National Association for Olmsted Parks - Economic Benefits, Parks Practices

City parks are dynamic institutions that play a vital, but not fully appreciated or understood role in the social, economic, and physical well-being of America's cities and its residents. Dating back to the 19th century when Frederick Law Olmsted introduced the first large-scale city parks to this country, these green spaces provided relief from urban intensity for city residents and brought people together across social, economic and racial divides. In the postwar years, when the population shifted away from urban centers, our nation's city parks suffered enormously from disinvestments and many are still experiencing it.

As cities across the country are attracting millions of residents again, the center of this sweeping urban renaissance are newly revitalized parks. They are not only safe and beautiful, but also serve as green engines to help address nearly every critical urban need from health to housing, to education and environmental justice, and countering sprawl to combating crime. This massive movement to rebuild America's forgotten city parks now includes thousands of community partnerships and millions of volunteers.

The Parks Practices Web site has been developed by the City Parks Alliance (CPA) and National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP) partnership to assist local parks in meeting their current needs more effectively as they encounter the ever present challenges in preserving, maintaining, operating and funding their parks and in serving their increasingly diverse constituents. Park leaders have developed innovative approaches to address these issues, responding to a changing economic climate where public budgets for city parks have been reduced and the reliance on the public sector grows. The site seeks to highlight the experience of CPA and NAOP members both successes and failures, facilitate a sharing of lessons learned, and provide opportunities for interaction among city park leaders and citizen groups. It is hoped that through this effort there will be greater investment in city parks across the country and a renewed interest in their role as centers of our common heritage. (Source: National Association for Olmsted Parks)

Don't Move Firewood - Prevent Emerald Ash Borer Infestation

Give me a chance to reach many people with one simple sermon and I'll pulpit pound about native plants and trees, pollinators, and the importance bees.

A tiny emerald ash borer centered on penny won’t cover Lincoln’s image. Space remains. The iridescent, metallic green bug is beautiful and deadly. It kills every ash tree it infects in 2-3 years. NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed the first occurrence on June 17, 2009 in Randolph, NY (Cattaraugus County.)

Paul A. Weston, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, noted "some have predicted this insect will mean the end of ash trees in North America, similar to the fate of chestnut trees following the arrival of chestnut blight on these shores.
The bug's economic impact is in the billions. An Ohio Department of Natural Resources study estimated there to be more than 3.8 billion ash trees in Ohio, with standing timber valued at more than $1 billion.

Cornell's ForrestConnect Webinar discussed the insect, its impacts, and courses of action: Don't Move Firewood. Methods for eradication include purple sticky traps, chemicals, and biosurveillance. A native predatory wasp, Cerceis fumipenns, transported to invested sites is proving effective. Early detection and rapid response is important. Look at and inventory your trees. Identify resources. Make treatment decisions - treat the tree or take it down.