacks on public lands? T P L. O R G · 1

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

M AY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Help conserve land for people every month of the year. It’s easy, automatic, and secure. Join today.

tpl.org/monthlygiving

D E PA RT M E NTS

Board Spotlight · 13

plus m pro du ct io n s

Parks for all

marco g arcia

From the President · 11

contents

Michael E. Patterson

Contributors · 14 Mailroom · 15 First Look · 17 A perfect score, a sweet barbecue,

and a darn good time

Insight · 27 cities and climate change

Member Center · 62

adam alexander

Boston’s Austin Blackmon on

Ofﬁces · 63 Trail’s End · 64

o n t h e cover Parks are where people play, exercise, and connect with nature— and each other. Everyone deserves a great park within a 10-minute walk of home. Learn more on page 31.

JOI N U S ON FAC EB O O K Stay tuned to our latest news, videos, contests, and more. facebook.com/tpl.org

20 T P L. O R G · 3

je rry an d marcy mon k man

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contents

QUILL HILL, REDINGTON TOWNSHIP, MAINE Steep climbs, heavy packs, wild weather: even the toughest parts of the Appalachian Trail are worth it for views like this. We’re working to protect vulnerable land surrounding the A.T. corridor, ensuring everyone up for the challenge gets the wilderness experience they came for.

Page · 19

T P L. O R G · 5

p e rry smy re

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contents

MILLER PARK, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE Chattanooga’s reinvention as an outdoor mecca didn’t happen on its own: the city invested heavily in its parks, an effort that continues today. The city’s mayor is one of more than a hundred who’ve signed on to The Trust for Public Land’s new campaign to put a park or green space within a 10-minute walk of everyone in the country.

Page · 31

T P L. O R G · 7

chri stop he r t. marti n

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contents

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Public lands are even more than a place to get outside—they’re a connection to our history. Sites like this one bring the past to life, put the present in perspective, and shape our vision of the future. From birthplaces to battlegrounds, The Trust for Public Land is proud to protect places that help everyone see themselves in the American story.

Page · 54

T P L. O R G · 9

OFF IC E R S pre si d e n t an d chie f exe c ut i ve o ffi c er

William B. Rogers vice p re s i d e n t an d d i recto r of co n s e rvat i o n fi n anc e

Will Abberger s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t a n d directo r o f c i t y park dev elo pm en t

Adrian Benepe s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t a n d directo r o f co n s e rvat i o n st rat eg i es

Ernest Cook s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t an d d i vi s i o n d i re cto r

Jeff Danter vice p re s i d e n t an d directo r o f fe d e ral affa i r s

Kathy DeCoster s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t , ge n eral co un s e l, an d sec reta r y

D. Malcolm Carson s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t an d c hi e f p hi lan t hro py o ff i c er

Margie Kim

our mission:

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND CREATES PARKS AND PROTECTS LAND FOR PEOPLE, ENSURING HEALTHY, LIVABLE COMMUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t an d d i vi s i o n d i re cto r

Ann Morgan vice p re s i d e n t an d directo r o f g i s an d p l a n n i n g

Breece Robertson s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t , c h i ef f in an c i al o ffi c e r, an d t rea su rer

Cynthia Scherer vice p re s i d e n t an d d i recto r of lan d p rot e ct i o n

how you can help: Our work depends on the generous support of people like you. donate: Use the envelope inside this magazine, or visit tpl.org/donate for other easy ways to give.

Brenda J. Schick vice p re s i d e n t an d directo r o f human re so u rc es

Barbara Smith s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t an d c hi e f marke t i n g o ff i c er

Shannon Morgan Stearns

learn more: Get timely updates on our park and conservation work near you. Sign up for our e-newsletter at tpl.org/enews. share: Help us make the case for parks and open space. When you’ve ﬁnished reading this issue, pass it on!

s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t an d c hi e f o p e rat i n g o ff i c er

Tim Wohlgenant

1 0 · LAND &PE OPL E ·FAL L /W I NTER 2017

Land&People magazine is a beneﬁt to members of The Trust for Public Land.

from the president

a quality park within a 10-minute walk of every home in America—that’s the vision of The Trust for Public Land and the goal of a new national campaign featured in this issue of

elyse leyenberger

PARKS FOR ALL

Land&People. Already, mayors and civic leaders publisher Shannon Morgan Stearns editorial director Eliza Sarasohn

across the country have signed on to endorse this standard for park access, to ensure that every resident of every neighborhood has easy access to the countless beneﬁts great parks provide. This issue celebrates those many beneﬁts. On page 26, you’ll see how The Trust for Public

art director Matt Mullin

Land and The North Face are partnering to unite communities through the sport of climbing by

managing editor Alia Salim

building climbing walls in parks in cities across America. On page 41, you’ll read about how a

staff writer Julia Busiek media production manager Elyse Leyenberger senior designer Rachel Wuerstlin digital production Carrie Gotch Adele Wilson con tributing editor Bill Poole

© 2017 The Trust for Public Land. All rights reserved. Conserving Land for People, Conserving Nature Near You, Creating Parks and Protecting Land for People, Fitness Zone, Land for People, Land&People, LandVote, Northwoods Initiative, Our Land, Parks for People, ParkScore, The Trust for Our Land, The Trust for Public Land, TPL, and The Trust for Public Land and LandVote logos and all other names of The

park in Denver—recently rehabilitated by The Trust for Public Land—is encouraging health and ﬁtness for the whole neighborhood. And on page 54, you’ll hear how the nation’s system of public

Our public lands can help everyone feel connected to our shared natural and cultural legacy.

lands can help everyone feel connected to our shared natural and cultural legacy. For nearly 20 years, it has been my privilege to lead an organization dedicated to creating parks

donors like you—we are better positioned to connect everyone to the parks and lands they need for health and well-being.

and protecting land for people. As I prepare for

Thank you for your interest in The Trust for

retirement in the spring, I am more convinced

Public Land and its work. We could not pursue

of the importance of this mission than ever.

this important mission without your support.

Whether in cities or further out of town, our

Whether you already enjoy a close-to-home

system of parks and public lands are where we

park or are working hard to create or renew

go to stretch our legs, our minds, our aspirations,

one, we hope you will raise your voice in support

our imaginations, and our sense of wonder and

of our public lands and a quality park within a

awe. These places are absolutely essential to our

10-minute walk of all. To learn more, visit

physical and mental health, the health of our

tpl.org/10minutewalk.

communities, and the health of our environment.

See you at the park!

Only a few years ago, most cities had an imperfect understanding of how well their park systems were serving residents. Today, The Trust for Public Land has mapped exactly where parks are needed to more equitably serve communities

Trust for Public Land programs referenced herein, as well as their logos, are registered or common-law trademarks of The Trust for Public Land.

and address critical public health and climate challenges. Equipped with that data—and strengthened by partnerships with civic leaders,

Will Rogers

foundations, other nonproﬁts, and individual

president and ceo

T P L. O R G · 11

BE A LEADER. Connect more people to nature by becoming a Conservation Champion today. With your annual leadership-level contribution of $2,000 or more in general support you will receive invitations to special events and insider updates on our park and conservation strategies.

Learn more about the impact you will have as a Conservation Champion. Call Haley Nielsen at 415.800.5189.

co ns er vat i o n ch ampi o ns t pl . o r g/ c h a m p ions | cham p ions@tp l.org

board spotlight

Get to know BOARD O F D I RECTO RS

Thomas S. Reeve

Michael E. Patterson has served on the

sara cozol in o

chair

Michael E. Patterson national board of The Trust for Public Land since 2000. He is also director of The Hastings

Stephen W. Baird

Center and USA Cycling, and serves as chair of George Bell

the board of directors of The Child School. He is Page Knudsen Cowles

a former general counsel, chief administrative William Cronon

ofﬁcer, board member, and vice-chair for Douglas Durst

JPMorgan Chase & Co., and practiced law in F. Whitney Hatch

New York and Paris as a partner of Debevoise &

Christopher Lea

Plimpton. Michael graduated from Harvard

Ignacia S. Moreno

University and Columbia Law School. He lives

Caroline P. Niemczyk

with his wife, Elena, in Arizona and Connecticut,

Michael E. Patterson

and is a bicycle racer.

Jeffrey A. Resnick Laura Richards Roy Richards Jr.

I JOINED THE BOARD BECAUSE … I was inspired

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND IS UNIQUE BECAUSE ...

to join The Trust for Public Land board by a good

The impact of parks and open spaces on people’s

William B. Rogers

friend who was doing remarkable conservation

health and enjoyment of life is most pronounced in

Lex Sant

work in New York. She proved to be typical of

densely populated urban areas. The Trust for Public

the dedicated, smart, imaginative, effective, and

Land’s phenomenal accomplishments to date and po-

interesting individuals who work for the organiza-

tential for huge impact in cities distinguishes it from

Sheryl Tishman F. Jerome Tone

tion across the country. It’s a delight and inspiration

other conservation organizations—and is generating

Ana Valdez

to work with such folks and see what they can do.

enthusiasm and support across America.

Susan D. Whiting

For me, people are the key—both the people who work here, and the people in communities where

I SUPPORT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND BECAUSE …

we work.

We have a saying, “But for The Trust for Public Land”—

A GREEN ER READ

THE WORK THAT MOST INSPIRES ME IS … As an

would never have been protected.” There are so many

Land&People is printed in the United States on chlorine-free, 30 percent postconsumer recycled paper and manufactured using Envirotech™ ink, which contains a high percentage of ingredients derived from renewable resources.

exercise and health nut, I have been gratiﬁed by

“But for The Trust for Public Land” places out there

Printed by Quad/ Graphics Inc., Wisconsin.

as in, “But for The Trust for Public Land, this place

the increasing emphasis that The Trust for Public

that are the result of tenacity, ingenuity, and charm

Land is placing on the physical and psychic health

among volunteers, employees, and partners.

beneﬁts of the parks and open space we create and protect. I believe that our emphasis is generating greater recognition of the links between parks and health in the world at large. Parks promote indispensable exercise—but also just make people feel better for being there. Green spaces are good

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Tell us how you connect with nature. Join the conversation on Facebook: facebook.com/tpl.org

for people in myriad ways and make a real contribution to public health.

T P L. O R G · 13

contributors

Nelson Harvey

James Edward Mills

story:

To Your Health

Gaining Ground

To Your Health

Theo Stroomer

Nelson Harvey is a freelance reporter and

James Edward Mills is an independent media

Theo Stroomer is a photographer from

editor who specializes in writing about food,

producer and freelance journalist cover-

Denver, Colorado. Outside of life as a photo-

agriculture, and the environment. Based

ing outdoor recreation and environmental

journalist, he enjoys hiking and mountain

in Denver, he has written for publications

conservation. He is a 2014 fellow of Mountain

biking with his family. He describes himself

including Modern Farmer and High Country

and Wilderness Writing at the Banff Centre,

as “mildly obsessed” with tumbleweeds: his

News. On the side, he works as a private

a Yosemite National Park Centennial

ﬁrst book, a chronicle of the strange phe-

investigator and helps his wife, Caroline, run

Ambassador, and author of The Adventure

nomenon of tumbleweed invasions, will be

her restaurant.

Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors.

released in 2018.

nelsonharvey.com

joytripproject.com

theostroomer.com

EVEN MORE LAND&PEOPLE Download the free Land&People iPad app—available now at the App Store. The digital edition includes all the stories you love in high resolution, plus bonus content like video, search tools, easy social media sharing, and instant links to learn more. If you don’t have an iPad, you can access the digital edition online at tpl.org/lpdigital. Wherever you see the pointer symbol below, you’ll ﬁnd bonus content in the digital edition. Download the app or go online to dive deeper into the story.

1 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

ipa d is a registered tra demark of ap ple inc ., registered in the u.s. and other countries. app store is a service mark of apple inc.

mailroom

ely se l ey en b erg er

JOI N OUR COMMUNI TY We’re a one-stop shop for inspiration and information, too: we’ll keep you up to speed on political developments

rach id dah n oun

that may affect the lands you love.

GIVE US A RING!

This spring, Philadelphia staff and volunteers took city leaders and media on a grand tour of playground renovations past, present, and future—all made possible by our generous partners and supporters.

We love to listen: let us know what you think about the stories in this issue of Land&People, or tell us about the parks and playgrounds in your community. You can reach us by mail, on Facebook, or at mailroom@tpl.org.

Land for people like you S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 17 A BENEFIT TO MEMBERS OF TH

E TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

+ In this day and age of electronics

Why the ﬁght to save our public

and rushing to do many activities after

land is personal.

school or work, it is necessary to get away to nature. Life in the open spaces

l nd + people

+ All of our public lands, whethTHE

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

ADVENTURE

ISSUE

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 17 VOL. 29, Nº1

+ FROM MILD TO WILD ON THE CHATTAHOOCH EE RIVER + EXPLORING CALIFORNIA’S BIG BACKYARD + FINDING PEACE IN FLY FISHING

is pure magic and refreshes the mind

er urban, suburban, rural, or

and spirit for all. Enough with the

wilderness, are treasures and

“necessity” to concrete over all things

should be cherished, protected,

wild and free. Life is too short to live

and funded generously. Likewise

surrounded by stress all the time. To

the arts and humanities. These

cross a few streets to get to a fabulous

are some of the things that

natural world is extremely special and

make life worth living.

to be treasured for all generations!

Barbara Kaye, via the blog

Kathleen Hawk, via the blog

T P L. O R G · 15

ian macl e l l an

ian macl el l an

mailroom

+ What a great true-life story! A small community with the help of The Trust for Public Land working together to create a new future. Thanks to The Trust for Public Land and to the folks in West Windsor, Vermont. This made my day. Jon Hager, via the blog WATCH THE VIDEO @

TPL.ORG/ASCUTNEY

There’s no place like home Readers tipped their hats to renowned

Owning Ascutney Many of you were inspired by the

nature photographer Jim Brandenburg,

story of West Windsor, Vermont—a

who helped us protect the Minnesota

small town that went big to save its ski

lake that inspired some of his favorite

hill.

Saw @tpl_org’s Maddy Pope leading the “10 min walk to a park” here in #Bozeman. Story Mill will have birding and bouldering!

photographs. + This approach could save many dif-

a tweet from mountaineer conrad

+ I have loved Jim’s photos for years,

ferent outdoor venues, including areas

anker (@conradanker) who joined his

and having grown up in Michigan, I too

where a single industry has been the

bozeman, montana, neighbors at a

love the upper Great Lakes. Thanks for

sole job source. If there’s a way to rein-

groundbreaking celebration for the

preserving some special areas.

vent the focus from a single snow sport

new story mill community park in june.

Lee Winslow, via the blog

to, for instance, hiking, biking, and

climb on!

+ I grew up on a grain farm on the

ture, and get people to go there to help

Canadian prairie just north of

support local economies. Doing this

Minnesota. I moved to New York City

kind of conversion beats the socks off

almost 25 years ago but I agree, the

industries that ruin the natural splendor.

beauty of tallgrass prairie and fresh

Chi, via the blog

bru ce muhlbra dt

camping … that would still maintain na-

lakes is awe-inspiring, and they are endangered. His story made me think

+ I wish many others could read this

about how to preserve some of my

message about what one Vermont

parents’ farmland as public parkland

village has accomplished—and make

when I inherit it someday. Thank you

the connection with global warming.

LAND&PEOPLE IS LISTENING!

for sharing this!

Margaret Sinclair, via the blog

Send letters to the editor or change your mailing address: mailroom@tpl.org.

Julie, via the blog 1 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

Happy 200th birthday, Henry David Thoreau! The Trust for Public Land helped protect the Massachusetts forest celebrated in Thoreau’s classic work Walden, or a Life in the Woods.

i am grateful for what i am and have. my thanksgiving is perpetual. h enr y dav i d th o reau

turn the page for … a perfect score a sweet barbecue a darn good time T P L. O R G · 17

A taste of the tropics Just across the road from the

edible conservation

kawela bay, oahu, hawaii

food is typically more expensive here

acre swath of farmland at Kawela Bay.

clear blue waters of Kawela Bay,

than anywhere else in the country. The

“There are many reasons why it’s better

Teo Soukhaseum grows beans, peppers,

largest cargo ships belch out as much

to have more food grown here,” says

and squash in the rich soil of Oahu’s

carbon in a year as 50 million cars, and

Soukhaseum. “But if we don’t protect

North Shore. Soukhaseum and her hus-

food shipments carry pests and diseases

the farmland we have left, our industry

band have held on to a month-to-month

that have decimated Hawaii’s endemic

might not survive in this state.”

lease on their ﬁelds for more than a

wildlife and plants.

“Hawaii is at a turning point,” says

decade, selling their fresh produce at

“The push for a sustainable local food

Hong. “As land values rise, legacy pine-

roadside stands and farmers markets.

supply is gathering momentum in

apple and sugar corporations are selling

Independent growers like Soukha-

Hawaii,” says Lea Hong, Hawaii state

off their plantations across the islands.

seum have it tough here on Hawaii’s

director for The Trust for Public Land.

With every tract that changes hands, we

most populous island, where a real

“Our aim is to make sure there’s land left

risk losing more farmland to develop-

estate boom is driving up the price and

to farm.”

ment. But it’s also an opportunity to

demand for land. Most farmers don’t

That’s why in 2016 we protected the

own the ﬁelds they farm, and it’s a

ﬁelds Soukhaseum farms, part of a 469-

protect the land that sustains us, and create a healthier food future.”

money planting condos, estates, and shopping centers than papayas, mangos, and avocados. Farmers aren’t the only ones feeling the squeeze. Ninety percent of food consumed in Hawaii is grown somewhere else, then shipped in at a cost of $3 billion each year—meaning fresh, healthy

The ﬁelds Teo Soukhaseum farms on Oahu’s North Shore are now protected from development forever.

1 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

marco garcia

struggle to ﬁnd affordable, long-term leases; landowners can make more

good news

Mango barbecue sauce

jerry an d marcy mon kman

Conservationists look beyond the trail’s edge

This sweet and spicy barbecue sauce is great on pork, chicken, ﬁsh, or burgers. Ingredients O 4 ripe mangoes O 2-inch piece of fresh ginger O 2 garlic cloves O

1 Tbs. of mustard

1/2 cup soy sauce

O 2 Tbs. vinegar

In the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, hikers on the Appalachian Trail can pause for a breath atop Warner Hill, taking in a panorama of the Housatonic Valley. But until this spring, the land just below the viewpoint was privately owned and up for sale. Developers eyed it for timber harvesting or an

1/4 cup orange juice

ATV park—not exactly the scene people have in mind when they set out to hike

1/4 cup macadamia, coconut, or olive oil

the famous trail.

1/4 cup honey

O 3 Tbs. brown sugar O

1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

O 1 tsp. chopped fresh or dried rosemary O

1 hot chile pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

The Appalachian Trail itself is almost entirely protected. But the challenge at Warner Hill—and countless other places along the 2,190-mile corridor—is that the land beyond the 100-foot-wide right-of-way remains vulnerable to development. The Trust for Public Land has worked with communities for more than 40 years to change that. At Warner Hill, we were able to conserve the property at

Remove and discard mango skin and pit.

risk and transfer it to the National Park Service, ensuring that hikers who reach

Mince ginger and garlic. Combine all ingre-

the summit are rewarded with the unspoiled views they came for.

dients in a blender and puree. Transfer to a stock pot and heat to boiling,

In the New Hampshire town of Hanover this year, we also helped protect an Appalachian Trail access point at Hudson Farm. Says Town Manager Julia Griffin,

then lower heat to a simmer and cook until

“Thousands of people work and live near Hudson Farm. We’re proud that it will

reduced in volume and thickened to desired

become a permanent part of open space.”

consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or keep refrigerated for up to a week. Adapted from a recipe by Kumu Aina Farm

Warner Hill and Hudson Farm are part of a larger effort—250,000 acres and counting—to safeguard the Appalachian Trail. “We’re looking at it as a broader landscape,” explains The Trust for Public Land’s J.T. Horn. “We’re ﬁguring out what we need to do to protect the wilderness experience—and the health of the ecosystems that Appalachian communities rely on.”

F I R ST LO O K · 19

For imagining better parks, art works

adair f reeman rut l edg e

good news

Kiwanis-Methow Park Some parts of park design–

are more likely to use and care for plac-

setting the right width for a walking

es they helped dream up themselves.

path, using landscaping to prevent

“When people hear ‘planning meet-

ﬂooding—are more like a science. But

ing,’ the ﬁrst picture that comes to

creating a place that feels inspired?

mind is someone at the front of a room

That’s an art.

in a suit, pointing to a chart on a poster

That’s why The Trust for Public Land

board,” says Terry Valdez, an artist

partners with artists to help neighbors

we’re working with in Wenatchee,

get creative during the planning pro-

Washington. “But when we include an

cess. Before we break ground, we host

art project at a meeting, suddenly peo-

months of block parties, brainstorming

ple are talking to each other, helping

sessions, and other gatherings—often

each other, asking questions, sharing

with more craft supplies than blueprints.

ideas—art can make planning a park a

Art fuels conversation, which pays off in

really fun, fruitful, organic experience.”

the long run: after all, we know people

2 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

Wenatchee, WA

Bright ideas In Wenatchee, an agricultural community in eastern Washington, Terry Valdez brings hands-on art projects to planning sessions for Kiwanis-Methow Park—an underused green space slated for a redesign. At one event, neighbors painted ﬂowers to brighten up the chain-link fence. “The mayor himself painted more ﬂowers than anybody,” says Valdez. “He kept saying he didn’t want to put down the brush!”

word watch

gamar markarian and mateo f ern án dez- muro for t h e restored spaces initiative of mural art s ph il adel ph ia

Here are just a few Trust for Public Land projects in the works with extra creative ﬂair.

All aboard At Philadelphia’s Southwark School, a team from Mural Arts Philadelphia invented a board game to help students, parents, and neighbors come up with ideas for the school’s future playground. It’s Monopoly and Apples to Apples—

swing

with a park-themed board and

\Ӥswiж\

been described as a cross between

ﬁll-in-the-blank cards that prompt players to imagine the schoolyard

(n.) In the sport of crew, the blissful state

of their dreams.

when every athlete in the boat is working

Southwark School

together in perfect unison.

Philadelphia, PA

alissa boochever

When the Connecticut town of Stonington set out to create a new park and public boathouse on the Mystic River,

Bundle up

the effort beneﬁtted from the discipline

San Francisco’s notorious fog isn’t

of the local high school crew team. “Our

the reason trees in Civic Center Plaza sported sweaters this summer: they’d

kids went to town council meetings,

been “yarn bombed” by artists Lorna

stood out front of shops and talked to

and Jill Watt, who spent a few hours

people, and held fundraisers,” says their

each week out knitting and chatting

director, Mike O’Neil. “It was a success

with curious passersby. It’s an offbeat approach to gathering input into efforts to rethink this sometimes-ma-

only because so many people worked together to see it through. We want our

ligned public space. “We’re catching

kids to see that if they can dedicate them-

people’s attention, that’s for sure,”

selves to ﬁnding their swing on the water,

says Lorna. “When they stop to ask

those lessons carry beyond the boat.”

what I’m doing, it’s a chance to ﬁll

Civic Center Plaza

them in and get them thinking about

San Francisco, CA

what changes they’d like to see here.”

learn more @ TPL.ORG/MYSTICRIVER

F I R ST TLO P L. OORK G · 21

what counts

good news

At the end of the line, an unlikely new park

100

rich reid

quinc y stamper

eric low en bach

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced the city’s perfect score from Hilltop Park, newly renovated with help from The Trust for Public Land.

be fore

a fte r

On Earth Day, we joined thousands of neighbors in celebrating the grand opening of the Los Angeles State Historic Park—a former rail yard converted into a 32-acre expanse of lawns, wetlands, and trails in the heart of the city. The park is the culmination of a campaign that residents of nearby Chinatown and Solano Canyon launched nearly 20 years ago to bring more green space to their dense neighborhoods. The Trust for Public Land

… of San Francisco residents now live within

helped purchase and clean up the property, an abandoned rail yard that at

a 10-minute walk of a park or open space,

the time was slated for a warehouse development.

ParkScore® index. Though it’s the ﬁrst major

Artist Rosten Woo wanted to make sure that park visitors won’t forget the long journey. His installation, “A Park is Made By People,” is a cluster of colorful signs that honor

metro in the nation to hit this milestone,

the protests neighbors held

Mayor Ed Lee gave no indication the city

when they learned of plans to

plans to rest on its laurels. “We are maintaining our record investment into our

liz ohanesia n

according to the 2017 Trust for Public Land

develop the land. “When you go to a park like this, it just feels like a given, like it was

local parks so that all San Franciscans can

inevitable. What else could

continue to enjoy our wonderful natural

this ever have been?” says

environment,” he said.

Woo. “But it began as an idea— and then through so much work, struggle, and effort, it

learn more @ TPL.ORG/SFPARKSCORE2017

became reality. That this park exists today is a living embodiment of democracy.”

2 2 · LAND &PE OPL E ·FAL L /W I NTER 2017

Public art honors the spirit of grassroots protests that saved the land from development.

The mystery in the ruins of AN ANCIENT PUEBLO

good news

If you lived in the 14th century in what we now call New

the people who lived here might have decided to start over

Mexico, you would have spent countless hours gathering food

elsewhere.”

to stockpile for lean times. What would make you burn your whole storeroom down?

Snead says he favors this explanation, but, “if you ask ten archaeologists about this, you’ll ﬁnd ﬁve who disagree with

That’s the mystery at Burnt Corn Pueblo, south of Santa

you.” More interesting than the answer, to Snead, is the oppor-

Fe. For James Snead, a professor at California State University,

tunity—rare in the ﬁeld of archaeology—to question a single

Northridge, the site holds clues about what life was like here

moment in time.

more than 700 years ago.

Another turning point in the long history of the Burnt Corn

Using tree-ring dating, or dendrochronology, archaeolo-

Pueblo came this year, when The Trust for Public Land helped

gists tested the charred remains of pueblo roof supports and

transfer an unprotected portion of the site to the Bureau of

concluded that it was early in the 1300s when the village

Land Management. Widely supported by pueblo tribal govern-

was destroyed by ﬁre. But though dendrochronology can tell

ments in the region, the move clears the way for future access

archaeologists when the pueblo burned, it can’t tell them why.

to adjacent public land for hikers, bikers, and horseback

Snead thinks wildﬁre is unlikely, because the area near the

riders from the growing Santa Fe metro area. A watch group

village would have been stripped of fuel by people gathering

made up of volunteers and retired archaeologists will work to

ﬁrewood. Plus, archaeologists have built and burned replica

keep the site secure.

pueblos—and they’re actually pretty hard to destroy. Was it an act of war? Petroglyphs in the area depict violence,

“Sites like this are vulnerable,” Snead says. “All it takes is someone with 15 minutes and a shovel to do tremendous dam-

but other indications of a battle are absent. “The site has a

age to places like this that help us understand the past. Public

neatness to it. It’s possible that the people of Burnt Corn did

ownership, management, and protections tend to be a pretty

this deliberately,” Snead says. “In some interpretations of a

good solution for caring for our archaeological resources.”

eddie moore

traditional Pueblo worldview, if bad things were happening,

Petroglyphs and tree-ring dating offer clues for curious archaeologists.

F I R ST LO O K · 23

buzzworthy

meet our staff

eric l aycock/ esri

“The tools just didn’t exist— so we built them.”

“Urban parks serve as green engines to help address nearly every critical urban need.” —Nanette Barragán

BREECE ROBERTSON THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND’S GIS WHIZ PUTS PARK EQUITY ON THE MAP.

What is GIS? GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. It’s basically Google Maps on steroids: it’s a sophisticated software that allows users to plug in any kind of spatial data you can think of—population density, demographics, natural resources, climate, land use, traffic patterns. We can then plot all that data on the same map in a way that reveals patterns, uncovers problems, and tells a cohesive story about a place.

What does it take to succeed in this ﬁeld? You have to be inquisitive, innovative, and creative: it’s not enough to understand the data, it’s about presenting it so that people will understand

U.S. House Representative Nanette Barragán of California spoke up for the Land and Water Conservation Fund—and the thousands of city parks it has helped create—in a June committee meeting.

the story you’re trying to tell. And you need a sense of humor! This kind of work takes patience.

How has GIS changed the way The Trust for Public Land works? When I started here back in 2001, I’d go digging through old boxes and ﬁnd maps on torn-out journal paper, maps drawn with crayons, maps on bar napkins … a far cry from GIS! The whole ﬁeld of conservation was more reactive back then. We were saving land and building parks in areas that we knew needed them based

2 4 · LAND &PE OPL E ·FAL L /W I NTER 2017

on our longtime knowledge, relation-

How did you do that?

ute walk. The tool will enable anyone

ships, and experience in the places we

Our team has spent the past three

from city officials and urban planners to

work. But we didn’t have the data we

years gathering spatial data on parks

students and grassroots neighborhood

needed to be truly strategic and proac-

and population from 14,000 cities and

activists to envision and advocate for a

tive in our approach.

towns across the country, encompass-

park in their neighborhood.

How does GIS make conservation more strategic?

We’re bringing all that data together

The Trust for Public Land has always

free, comprehensive online platform for

Why is it important for people to be able to visualize data like that?

prioritized equity in park access—mean-

urban parks. Now that the data is all in

I see it all the time: when people are

ing that we strive to create parks in the

one place, we know where people have

talking about concepts and places, ev-

neighborhoods that need them most.

easy access to a park, at any scale, from

eryone has their own idea of where the

But how do you measure need? It’s a

the national down to the neighborhood

problem is or where the park should

complex issue, but GIS analysis helps us

level.

go. But when you throw a map down on

ing 80 percent of America’s population. into a tool called ParkServe—the ﬁrst

the table, it brings everyone together.

zero in on the places with the highest income, greatest number of children

Seems like a lot of work to answer one question!

and seniors, and biggest public health

That’s what’s so innovative about Park-

of what they want their community to

challenges.

Serve: now that we’ve collected the data,

look like—of how they want to tackle

population density, lowest household

It helps get everyone working on the same page and creating a shared vision

When we are working with a com-

put it all online for free, and created

the challenges they’re experiencing. It’s

munity to build a park, we can also look

analytical tools that anyone can use—

like something happens to our brains

at factors like traffic, sidewalks, heat is-

there are no limits to the questions you

when we look at a map. It gives us the

lands, and public transportation—even

can ask. Doctors can use it to ﬁnd parks

perspective we need to better under-

crime rates and access to healthy food.

near their patients’ homes, so they can

stand our world and each other.

GIS helps us determine exactly where in

encourage people to get more exercise

a certain community we should build a

outside. There’s a function that allows

park so that the most people can use it

you to draw a shape anywhere on the

safely. And as the technology improves,

map, then hit “Go,” and it’ll tell you—if

we’re constantly ﬁnding more ways to

you were to build a park in that shape—

ask questions of the data.

how many people live within a 10-min-

Access to data has changed the planning process, helping communities prioritize new parks in the neighborhoods that need them most.

jenna stamm

What are some of those big questions you’re asking? Our vision is to build a park within a 10-minute walk of every person in every American city, starting with the areas of greatest need. But we’ve never known the scope of the problem we’re trying to solve—that is, in the nation as a whole, how many people live within a 10-minute walk of a park and how many don’t. How can we solve a problem if we can’t even measure or describe it? The tools just didn’t exist—so we built them.

F I R ST LO O K · 25

Some people build walls. Other people climb them. We’re doing both. The North Face is donating $1 million to The Trust for Public Land to help build public climbing walls in U.S. communities. Visit thenorthface.com/walls to learn more.

insight

insight:

Austin Blackmon Boston’s climate chief on the role of cities in a global challenge

IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL, politicians are questioning the need to take action on climate change—even whether it exists at all. But travel up the coast to Massachusetts, and you’ll ﬁnd a different conversation underway. In the coming years, residents here expect rising seas, more powerful storms, and dangerous heat waves— and they expect the government to act. As Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space for the City of Boston, Austin Blackmon is among those facing up to the task. Under Mayor Marty Walsh, he’s directing the city’s effort to prepare for a more volatile climate future. No surprise to this savvy city, parks and green space ﬁgure prominently in the plan.

What did you think when you learned about the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord? At ﬁrst I was taken aback. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve come to believe that Washington, DC, won’t be able to stop what we’ve already started. We may have to go

evgenia eliseeva

down different routes to get the work done, and we might not have some federal funding that could have accelerated it, but our goals haven’t changed. It’s a setback—not a reset.

T P L. O R G · 27

Do cities have a role to play in addressing climate? Absolutely. Mayor Walsh leads a group of U.S. mayors working together on climate issues. Before the federal government withdrew from the Paris agreement, we had about 50 cities on board. Now, there are more than 300—Republicans and Democrats, all searching for opportunities for collective action. There’s been a groundswell of support for our climate

“There’s been a groundswell of support for our climate goals.”

goals from residents of Boston, and from leadership at every other level of government across the country.

How are the effects of climate change felt in Boston?

Can a city make a dent in such a global problem?

The Boston metro area is among the most vulnerable to sea

With a pretty good understanding of which areas are most

level rise—not just of cities in the United States, but in the

vulnerable to ﬂooding, we’re now working toward shovel-

world. A third of our landmass sits on ﬁll, and we’re ﬁnding

ready projects in places like East Boston and Charlestown to

that many of those ﬁll areas are already getting hit with ﬂood-

protect residents and property. Those projects will include

ing. The relative sea level in Boston Harbor is 10 inches higher

some traditional ﬂood control features, but we’re also plan-

than it was 100 years ago—the ﬁlled areas are sinking as the

ning green infrastructure improvements like wetland restora-

waters are rising. And as global carbon emissions continue to

tion and new open space along the shoreline to absorb water.

rise, so does the high tide line.

Are your preparedness plans all about sea level rise? What are projections for the future?

Sea level rise gets the most attention, but urban heat islands

By 2070 we’re expecting seas to have risen by at least three

are also a signiﬁcant concern here in Boston—especially since

feet, putting 12,000 more Boston buildings—$85 billion worth

the hottest parts of our city are home to a higher proportion

of assets—in the ﬂoodplain. Analyses suggest that by the

of low-income people, children, seniors, and folks with medi-

end of this century, we’d sustain annual ﬂood damages of

cal conditions that are exacerbated by the heat.

$1.4 billion in today’s dollars. That’s almost half the city’s

A hundred years from now, Boston may well feel more

annual budget. That gives us an idea of what we should be

like Birmingham, Alabama, in the summer. So our citywide

willing to spend to protect ourselves—even before taking into

master plan is guiding us toward investments in heat island

account our responsibility to protect Boston residents.

mitigation strategies: planting more trees along our roadways, investing in the parks and open spaces we already have, and

Healthy wetlands provide rich habitat for wildlife—and form a buffer against ﬂooding. As the climate changes, restoring these natural systems could help protect vulnerable, low-lying cities.

improving biking and walking infrastructure to encourage people to choose human-powered transportation.

How do you make the case for parks in the face of other priorities, like housing and transportation? jerry and marcy monkman

In the master plan, our investment in parks is actually directly tied to our goals for affordable housing and transportation. We see all these things working together, and we know our city can’t thrive without all of them. Right now, more than 90 percent of Boston residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. That’s phenomenal. But as the city continues to grow and get denser, we know more people will be relying on our parks to meet their basic needs for space and fresh air—because backyards will be harder to ﬁnd and afford.

2 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

The City of Boston has good reason to make climate change a priority: in the next half-century, it expects thousands more of its buildings will be at risk of ﬂood damage.

So, green space is part of public health infrastructure.

How did you get into public service?

Yes. And not only are great parks important for physical

When I was in college, I interned for a summer in the office

health, but they’re key to the civic health of neighborhoods

of a young senator from Illinois named Barack Obama. As

and the city as a whole. Parks are one of the rare places

the internship wound down, he sat down with his staff and

where neighbors can really connect—and as we plan for the

offered us some parting advice. He said, “Listen: if you really

future of the city, we need those community connections. We

want to make a difference, make sure you understand three

rely on engaged, active neighborhoods to guide our work.

things: energy, education, and national security.” I took that to heart, and throughout my career I’ve worked in each of

What do you do in your own daily life to make Boston a greener city?

by the energy industry. When I met with Mayor Walsh and

Well, I literally walk the walk: I live close to work so I can

heard what he wanted to accomplish around climate, energy,

walk there every day. When I do have to drive for my job, I

and sustainability, I knew I could make an impact.

those areas in different capacities—but I became fascinated

take one of the city’s ﬂeet of hybrid vehicles. When I’m at home, I take the same steps that I encourage our residents to

Last question: what’s your favorite Boston park?

take—things like using LED lightbulbs.

That’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child! We’re

But I think it’s not just what you do. It’s about inspiring

fortunate to have some world-class parks in our city. But one

people in your life who might want to take action but not

that’s special to me is Christopher Columbus Park. It’s like

know where to start. My parents fell into that category—so

the intersection of my priorities: it’s open space for people

this year for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, they were the

to enjoy, but it’s also right up against the harbor, and will

proud recipients of programmable thermostats. Just the other

be one of the ﬁrst areas in Boston affected by sea level rise.

day I got a text from my dad saying how thrilled he was that

Spending time out there is a reminder of why we need to

his kicked on to cool the house down just before he got home,

act—not only to protect our buildings and residents, but for

instead of running all day. Now that I’ve helped them take

our open spaces, too.

those ﬁrst steps and they’ve seen their electric bills go down, they’re asking me, “What’s the next thing we can do?”

I NT SI P L.G OH R GT · · 29 29

Double your impact today! This year, an anonymous donor will generously match your gift—dollar-for-dollar—if you send it before December 31. Your donation will go even further to help The Trust for Public Land protect more parks, gardens, and other natural places. That’s one good thing made that much better.

ﬁg. 2

good.

better.

Give your EarthShare.

3 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

800.714.5263 donor.outreach@tpl.org tpl.org/match

An EarthShare payroll deduction is one simple way to donate to The Trust for Public Land or more than 400 other environmental and conservation charities. Many corporate and government employers support EarthShare payroll giving. If yours doesn’t, ask them to start. If they do, simply decide on a single deduction or a recurring small one from every paycheck. Then designate us, member number 11440, as one of your conservation charities. For more information visit earthshare.org or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

alex diekmann

ﬁg. 1

EVERYONE DESERVES A PARK.

tudies show that parks are To the people who have them, parks provide essential to the physical, social, FRXQWOHVV EHQHƓWV )URP SLFQLFV EDOOJDPHV DQG environmental, and economic health of a community. If you’re SOD\JURXQGV WR UXQQLQJ F\FOLQJ RU MXVW VLWWLQJ lucky enough to live within easy quietly on a bench in the shade, parks are where walking distance of a great one, then you’ve probably seen how SHRSOH JR WR UHOD[ SOD\ DQG FRQQHFW WR QDWXUHŋ parks improve quality of life for the whole neighborhood. But if you live and each other. in one of the many cities where

ma rie d . d e jesus

great parks are too few and far between, you know just how hard it can be to ﬁnd a place to get outside. T P L. O R G · 31

1 IN 3

AMERICANS DON’T HAVE A PARK WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK OF HOME.

That’s according to The Trust for

more than 42 million Americans—

Public Land’s ParkServe tool, which

have already signed on.

maps park access in nearly every

In the following pages, you’ll

municipality in the country. In

hear from people in ﬁve very differ-

many cities—from Indianapolis to

ent cities across the country as they

Oklahoma City—more than half of

visit their nearest park—or, in one

residents have no parks nearby.

case, the site of a future park The

That’s why The Trust for Public

Trust for Public Land will open next

Land—in partnership with the

spring. While their experiences

National Recreation and Park

vary, each person featured shares

Association and the Urban Land

our conviction that quality parks

Institute—is launching a nationwide

are essential—and that everyone

campaign to ensure that everyone,

deserves a great park within a

in every neighborhood, in every city

10-minute walk of home.

across America, has a park within a We’re challenging mayors to commit to making the 10-minute walk to a park the standard for all residents in their city. From Los Angeles,

IF YOU AGREE, JOIN US. Visit tpl.org/10minutewalk to see how well your city meets the mark for park access—and help us bring

to Atlanta, to New York, mayors in

parks to the neighborhoods that need

more than 100 cities—representing

them most.

3 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

c hris loupos

10-minute walk of home.

1 0 - M I N U T E WA L K

NEW YORK, NY POPULATION:

RESIDENTS WITHIN

THE LOCAL:

THE PARK:

8.5 million

A 10-MINUTE WALK

Tyghe Trimble, urban athlete and writer/editor

Prospect Park

OF A PARK: 97%

Tyghe Trimble

picnics, and paved spaces for weekly

to seek solitude. More than

farmers markets. Many of the people I

8 million people visit here every year,

see are headed for one of these gather-

and a quarter million or so, like me, live

ing spots.

within easy walking distance. As I pass

But my run today takes me to the

the 9th Street entrance, running alone,

main road around the park. Usually

enough—when most of the city is still

I am keenly aware of this. I notice: a

closed to cars, it’s a ﬁtness superhigh-

sleeping—and you’ll ﬁnd large groups

shirtless man in cutoffs, a tapestry of

way: you’ll ﬁnd several sweaty tribes

of them pointing to treetops, taking

tattoos adorning his back and arms; a

here—competitive cyclists on the

notes, and conferring with each other

group of kids dragging a battalion of bal-

outside, prosaic bike commuters in the

in reverent tones.

loons; a spandex-clad man clattering

middle lane, and an army of runners

The migration season can bring

awkwardly in cycling shoes as he

on the inside. You enter the circle,

more than 100 species of birds in a day

pushes his bike down the paved path;

surrounded by people of varying speeds,

to Prospect Park. They join us—the

and a woman with a sleepless stare,

and ﬁnd your orbit—then loop the park

runners, picnickers, and amblers, the

walking behind a silent stroller.

like a satellite around a planet.

people coming from subways or parking

The park has layers, like an onion. On

I peel off onto a freshly mulched trail

the outside edge you’ll ﬁnd playgrounds,

leading to the park’s interior. I pass a

historic buildings, an amphitheater

couple with binoculars, casual birders

for big concerts, a Greek pavilion for

enjoying a slow afternoon. Come early

spots or homes nearby—a ﬂock called by the same song.

photos by: chris loupos T P L. O R G · 33

GR E E N E R N E I G H B O R H O O D S A R E A S S O C I AT E D W I T H LO W E R M O RTA L I T Y R AT E S . EN VI RO NMEN TA L HE ALT H P ER SPECT I V ES, VO L.1 24, NO. 9.

rospect park is not exactly a place

Jose Silva

VENTURA, CA POPULATION:

RESIDENTS WITHIN

109,592

A 10-MINUTE WALK OF A PARK: 59%

3 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

THE LOCAL: Jose Silva, father and urban planning graduate

THE PARK: Kellogg Park

1 0 - M I N U T E WA L K

y son, thiago, is three years old—he doesn’t sit still for a minute. He wants to be running, kicking

a soccer ball, riding his scooter, playing on the beach … anything active is what he’s all about right now. We live in Ventura, California, north of Los Angeles. My family migrated here from Mexico when I was nine years

old. What I liked best about growing up here was enjoying walks to the beach—where I came from before, I never knew what the beach was like. Even today, nature is really important to me because it’s a place where you can escape, go and be yourself, de-stress. My wife, Angelica, and I try to get outside with Thiago every day because that’s where he’s happiest—and because it gets him tired! But in our neighborhood, the closest park with a playground for kids Thiago’s age is a 40-minute walk along a four-lane road. It’s far for Thiago, and I worry about him running out in traffic. We usually get in the car and drive somewhere instead. So when I heard that The Trust for Public Land was working to build a new park right in our neighborhood, I wanted to get involved. I studied urban planning in college, and we learned how parks give people a place to get together. Our neighborhood needs and deserves that. I want Thiago and the other kids in our community to have a safe place to play in nature and make new friends. At the groundbreaking for the new park, they had a Chumash tribe blessing the land—saying thank you for the space. It was so exciting—seeing everyone who came to the event and participated. When the park opens in the spring, I think it’ll make a big difference for me, my family, and our community. photos by: plus m productions TTPPL. L.OORRGG ·· 35 35

E XP O S U RE TO G RE E N S PACE CAN BO O ST CO G N ITIVE D E VE LO P M E N T I N C H I L D R E N . PR O C E E D I N G S O F T H E N AT I O NA L ACA D E M Y O F S C I ENC ES O F T HE UNI TED STATES O F AME RI CA , VO L. 112, NO. 26.

“When I heard that The Trust for Public Land was working to build a new park right in our neighborhood, I wanted to get involved. “

1 0 - M I N U T E WA L K

CLEVELAND, OH POPULATION: 385,809

RESIDENTS WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK OF A PARK: 80%

THE LOCAL: Nelson Beckford, community advocate at the St. Luke’s Foundation

THE PARK: Towpath Trail trailhead

Nelson Beckford

“T

rees and parks are boring.” I have to admit—that’s some-

As an introvert, I need alone time

made it obsolete. A half-century after the

to process my world. So my walks

canal was abandoned, it was declared a

thing I might have told you, at one

and time on the trail became part of

historic landmark. And eventually, park

point. I used to say to myself, I don’t

a weekly physical and mental health

districts stepped up to manage it for

ﬁsh or hunt; parks are not for me. What

regimen. The more I paid attention

recreation.

does anyone do with a bunch of trees

to the rhythms of nature, the more I

Now when I use this trail I see its

and trails?

noticed the diversity of trees and of

past alongside its present: people biking,

But then I moved, from one Cleve-

the wildlife. I found that nature is far

ﬁshing, picnicking, birding, geocaching,

land neighborhood to another just min-

from boring: there is more to it than

and running. I’m reminded of how the

utes from the northernmost trailhead

ﬁrst meets the eye.

land adapts to the needs of the times—

of a network that connects to Cuyahoga

That’s true of the trail itself, too. It’s

and how I’ve adapted, too. These days

Valley National Park. With the trail so

called the Towpath Trail because mule

I’m used to having green space close to

easy to use, I ﬁgured I might as well …

teams once used it to tug barges up

home, and it motivates me in my work

and the more I did—to bike, to hike

the canal connecting the Ohio River to

for people in Cleveland neighborhoods

with my son and wife, to take photos—

Lake Erie. The canal helped make the

where some kids don’t even have a safe

the more I grew to love it.

state prosperous—until the railroads

place to play outside. photos by: brittany graham

3 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

1 0 - M I N U T E WA L K

CHATTANOOGA, TN POPULATION: 177,571

RESIDENTS WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK OF A PARK: 36%

THE LOCAL: Ry Glover, outdoor travel expert at RootsRated.com

THE PARK: Miller Plaza and Miller Park

Ry Glover he story of my hometown in a nutshell is this: it was once the

“Dynamo of Dixie”—a railroad and industrial town that boomed during the ﬁrst half of the 20th century, then busted. By 1969, it had been labeled the dirtiest city in America. But then something happened. In the early 1990s, like a phoenix from the ashes, Chattanooga was reborn. At the heart of the renaissance was the city’s investment in green spaces and public parks: from historic sites like Lookout and Signal Mountains, to the Tennessee Riverwalk—a linear park snaking 13 miles from Chickamauga Lake to the downtown riverfront and the old steel mills beyond. Today the city is known for outdoor recreation and attracts newcomers who want to be able to get outside without traveling far from home. From my

As a child I would play in the fountains

when I learned the reason—an upgrade

small apartment downtown, I can walk

and listen to the sounds of Nightfall, a

set to be unveiled next year—I could

to no fewer than 15 parks within 10

summer evening concert series hosted

see the temporary inconvenience as

minutes. My favorite is a block away—I

at the plaza for more than 30 years

just another part of Chattanooga’s

can see it from my window.

now. And these days, I often stroll to

reinvention: both a cause and an effect

Miller Park to read a book in the sun or

of the city’s new green identity. This

people-watch.

symbiosis between parks and progress

It’s actually two adjacent parks: Miller Plaza and Miller Park. The former is shinier and privately owned

Recently I arrived to discover Miller

(though open to the public); the latter

Park surrounded by construction fenc-

is older and more run-down. Though

ing, workers drilling and swirling up

they’re very different, I appreciate both.

dust. At ﬁrst I was disappointed, but

is one I’m proud my hometown has embraced.

photos by: perry smyre T P L. O R G · 37

3 52;,0,7< 72 $ 3$5. ,6 $ 6 6 2 &,$7( ' : ,7+ $ /2 : ( 5 5,6 . 2 ) '( 3 5 ( 6 6 , 2 1 T H E J O U R NA L O F M E NTA L H E A LT H PO L I CY A ND E CO N O M I C S , VO L. 17, NO. 1.

1 0 - M I N U T E WA L K

Andrea Baldwin

HOUSTON, TX POPULATION: 2.3 million

RESIDENTS WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK OF A PARK: 47%

y steps are cautious and as heavy as the humidity on this July

THE LOCAL: Andrea Baldwin, professor and star of the one-woman show, “Lone Star Feminist”

THE PARK: Menil Park

pierce the concrete sidewalk, creating small inclines and unexpected chunks

afternoon. Within seconds of stepping

of concrete jutting up and out of place.

outside, tiny prickles of sweat emerge

The deﬁant trees could not be forced

on my cheeks and chest, beads that will

into submission by our desire for per-

grow and become my companions on

fect pavement. The tangle of roots and

this short walk. Whenever I pass

ruptured concrete seems to resemble

another person, I notice their compan-

our own coexistence with nature, the

ions, too: they present themselves on

careful balance—or perhaps imbalance—

faces and stained shirts. In Houston we

of the city and the wild.

all learn to carry them, this time of year. The seven-minute walk from my

When I reach my destination, I ﬁnd a spot and lie out on a blanket. Menil Park

home to Menil Park is green with

is next to the museum that bears the

moss growing on buildings and palms

same name; it hosts a large sculpture

tickling the sky. The live oaks make the

and one red swing hanging from an old

journey an obstacle course. Their roots

oak tree. Today it is mostly vacant. The

3 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

“This is my space on Sunday afternoons. Sometimes I write in my journal or read, sometimes I lie with headphones on, escaping into a podcast or audiobook, and sometimes I just … listen. “

what’s behind the

Even if you love getting outside, you know there's a big difference between a park down the street and one across town. If a trip to the park means waiting for the bus—or packing the family into the car and sitting in WUDIƓFŋLW EHFRPHV IDU OHVV SUDFWLFDO WR visit regularly. So how close is close enough? 0RVW ODUJH FLWLHVŋƐƉ RI WKH ELJJHVW ƊƉƉ E\ RXU ODVW FRXQWŋVHW D VWDQGDUG E\ GLVWDQFH RI WKRVH ƏƊ SHUFHQW GHƓQH ŏFORVHŐ DV ZLWKLQ D KDOI PLOH Though walking speeds vary, the Department of Transportation agrees that people typically walk about three PLOHV SHU KRXU FRYHULQJ D KDOI PLOH LQ DERXW ƊƉ PLQXWHV

3 MILES 1 HOUR

recent thunderstorm may have scared

0.5 MILES 10 MINUTES

others away. In our experience building parks

This is my space on Sunday afternoons. Sometimes I write in my

around the country, we've found that

journal or read, sometimes I lie with

makes sense—so long as we're talking

headphones on, escaping into a podcast

D KDOI PLOH RQ SXEOLF URDGV DQG SDWK

or audiobook, and sometimes I just …

ways. (A great park a hundred yards

listen. I embrace the sound of the birds,

away doesn't do you much good if

the occasional car passing by or plane

those hundred yards cross private

ﬂying overhead. We all seem to be in

property or a busy freeway.)

negotiation, a back and forth between the urban and natural, trying to be

“We developed the 10-minute walk as the gold standard for parks. It’s a primary indicator of livability in a city.”

heard and trying to be received. In my city park, I am a witness and participant in it all.

photos by: marie d. de jesus

Adrian Benepe, Director of City Park Development, The Trust for Public Land T P L. O R G · 39 TP

story by Nelson Harvey | photos by Theo Stroomer

to your

Community wellness depends on having somewhere to get outside—but that’s harder to ﬁnd in some neighborhoods than others.

4 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

da rc y kief el

darcy k ie f e l

Though there’s a park right across the street from Geraldolyn Horton-Harris’s home, it hasn’t always been a place she wanted her grandchildren to play.

It was the spring of 2013, and Geraldolyn Horton-Harris was fed up.

orton-Harris was living in public housing in the

has lived in the community for more than two decades. “We

Curtis Park neighborhood, just north of downtown

actually saw a trend of families choosing to leave because they

Denver, Colorado. She shared the apartment with

felt their children didn’t have a safe place to play,” he says.

her three grandchildren and two daughters, both of whose husbands were in the U.S. Army and had recently deployed to

Even as some longtime residents moved away, a new wave of young, wealthy residents was arriving, drawn to Curtis

Afghanistan. Though Horton-Harris lived directly across the

Park’s stately architecture and proximity to restaurants, bars,

street from Mestizo-Curtis Park—the city’s oldest—she never

coffee shops, and downtown Denver. Unaware of the neighbor-

let her grandchildren play there. After decades of neglect, the

hood park’s checkered history, they used it freely. Newcomers

playground equipment had grown old and rusty. Horton-Harris

and old-timers rarely interacted in the park: with few other

and her neighbors witnessed drug deals in the park and were

public spaces, the changing neighborhood in effect had no

wary of its history: in 2008, an 8-year-old girl walking nearby

common ground.

was critically wounded in a drive-by shooting.

Nevertheless, Horton-Harris chose to stay. Through her work

“The fact that my sons-in-law were over in Afghanistan risk-

as a coordinator for the nonproﬁt LiveWell Colorado, she met

ing their lives for this country, and yet their children didn’t

The Trust for Public Land’s Emily Patterson. Even as the two

even have a decent place to play in their neighborhood here at

women discussed the park’s less-than-stellar reputation—and

home—that really upset me,” Horton-Harris says. Some days,

the growing disparity between longtime neighborhood resi-

the family would Google “best parks in Denver” and drive the

dents and newer arrivals—they found they shared a belief that

children to other neighborhoods; other days, dozens of neigh-

the large, historic public space still held great potential.

borhood kids would gather to play in their front yard—instead of venturing into the park across the street. Horton-Harris wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated. John Hayden, the head of the Curtis Park Neighbors Association,

T P L. O R G · 41

“The nation spends billions of dollars trying to improve people’s access to healthcare, but we also need to start looking at where people live—where they work, where they go to school, and where they play.”

4 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

The way a neighborhood is built can encourage residents to walk, bike, and get outside—or not.

enver has a reputation as an outdoorsy town, the kind of city whose residents ﬂock to the mountains to ski, bike, hike, camp, and ﬁsh. But for

those who can’t afford the weekend-warrior lifestyle, getting

outside means a trip to the local park—and that’s tougher in some neighborhoods than others.

A growing number of doctors are recognizing that regular visits to a park can actually help prevent or treat conditions

That disparity is not just an inconvenience: it has implica-

such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Margaret

tions for residents’ health. Studies show that access to parks

Dekoven, a physician’s assistant at Kaiser Permanente’s Lake-

strongly encourages regular physical activity, particularly for

wood Medical Offices just west of Denver, often recommends

people without gym memberships. A 2002 review of 10 studies

daily time in nature to patients. When they ask her why, she

published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found

points to data linking time spent outdoors with lower body

that new venues for physical activity or improved access to

mass index, decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression—

existing ones—in combination with outreach to publicize

even better bone density and vision in children. “I tell kids

those changes—correlated with study subjects exercising

that nature is like medicine,” she says.

nearly 50 percent more often.

In neighborhoods like Curtis Park, though, it’s a medicine

“The way we build our cities is critical to public health,” says

that many people aren’t getting. Nearly a quarter of fami-

Hanaa Hamdi, who heads up The Trust for Public Land’s work

lies there live below the federal poverty line, so the pricey

on parks and health. “The nation spends billions of dollars

mountain sports their home state is famous for are often

trying to improve people’s access to healthcare, but we also

out of reach. In fact, in surveys conducted by the Colorado

need to start looking at where people live—where they work,

Department of Public Health and Environment between 2012

where they go to school, and where they play—and consider-

and 2015, 14 percent of respondents in Curtis Park reported

ing how that contributes to public health problems. That’s

engaging in no physical activity at all in the past 30 days.

why The Trust for Public Land works to design built environ-

Getting people moving in Curtis Park, Horton-Harris and

ments that support healthy choices rather than making them

Patterson knew, would take more than a shiny new play-

difficult.”

ground. “Simply renovating was not going to bring people back to the park,” says Patterson. “We needed to create reasons for people to use the space by programming and activating it in a way that appealed to longtime residents.”

T P L. O R G · 43

Sandy Douglas organizes classes and events that encourage people to make use of their local park.

n the summer of 2016, with help from The Trust for Public Land, local nonproﬁt Groundwork Denver hired community

organizer Sandy Douglas to pilot the Mestizo

Curtis “Park Prescription” program—or ParkRx, for short. Douglas held yoga and Zumba classes in the park, hosted monthly “Walk With a Doc” events with a local physician, and collaborated with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on a model rocket class for neighborhood kids. The program was so successful that the Colorado Health Foundation agreed to fund it in 2017, helping Douglas collaborate with local clinics to offer services like blood pressure and diabetes checks at Mestizo-Curtis events. The program is helping locals feel safe in their park again, Douglas says, but that didn’t happen overnight. She spent thousands of hours knocking on doors to tell her neighbors about the changes at Mestizo-Curtis. “It took so much time to convince people that the park had changed,” Douglas recalls. “Safety was deﬁnitely their biggest concern.”

4 4 · LAND &PE OPL E ·FAL L /W I NTER 2017

T P L. O R G · 45

the trust fo r p ublic land

“Our goal is to get people out of the house and bring them to the park.”

4 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

The Trust for Public Land helped renovate Mestizo-Curtis Park, replacing worn-out equipment with a new playground and Fitness Zone® exercise area.

Ana Luisa Gallardo is among the local residents Douglas has drawn back to Mestizo-Curtis since the renovations. Gallardo and her three children live around the corner from the park,

n a muggy afternoon in June, Norma Brambila is hacking away at weeds along the fence in an alley in Westwood, a neighborhood ﬁve miles southwest

but had been hesitant to use it—until last summer, when she

of Curtis Park. Around her, student volunteers from a nearby

noticed Douglas and other residents doing weekly Zumba

middle school gather their tools after a long day of cleaning,

classes.

gardening, and painting. Brambila, a gregarious woman with

“Sandy invited me the ﬁrst time I walked by and I said no,

an easy laugh, shows no signs of slowing down. Between

but she invited me again the next week and I’ve been going

rhythmic strikes of her shovel blade, she describes the

ever since,” says Gallardo. She now has a job funded by Kaiser

Westwood she encountered when she ﬁrst moved here, two

Permanente, gathering survey data about how people are

decades ago.

using the renovated park. Her daughter Karina Nieto, 18, also

“The neighborhood was full of liquor stores, bars, clubs,

worked with Douglas this summer as a “community connec-

and graffiti,” Brambila says. “You often heard gunshots. Car

tor” tasked with spreading the word about the Mestizo-Curtis

windows would get broken overnight. It was very dangerous.”

ParkRx program.

Public safety in the neighborhood has improved since then,

“Our goal is to get people out of the house and bring them to

she says, but public health remains a concern. Though

the park,” says Nieto. “People of color in particular. You often

Colorado boasts the lowest obesity rate in the nation, about

only see white people in the park, and we want people of

20 percent of children and 40 percent of adults in Westwood

color to feel comfortable using it.” In the lead-up to Colorado’s January 2018 legislative session,

are obese—twice the state average. Statistical models by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sug-

The Trust for Public Land’s Hanaa Hamdi is working with

gest that about 10 percent of residents suffer from diabetes.

lawmakers to design a licensing program for community

Regular exercise can help conditions like these, but West-

health workers. The idea is to train more people like Douglas

wood is not an easy place to walk or bike. Sidewalks are

to support patients with park prescriptions and help doctors

crumbling, and Morrison Road, which cuts diagonally across

monitor their progress.

the neighborhood, has few stoplights or pedestrian crosswalks.

“When I ﬁrst started recommending park time to my pa-

There is more pavement and fewer trees than in surrounding

tients, I would keep people’s names and call them six weeks

neighborhoods—so on sunny summer days, temperatures

later to make sure they’d been going,” says Dekoven, the

in Westwood soar, putting residents at higher risk of heat

physician’s assistant in Lakewood. “But it was hard to reach

exhaustion.

people and hard to keep track. Community health workers could help with that.”

This majority-Hispanic neighborhood, where 32 percent of residents live below the federal poverty line, has just 1.6 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents—far less than many

T P L. O R G · 47

Karina Nieto Margaret Dekoven

Chandi Aldena

community connector

trust for public land program coordinator

physician’s assistant

Putting parks to work for public health calls for a holistic approach—joining medical professionals with community organizers and city government with nonproﬁts.

wealthier Denver enclaves. When the new Cuatro Vientos Park opened on Westwood’s north side in 2014—on a site protected with help from The Trust for Public Land—it was the neighborhood’s ﬁrst new public park in more than 30 years. But for all its challenges, Westwood remains a civic-minded community, says Trust for Public Land program coordinator

“People here share the idea that Westwood deserves to be celebrated. This is an incredibly proud place.”

Chandi Aldena. “People here share the idea that Westwood deserves to be celebrated and is unique within the fabric of Denver neighborhoods,” she says. “This is an incredibly

“Right from when we ﬁrst started talking to people about

proud place.”

how they wanted to improve the neighborhood, their

Aldena believes that sense of community played a part in

priorities were clear,” Brambila says. “They said, clean up

the Colorado Health Foundation’s decision to award West-

the alleys, add more streetlights, improve security, and add

wood a $1 million “Healthy Places” grant, intended to address

more parks.”

public health challenges through improvements to the built

Cecelia Sandoval, a volunteer for Westwood Unidos living

environment. The Trust for Public Land partnered with a

in central Westwood, remembers the morning that she

neighborhood group called Westwood Unidos to help the

met Brambila—who came knocking on her door with an

community put the new funding to work.

unusual question.

4 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

leave a

LEGACY.

Protect the places you love by making a gift to The Trust for Public Land in your estate plans. By naming The Trust for Public Land as a beneﬁciary of your will, living trust, or retirement account, you can make a visionary gift that will conserve land for generations to come. For more information, please contact Gardner Trimble at 415.800.5208.

t p l . o rg / p l an n e d g i v i n g · p l a n n e d g i v i ng@t pl. o rg

In Westwood, neighbors came together to clear out and spruce up alleyways, creating more space to gather and play.

“She asked me what my biggest complaints about the neighborhood were,” Sandoval recalls. “I told her that I couldn’t open the window of my duplex, because of the smell and the ﬂies from the trash in the alley outside.” After years of illegal dumping and neglect, many of Westwood’s alleys had become eyesores and health hazards. Grant

or The Trust for Public Land, the next step in Westwood—after helping spruce up the community’s highest-priority sites—is to connect the dots by

reunifying a neighborhood long bisected by busy Morrison Road. “More and more, we’re ﬁnding that it’s not enough to

build a great park if kids and families can’t bike or walk

funding allowed locals to launch an ambitious plan to trans-

there—or anywhere else they need to get—safely,” says Emily

form these disused spaces into an asset—a place to play, walk,

Patterson. “For a community to be able to fully realize the

and bike. Since 2015, Westwood Unidos staff and volunteers

potential health beneﬁts, it needs to be easy for people to

have remade more than a dozen alleys, painting brightly col-

incorporate outdoor exercise into their daily routines.”

ored murals along fence lines, creating ﬂower-ﬁlled planters

In the fall of 2015, The Trust for Public Land and Westwood

from coffee pots mounted on telephone poles, and embed-

Unidos convened an umbrella group of neighborhood leaders,

ding decorated car tires in the dirt where children can play.

city agencies, and urban design professionals from local uni-

“Before, we couldn’t even open our gates into the alleys,

versities. Calling themselves “Cool Connected Westwood,” the

there was so much trash,” Sandoval says. “It’s much better

group conceived the idea of the Via Verde—“Green Way”—a

now.”

meandering, tree-shaded path through the neighborhood

Next, the community looked to Westwood Park. At ﬁve

linking schools and health clinics with parks, improved

acres, it was the largest public space in the neighborhood—

alleyways, and the banks of Weir Gulch on the neighbor-

but, like Mestizo-Curtis Park before its renovation, Westwood

hood’s northwest edge.

was so run down that local families tended to stay away. At

Once completed, the Via Verde and its well-marked pedes-

workshops hosted by The Trust for Public Land, residents

trian crossings will help people walking and biking avoid

called for new walking trails, better lighting, and a play-

automobile traffic, providing a safer route to parks and

ground that mimics the natural world with climbing boulders

making it easier for Westwood residents to get out and move.

and a small creek. A ﬂower garden will attract bees and hum-

“With the Mestizo-Curtis ParkRx program, we reached into the

mingbirds—and teach neighborhood kids about the role of

neighborhood to bring people to the park,” says Patterson.

pollinators in the food supply. Construction began this fall.

“In Westwood, we’re ﬁnding ways to bring the health beneﬁts of the park out into the neighborhood.”

5 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

“Their priorities were clear. They said, clean up the alleys.” T P L. O R G · 51

Wellness is more than physical ﬁtness—it’s inspiration and connection, too. A quality park is a place to recharge: mind, body, and soul.

5 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

To spread the word about the project, Cool Connected Westwood hosted a series of block parties along the proposed route this summer, featuring food, music, presentations, and even giveaways of seedlings—inviting residents to start planting the trees that will someday provide cooling shade for walkers and bikers along the route.

Westwood residents have more plans in the works, from planting trees to building better bikeways.

Today, as Brambila goes about her daily work of community organizing—attending public meetings, knocking on doors, and spreading the word about the Via Verde project— she often marvels at the extent of the neighborhood transformation now underway. To her, the difference between the Westwood she encountered two decades ago and the one that residents are now building is a testament to the value of staying involved over the long haul. “This used to be a place that didn’t get much help from the city or from outside groups,” she says, “but now there

“We’re finding ways to bring the health benefits of the park out into the neighborhood.”

is so much happening. And if you come back even a few years from now, you’ll see a very different place—an even better place.”

T P L. O R G · 53

Gaining ground Advocates have worked for years to ensure that we can all see ourselves in the outdoors. Now,

“

he purpose of this memorandum is to ensure that all Americans have the

opportunity to experience and enjoy our public lands and waters, that all segments of

political attacks threaten our

the population have the chance to engage in

public lands—just as they were

decisions about how our lands and waters are

beginning to feel like home.

managed, and that our federal workforce— not just the sites it manages—is drawn from the rich range of the diversity in our nation.”

Like the orders establishing new a national monument at Bears Ears in Utah, this statement was signed by President Barack Obama in the waning days of his administration. It was part of a “memorandum of understanding”—it protects no additional land, allocates no new funds—and for that reason, perhaps, it hardly made the news. But one could argue that the language of the memorandum had a signiﬁcance not measurable in acreage. It was the product of many months of discussion between the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of the Interior, and the Next 100 Coalition, a network of organizations dedicated to making the American system of public land accessible and sustainable in

By James Edward Mills Illustrations by Patrick Morgan

5 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

its next century of use. Implicit in the statement’s formal title—“Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National

T P L. O R G · 55

Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters”—was an acknowledgement the federal government hasn’t always done that.

ut when I found myself in Washington, DC, just six months after the signing of the

memorandum, that vision of the future had changed—

For some, that’s stating the obvious. Others wouldn’t

along, it seemed, with everything else. Capitol Hill was

agree at all. Either way, the memorandum represented a

abuzz with the eager speculation of people awaiting the

visible shift—a deliberate attempt to inﬂuence our shared

testimony of ousted FBI Director James Comey. With the

understanding of who spends time in nature and who

same anticipation typically reserved for the Superbowl

does not, to recognize and support the ongoing attempt

or Game Seven of the World Series, political insiders,

by people of color in America to rebuild a relationship

everyday locals, and tourists crowded downtown bars

with the natural world.

and taverns at 10 o’clock in the morning. The scene wasn’t for me. To escape the chattering crowds, I headed for the National Mall. The shadow of the Washington Monument was a ﬁtting place to reﬂect

... the memorandum represented a visible shift— a deliberate attempt to inﬂuence our shared understanding of who spends time in nature and who does not, to recognize and support the ongoing attempt by people of color in America to rebuild a relationship with the natural world.

on another unprecedented piece of political theater— one with parks in the spotlight. A few weeks earlier, President Donald Trump had issued his own statement on the future of American public land: an executive order directing the Department of the Interior to review all national monuments larger than 100,000 acres established since 1996. The list totaled 27 sites across the American West, from Colorado’s Canyon of the Ancients to California’s Giant Sequoia. The events that followed were as unusual as the announcement itself. The Department of the Interior received a record-breaking 2.8 million responses to the call for public comment—and 99 percent of those publicly available were in favor of letting the monument designations stand. The Outdoor Industry Association decided to pull its trade show out of Utah and into publiclands-friendly (or at least, friendlier) Colorado. And as Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke blessed individual sites on the review list, conservationists found themselves in the strange position of thanking him for sparing public lands whose status they felt never should have been in question in the ﬁrst place. For all the novel developments, the fundamental issues in play were nothing new. In President Trump’s suggestion that the monuments were too big, that they had been established without adequate input from the American public, was the echo of a much older question about public land in America: how much is enough, and what—and whom—is it for?

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T P L. O R G · 57

s a journalist who’s built a career

‘fake news’ to claim that there was not enough public

covering outdoor recreation and conservation

participation in the designation.”

issues, I’ve considered that question from

On the opposite side of the country, at Fort Monroe

many different angles over the years. Back home in

National Monument in Virginia, the sentiment is the

Southern California for a short visit, I approached it by

same. “At Fort Monroe I believe there were multiple

bike—a borrowed one, several sizes too small.

public hearings,” says Alan Spears, the director of cul-

Grinding my way up the steep western side of Mount

tural resources and government affairs at the National

Lowe, I neared the edge of the San Gabriel Mountains

Parks Conservation Association. “At times it seems that

National Monument. Designated in 2014 by President

President Obama was looking for 110 percent consensus

Obama, it spans more than 340,000 acres of open space

among the local community before he took action under

from the Angeles National Forest to just within the

the Antiquities Act.”

boundaries of San Bernardino—qualifying it for review under President Trump’s executive order. My route wound its way through chaparral and

The monument designation at Fort Monroe in 2011 was Obama’s ﬁrst—not made until nearly three years into his ﬁrst term. To Spears’s eye, the president’s cautious ap-

gnarled oaks. Through breaks in the trees I caught

proach was in part a reaction to the blowback from Grand

breathtaking views of the city below: bustling, dense

Staircase–Escalante National Monument, designated by

neighborhoods—including the one I grew up in—with

President Bill Clinton at the height of the 1996 campaign

high concentrations of African American and Hispanic

season.

residents. For these communities, places like Yellowstone

“The lack of consultation with local officials in Utah got

and Yosemite are a world away and often out of reach.

everybody riled up about the role of the federal govern-

But the San Gabriels are within a 90-minute drive of

ment and the use of the Antiquities Act,” Spears told me.

15 million people: 15 million people whose desire to care

“It stems from there, this notion that monuments repre-

for and defend the natural world fairly depends on their

sent an abuse of power.”

ability to access, explore, and enjoy it for themselves.

The national monument at Fort Monroe is too small to

That fact was the driving force behind the creation

make the list under President Trump’s executive order—

of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument,

but there’s another reason conversations about power

its explicit reason for being. “That’s what makes this

may have a different feel here, perhaps, than they do in

designation so important,” President Obama said at the

Utah. Once called Point Comfort, Fort Monroe is the site

dedication ceremony. “We heard from the community

of the ﬁrst recorded sale of an enslaved African in North

that for a lot of urban families, this is their only big

America in 1619. Centuries later, three enslaved men who

outdoor space. Too many children in Los Angeles County,

escaped from the Confederate South took refuge here

especially children of color, don’t have access to parks.”

with Union soldiers; in deﬁance of the Fugitive Slave

No surprise, then, that the community has banded

Act, which required their return, they were allowed to

together in defense of their open space. “We believe the

stay and eventually given work and wages. That so-called

review is a monumental mistake,” says Robert Garcia.

“Contraband Decision” in 1861 laid the groundwork for a

He’s founder and counsel of the City Project, an environ-

later decision prohibiting the return of enslaved people,

mental justice organization and member of the San

the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation, and ﬁnally, in 1865,

Gabriel Mountains Forever coalition. “The level of

the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery.

support by organizations working for civil rights, social justice, health equity, and youth; mainstream environmentalists, hunters, anglers, councils of government, chambers of commerce … all for the San Gabriels National Monument, it’s unprecedented. It’s simply

5 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

For these communities, places like Yellowstone and Yosemite are a world away.

hese things matter—where public land is, and the story it tells. We all, regardless of our

background, build connections best with places that are accessible and meaningful to us, and it’s these place-based connections that inspire us to care about our system of public lands as a whole. That’s why there’s universal value to protecting places where people can build those connections: whether it’s a site like Fort Monroe that honors our shared history, or wild spaces in easy reach of the city, like the San Gabriels. Anthony Beard, a retired U.S. Army specialist now working for the Postal Service, has a ﬁrsthand view of public lands’ impact on communities of color. He’s a member of his local chapter of Outdoor Afro and a frequent visitor to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which was established—in part on a recovered Superfund site— in 2000. A lifelong Ohioan, he’s seen awareness and popularity of Cuyahoga grow within the African American community in the Cleveland and Akron metro areas. “With the national park designation, there has been more attention and support—hiring rangers, creating programming, and marketing to let people visiting northern Ohio know that there’s a national park in their midst,” Beard told me. “We’re doing a lot more tours and programs in the park.”

T P L. O R G · 59

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Over the years, Outdoor Afro and other affinity

Places like this remind of us of who we really are as

groups such as GirlTrek and Latino Outdoors have

Americans, and of how we came to be: a diverse and

stepped up their efforts to create and engage com-

ﬂawed people, struggling through tragedy and adversity,

munities of color in the outdoors. Through events and

striving to build a more perfect union.

activities that emphasize the cultural signiﬁcance of the natural world, they’re providing a support network for newcomers who might not want to take their ﬁrst steps onto the trail alone. But Beard worries the rhetoric from the Trump

considered Beard’s prediction as I walked past the towering obelisk of the Washington Monu-

administration may slow that momentum by sending

ment that day in June. I’ve been to the capital many

the message that the work of creating accessible,

times, but the National Mall still has the power to inspire

equitable, and welcoming outdoor spaces is already

me: from the Smithsonian National Museum of African

complete—that if anything, our system of public lands

American History and Culture, to the granite shrine to

could stand to shrink.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the looming steps of the

“The monument review was a sad development for

Lincoln Memorial, there’s an indelible grandeur to the

me and the chapter and all people who are interested in

places that commemorate our history and heritage—

the outdoors. The point of these groups is to get people

all we’ve accomplished as a nation, even one divided

comfortable being in the outdoors. It’s part of our

on questions as fundamental as the purpose of our

freedom and liberty as Americans,” Beard says. “Now

public land.

all of the sudden President Trump wants to come in

Time will tell whether the conservation legacy of

and reevaluate everything. That’s just going to stunt

this administration will be to undo that of the last, and

the growth.”

whether there will be repercussions for communities

Over a long career reporting on conservation and

just ﬁnding their footing in the outdoors. My hope is that

recreation, I’ve seen that growth for myself—the

though progress may be stunted, it will not be stopped.

gradual strengthening of the idea that the outdoors is

The work of ensuring that our public lands are accessible

for everyone. I travel widely to cover stories across the

and welcoming to all Americans remains unﬁnished. But

country, and each year it seems I notice more people of

it’s not over yet.

color on the trail and in campgrounds, on the water and on the rock. That change didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen by mistake: it beneﬁtted from a deliberate effort at the policy level to welcome all Americans onto the land. Under the Obama administration, programs like Every Kid in a Park and Let’s Move! Outside helped lower barriers to early experiences in the outdoors. Parks expanded their historical narratives to include people of color, whose stories have often gone untold. And new national monuments—places like the César E. Chávez National Monument in California and the Stonewall National Monument in New York— acknowledged the diversity of contributions to our shared history.

T P L. O R G · 61

Member Center When you become a member of The Trust for Public Land, you join a community of committed conservationists who care deeply about protecting the places that make our country special—from small neighborhood parks to vast wilderness escapes. As a member, you’ll receive beneﬁts including: • Insider updates on our work in your community and beyond • A full-color wall calendar ﬁlled with beautiful photos of places protected with your help • A subscription to Land&People, the awardwinning magazine for people who love the land Join or renew your membership today!

Ways to give Monthly giving Support The Trust for Public Land’s mission with convenient, automatic, and secure monthly giving. Visit tpl.org/

contact us For questions about our work or to change your Land&People subscription address, call 415.495.4014, or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

monthlygiving, call 800.714.5263, or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

Charity ratings The Trust for Public Land is a registered

Conservation Champions

501(c)(3) public charity. We’re among the

Donate $2,000 or more annually and

nation’s most efficient nonproﬁts, conserv-

receive the recognition due a champion.

ing $5 worth of land for every $1 donated.

Visit tpl.org/champions, contact Haley

Charity Watch (formerly the American

Nielsen at 415.800.5189, or email

Institute of Philanthropy) gives The Trust

champions@tpl.org.

for Public Land an “A” for efficiency.

Gift and estate planning

For all our charity ratings, go to

Please let us know if you have remem-

tpl.org/efﬁciency.

bered The Trust for Public Land in your will or estate plans so we can welcome you to our Stegner Society of legacy donors. Contact Gardner Trimble at 415.800.5208 or gardner.trimble@tpl.org. See more giving options at tpl.org/ways-to-give.

6 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

CHARITABLE SOLICITATION DISCLOSURE A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to The Trust for Public Land, 101 Montgomery, 9th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. Telephone number (415) 495-4014. The Trust for Public Land has been formed to facilitate the transfer of privately held land into protective public and not-for-profit ownership, and to promote other ways to ensure healthy, livable communities for generations to come. If you are a resident of one of these states, you may obtain financial information directly from the state agency: FLORIDA – A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, 1-800-435-7352 (800-HELPFLA) WITHIN THE STATE OR VISITING www.800helpfla. com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida Registration number CH104; GEORGIA - A full and fair description of the programs of (The Trust for Public Land) and our financial statement summary is available upon request at the office and phone number indicated above; MARYLAND – For the cost of copies and postage, Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401; MISSISSIPPI – The official registration and financial information of (The Trust for Public Land) may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement; NEW JERSEY – INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT; NEW YORK – Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271; NORTH CAROLINA – FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND A COPY OF ITS LICENSE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE SOLICITATION LICENSING BRANCH AT 1-888-8304989. THE LICENSE IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE STATE; PENNSYLVANIA – The official registration and financial information of (The Trust for Public Land) may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement; VIRGINIA – Virginia State Office of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218; WASHINGTON – Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422, 1-800-332-4483; WISCONSIN – a financial statement of (The Trust for Public Land) disclosing assets, liabilities, fund balances, revenue, and expenses for the preceding fiscal year will be provided upon request; WEST VIRGINIA – Residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by any state.

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T P L. O R G · 63

trail’s end

THE JOYOUS WILDERNESS OF URBAN SWIMMING there are older

and one summer toxic algae crowded the shallows and closed

hmong women fishing

the beaches for a few weeks, but even in its grossness, even

on the edge of the dock

when creepy strands of overgrown milfoil grab at my ankles,

and I don’t think they

the open water feels like a gift.

know what to make of

Sometimes I’m not exactly sure what it is I like about wil-

me as I slip out of my

derness, if it’s the isolation or the awe, the idea that you are

shorts and ﬂip-ﬂops. I

onto something amazing that other people don’t really know

stand barefoot in the puddle of their bait runoff and shake off

about. But I’m learning that I don’t always need to go too

the cold for a second before diving in.

far to get that feeling. Even Thoreau in his quest for solitude

You can taste the city in the water, grit and silt and what-

could walk back to his mom’s house in Concord. And in the

ever is running off the I-90 bridge, but I’d rather not. Once

morning, when fog starts to peel off the edge of the water and

my goggles get foggy enough to blur the buildings of Bellevue

the peak of Mount Rainier is hanging in the distance, I get

in the distance I can trick myself into thinking that I’m not

that, exactly, real hard. I’d like to describe it to the ﬁsherladies

surrounded by sprawl and people, that Lake Washington is a

on the end of the dock, but instead we smile and nod awk-

wilderness and I am alone.

wardly and I pull my cap on.

There are mountains if you keep driving east across that bridge, lakes that few people see, and dense, complicated

The lake isn’t pristine, not by a long shot, but it’s bigger than I am and unknown to me. Once, head down, brain

forests. It’s wilderness with a capital W, designated and lightly

somewhere else, I caught a ﬂash of orange the size of a small

touched. But there are a bunch of miles between here and

dog out of the corner of my eye. Someone must have released

there, too many for a Tuesday morning. And I’ve found that a

their backyard koi into the lake. Turns out they grow in pro-

lot of the things I like about wilderness—solitude, a physical

portion to the body of water they’re kept it. Turns out you can

rhythm, even a little bit of fear—I can get underwater.

scream underwater.

I’ve been a swimmer since the second grade, but until now

But that little undercurrent of fear is a part it, too. I swim

I’ve never lived in a city where open water was a possibility.

back to the dock, dodge the ﬁlament of ﬁshing line, and pull

When I was growing up, the water in the Charles River and

myself up the ladder. Inside of an hour I’ll be sitting at my

Boston Harbor was untouchable. We pounded laps in the

desk, lake water washed out of my hair and internet stream-

basement pool at the Y. At night we’d stand on the railings of

ing in through my eyeholes, not even a little bit wild. But I’ll

the bridge between Harvard and Allston and try to spot rats.

still feel the early morning tickle of milfoil, and the shiver

Urban legend said the chemicals in the water made them

that comes with it.

glow in the dark. Now, from my house in Seattle, I can walk four blocks and slip into something that’s murky but swimmable. People who grew up around the lake say to shower right after you get out,

6 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · FAL L /W INTER 2017

heather hansman writes at the intersection of science, nature, and culture. her upcoming book about the green river and the water systems of the american west will be published in 2018. this essay was originally published at adventure-journal.com.

christopher t martin

we hope you enjoyed this issue of land&people.

Thank you. Thank you for all you do for parks and conservation in your community — and for your ongoing support of The Trust for Public Land. As a Trust for Public Land member, you’re a leader in the effort to save the places we all love — from neighborhood parks to national parks. For 40 years, we’ve worked with members like you to protect more than 3 million acres from the inner city to the wilderness, and to generate nearly $68 billion in public funds for healthy land and water. Today, millions of Americans live within a 10-minute walk of a park, garden, or natural area created with your help, and countless more visit these sites each year.

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the trust for public land

Conserve land … and your retirement.

A charitable remainder trust (CRT) with The Trust for Public Land can provide you with income for life while helping to conserve land for generations to come. Appreciated assets such as real estate or securities are a particularly advantageous way to fund CRTs. Here’s how a CRT works: 1. Create a CRT with The Trust for Public Land as remainder beneﬁciary. 2. Receive a charitable deduction. 3. The CRT pays you either a ﬁxed percentage of your original gift (annuity trust) or a percentage of the annual value of the trust (unitrust), for the rest of your life or for a term of years. 4. You may make additional gifts to a unitrust. 5. At the end of the term, The Trust for Public Land applies the remainder toward achieving our mission of creating parks and protecting land for people.

Have you already included us in your estate plans? If so, please let us know! We’d love to welcome you as a member of the Mary and Wallace Stegner Society.

To learn more, please contact: Gardner Trimble, Director of Planned Giving 415.800.5208 or plannedgiving@tpl.org