Recreation Dollars at Your Fingertips
OutdoorHub 07.16.12
People who want more recreation options near them can learn how to get grants to make wishes reality by SCORPing.
SCORP, the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, may sound daunting; however, if you are connected, directly or indirectly, to any aspect of public outdoor recreation, anywhere in Indiana, viewing the report at dnr.IN.gov/outdoor/4201.htm may help your cause.
Each state produces a SCORP every five years. The SCORP is aimed specifically at park board members; park management and staff; local government officials; citizens who are active in local recreation groups such as sports leagues and hiking clubs; and parents whose children regularly use local public playgrounds, pools and recreation programs.
The 94-page plan includes information on DNR grant programs, results of statewide public input about outdoor recreation needs, a discussion of statewide recreation priorities, supply and demand for recreation by county, and funding options for public recreation.
“One example of a person using this document would be soccer parents from a small town who are working with their local park board to obtain a piece of property to be developed into the first public sports fields in their town,” said Greg Beilfuss of the DNR Division of Outdoor Recreation. “They would check the SCORP for the statewide priorities and note those that discuss sports fields and open space.
“If theirs is a ‘critical county’ for outdoor recreation acreage, they could roll all the information they gather into their next 5-year parks and recreation plan and to a future grant application.”
To talk directly to DNR about grants for outdoor recreation, call (317) 232-4075. To discuss the SCORP, call Beilfuss at (317) 232-4071.
“The latest SCORP is an information cornerstone for people working on local park plans, and is a great data resource for people planning to improve or expand their local park system,” Beilfuss said.
In other words, to get the recreation you want, where you want it, start SCORPing.
