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How park and recreation agencies tap into congressional earmarks

In September 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire swept through towns close to Willamalane (Oregon) Park and Recreation District, threatening to spread to their more than 600 acres of land. Following the devastating fire, Willamalane was able to convey the urgent need for wildfire prevention, advocating for federal funding for such efforts, and securing congressional earmarks in 2021.

Earmarks — known formally as “Community Project Funding” in the House and “Congressionally Directed Spending” in the Senate — direct federal funding to specific local projects in a congressional member’s district. Earmarks allow Congress to allocate funding for specific projects or programs without having to go through the standard appropriations process.

Historically, earmarks have been used to advance priority spending projects requested by members of Congress — a tool to encourage compromise and negotiation. This past February, efforts by House Republicans to limit park and recreation agencies’ access to earmarks for projects were thwarted, thanks in part to NRPA and the advocates who took action to defend this critical funding. Advocates highlighted how this funding supports critical safety and emergency efforts of park and recreation agencies like Willamalane.

Willamalane’s Earmark Projects

Thanks to earmarks, Willamalane will begin field reduction work concentrated in Thurston Hills Natural Area this summer. Field reduction work is a wildfire prevention technique that removes excess fuel loads (twigs, brush, etc.), so that there isn’t enough material for fire to rapidly catch and spread. For Willamalane, wildfire prevention also means working on habitat restoration to make areas more resilient to potential damage and communicating with the public on the dangers of starting fires. As the effects of climate change continue to amplify and wildfires become more prevalent and intense, park and recreation agencies, like Willamalane, know their communities rely on them for safety and health.

Earmarks can fund projects outside of safety and emergency efforts as well. For example, in the past two years, Willamalane received two other earmarks for a tech lab with computers for disadvantaged kids in the local school district and a campaign to reduce the effect of Eastern Filbert Blight on Filbert trees at Dorris Ranch.

Applying for Earmarks

Kenny Weigandt, the community engagement director at Willamalane Park and Recreation District, says the key to winning earmarks has been their strong coalition with Springfield City and other local groups, which they call the “United Front.” The United Front works together to identify projects that are most important to each agency, avoiding competition for funding and benefiting partners during the funding application process, as grants typically ask for letters of support from local agencies.

“As stewards of public land in Springfield, we realize that our role in protecting the land, habitats and environment is what our community relies on us to do. That’s why our partnerships with other public and private agencies with shared goals are so essential. If we didn’t have strong partnerships, our chances of securing federal and state funding would be almost zero, and in this case, it means Springfield would be at a greater risk of a wildfire devastating our community,” says Weigandt.

Beyond local partners, including hyperlinks to published articles and other media coverage about your project in earmark applications can help legitimize your ask. For instance, Willamalane included an NRPA blog post, podcast episode and magazine articles in its earmark application, elevating the agency’s local project to national concerns.

For more information on earmarks and how to apply, visit nrpa.org/Earmarks.

As summer begins, Willamalane is putting its earmark funds to use preventing wildfires, keeping Springfield safe and preserving the city’s beautiful lands.

Stavroula Kostas is Park Champions Initiative Intern at NRPA.