Excerpt from A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States It has become generally recognized in recent years that, while the provision of areas and facilities for public recreation is a proper function of government, sepa rate, unrelated attempts at planning for this purpose cannot adequately provide for the increasing requirements of our people. The ultimate objective of the Park, Parkway, and recreational-area Study, now being made by_ the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior under authority of the Act of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. Is to establish a basis for coordinated, correlated recreation land planning among all agencies -- Federal, State, and local -- having responsibility for park and recreational developments. As a contribution toward this Objective, the National Park Service has prepared this report, A Study of the National Recreation Problem. It reflects to some degree, the preliminary findings of the various States cooperating in the Study, and em bodies the recommendations of the Service for coordinated Nation-wide planning. I believe that this general plan and report will be a useful guide to correlate planning by agencies on all levels of government cooperating in this Nation-wide program. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Gaining an understanding of the recreation and parks profession is crucial to success in the field and to effective leadership within the field. Recreation and Parks: The Profession is a one-of-a-kind resource that delineates the components that make this complex field a profession. Written by well-known recreation authority Betty van der Smissen, this book: defines the marks of the recreation and parks profession and identifies the steps involved in becoming a professional in the field; profiles 62 professional organizations within the profession; outlines a comparative history of 15 categories of the recreation and parks field in the United States and Canada; and presents a classic-to-contemporary bibliography of resources that showcases an inclusive body of knowledge on the profession. Part I describes recreation and parks as a profession and provides students with steps to lay a solid foundation to become a professional. Part II grounds readers with a comparative historical overview of the recreation and parks field from the 1500s to the present day. The author divides the field into 15 categories and offers suggestions on how to use the time line. Part III profiles 62 professional organizations. Each profile includes the organization's mission, goals, structure, history, publications, services, and professional credentialing information. In addition, it lists the organization's Web sites, contact information, and other vital information that students use in completing course work, in applying for internships, and in researching various aspects of the profession. Part IV contains a bibliography of selected resources on recreation and parks, from classic to the present. Recreation and Parks: The Profession is a unique resource for students, professors, and professionals in recreation and parks. The text brings together the important aspects of the field as a profession.