Development and Operations Section Purpose
The purpose of the CPRS Development and Operations Section is to be the premier resource to support the people, public agencies, organizations that plan, build, operate, and maintain California’s park, recreational, natural, cultural and historical resources; the resources that are essential to sustaining the quality life within California’s communities.
The Section strives to accomplish its goals by:
- being a source for professional education and training;
- providing a forum for networking with fellow park professionals;
- creating an open source of technical information and tools; and,
- providing a conduit for public information and a means for legislative advocacy on issues of importance park development and operations professionals and the industries in which they operate.
The Park Development and Operations Section is unique in that it brings together and represents highly trained individuals from a wide variety of skilled and technical professions such as public administration, park and landscape management, horticulture, arboriculture, turf science, landscape architecture, planning, architecture, engineering and construction management. The Section is also unique in that its members come from both the public and private sectors representing state, regional and local governments as well as private consultants, contractors; manufacturers and suppliers. No other CPRS Section reflects such a broad segment of the public park and recreation industry.
Section members are chiefly responsible for the development and stewardship of billions of dollars of physical assets and millions of acres of parks, open spaces, trails and recreation facilities which together comprise the state, regional and local park systems in California. These are the community assets that significantly define the value, character, quality and image of California communities and serve as a critical component of the green and blue infrastructure of those communities. The appropriate development and management of these assets is paramount to the health and wellbeing of California residents and visitors and to the economic, social and cultural vitality our communities.
Our Section members and leadership understand the significant responsibility our profession has to assure that California’s park, recreational, natural, cultural and historical resources are preserved, protected, restored, renewed and managed in an optimal manner to assure that they continue to be safe, secure and available for use. In doing so professionally, we enhance the park users experience and feeling of high value return on investment of social, political and financial capital.
As a result, the Section has taken on the responsibility to provide a fusion of education and training opportunities; technical information and data resources; professional networking opportunities within the Section, and between affiliated organizations, to support the membership in its work and in advancing the industry as a whole.
The Park Development and Operations Section of CPRS is open to professionals who share and wish to advance our Section’s goals, develop personally, collaborate professionally, contribute to our interdisciplinary body of knowledge and help others through philanthropy, scholarships and mentoring. In doing so we believe that we will be able advance the state of the art in park development and operations and better the communities we serve.