Mayors Hear About Parks and Olympics

By Tom McClimon

Federal funding of local parks and ways cities can get involved with the Olympic movement were two of the topics discussed at the Thursday luncheon at the Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting.

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt addressed the mayors, and while thanking them for their past efforts to restore federal funding of local parks, recreation and open space development, asked for their assistance in securing a permanent funding source for land conservation and urban parks. “We now have the resources to commit $1 billion a year for land acquisition, and revive the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery program (UPARR) and have a predictable annual entitlement.” stated Secretary Babbitt. The Secretary acknowledged that mayors were instrumental in educating him about the importance of a federal partnership in local land conservation and urban parks and recreation programs. “This is the year to tell Congress to deliver on its promise.” pleaded Secretary Babbitt in urging the mayors to work with Congress and the President in passing legislation to restore funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the UPARR program.

Scott Blackmun, General Counsel of the U.S. Olympic Committee gave some brief remarks on ways cities can work with the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). He urged cities to get involved by hosting events, either regional, state, national or international, and to contact the governing body for each of the different sports. Cities can also get involved by getting involved with programs sponsored by USOC, such as the Mayors OlympiKids program which is targeted to increase the physical fitness of young children. He announced that the USOC recently made an increase in financial commitment to the Mayors OlympiKids program.