Oct 17, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                       

Contact:  John Yarbrough, Lee County Parks & Recreation
                   (239) 461-7410                    

COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT RECEIVES RENEWAL OF PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL ACCREDITATION
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 17, 2006) – Lee County's Parks & Recreation Department received notification last week that it has received a renewal of its national accreditation – a rigorous process and prestigious honor that has been bestowed on only 65 other systems nationwide. 

This distinguished accomplishment was announced in Seattle at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Annual Congress. 

The Accreditation Program for Park and Recreation Agencies is administered by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, an independent body that is sanctioned by the NRPA and the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA).  Lee County received it initial accreditation in October 2001.
 
The NRPA, headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia, is a national nonprofit organization devoted to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all Americans.  It is the main professional organization for practitioners and has a nationwide membership of 23,000 recreation and park professionals and civic leaders. 

Other accredited agencies include such other premier systems as Arlington, Virginia, Kansas City, Missouri, Asheville, North Carolina, and Scottsdale, Arizona.  Lee County had to meet 137 of 155 standards to qualify for re-accreditation. 

The initial accreditation was a nine-month, multi-part process including a self-assessment study that involved the entire local Parks & Recreation System – employees, volunteers, citizen boards and committees – in assessing the department's effectiveness and efficiency.  A peer review was performed by a Commission-approved visitation team to validate the degree to which the department met each applicable standard.  The team prepared a report, which was forwarded to the Commission for its final decision.  Re-accreditation takes place every five years. 

Lee County's Parks & Recreation Department maintains and operates 3,923 acres of developed park land, 14 centers, 9 pools, seven boat ramps, four Gulf beach parks, one lakefront beach, 40+ beach accesses, 83 tennis courts, 78 ballfields, 35 preserves, the 70+ mile Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail, the Spring Training facilities for the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, and hosts numerous sporting events throughout the year in conjunction with the Lee County Sports Authority and Visitor & Convention Bureau.  The department also manages the more than 17,500 acres of environmentally sensitive lands the county has purchased through its Conservation 20/20 Program.  Its fiscal year 2006 operating budget is $30.6 million and it employs 276. 

The department has been a National Gold Medal finalist three times.  To learn more visit www.leeparks.org.

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