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ISSUE 15, 3 FEBRUARY 2026
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Welcome back to The Bend!
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The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or
observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking
about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a
little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s
a project, a partnership, or a personal lesson learned. Signal Fire highlights a person, place, or initiative
that deserves some attention. And One Thought Worth
Sitting With closes things out with a brief reflection or quote
that will hopefully help guide you through whatever you may be dealing
with.
It’s part journal, part field note, and hopefully
something that makes you pause for a moment before diving back into the
current.
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“Support is easy to voice. Follow-through is harder to
fund.”
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What the Current Pulled Toward
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This week the current pulled toward a
reality check and the
call for follow-through.
Well, that was quick.
Coming off last week’s cautious optimism, reality showed up
fast. The Senate version of the legislation we were advocating for died
in committee the day before Outdoor Recreation Day at the Capitol,
literally hours after the last newsletter went out. The timing knocked a
lot of wind out of the room and forced a quick pivot. I guess that’s why
the optimism was cautious to begin with.
That said, my first lobby day wasn’t a bust. I had solid
conversations with several elected officials and the sentiment was
consistent: broad support for outdoor recreation. The sticking point
wasn’t whether it matters, but how to fund it. And that’s where things tend to
stall. I’m still hopeful that pieces of the legislation can move forward
through other channels, particularly the operationalization of a state
Office of Outdoor Recreation.
I’ve
seen this before, though. Progress in public policy is rarely clean or
linear.
Honestly, what made things
harder to swallow was reading an
article (there’s a paywall) outlining yet another round of cuts
and compromises impacting parks and public spaces here at home. This is
a city I care deeply about and an organization I gave more than 15 years
of my professional life to. Seeing this happen AGAIN stirred up a mix of
both frustration and disappointment. We brand the outdoors. We celebrate
parks in marketing materials. We lean on trails, greenways, and open
space to sell quality of life. But when it comes time to fund them - and
I mean REALLY fund them - they’re treated as optional.
What continues to strike me is how familiar this
pattern is across the country. Parks, trails, and public spaces are
almost universally praised. They show up on tourism brochures, economic
development decks, website banners, and photo ops. Ask yourself when the
last time was that you saw a local government budget book with glossy
photos of its top-funded departments on the cover. Now ask yourself how
often parks are used to sell a community. The
fact remains: parks are underfunded and over-promoted. To say you love
parks while repeatedly cutting or sidelining them is disingenuous at
best and at worst, it’s a lie.
No
doubt, working in the public sector, whether it’s a career position or
an elected one, requires tough decisions. At the end of the day, though,
some public services are simply more important than others and I fully
recognize and appreciate that parks and public spaces will likely always
fall below services like education and safety. However, at some point,
someone has to have the courage to move beyond the rhetoric and into
real investment.
Or be authentic and
just stop with rhetoric all together.
If we truly believe parks contribute to livability, health,
safety, and economic vitality, then it’s time to put your money where
your mouth is.
- Mike.
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The
National Recreation and
Park Association (NRPA) has long been a steady voice calling
attention to this exact disconnect. Through research, advocacy, and
professional development, NRPA works to elevate parks and recreation
from a “nice to have” to an essential public service.
Their annual agency performance reports, funding
analyses, and equity frameworks consistently show what many of us
already know from experience: communities thrive when parks are
adequately funded and staffed.
NRPA
also plays a critical role in equipping professionals and advocates with
data that helps move conversations from sentiment to substance. When
policymakers ask why parks matter or how investment pays off, NRPA provides the
receipts.
In moments like this, when
momentum stalls but the work remains, it’s important to have this kind
of consistency.
To learn more about NRPA, click
here.
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One Thought Worth Sitting With
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This week’s theme: A Reality Check and Follow-Through.
“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what
you say.“
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Let’s Go to Germany and Austria!
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In less than 9 months, Oxbow is heading overseas, and
you’re invited. We’re partnering with
EF Adventures for a guided
multi-adventure journey
through Germany and Austria, exploring Bavaria, Tyrol, and Salzburg
by foot, bike, paddle, and rail.
It’s part cultural immersion and part active escape,
with alpine trails, lakeside yoga, village cafés, and the kind of views
that make you forget your phone exists. This isn’t a tour bus vacation;
it’s a chance to travel intentionally, move through landscapes at a
human pace, and connect with a group that values
curiosity
as much as comfort.
Monthly payment plans are available.
If you’ve ever wanted to explore Europe beyond the
postcards, this is your moment.
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Follow Oxbow on Social Media
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