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March 19, 2009

Partnership Chat Notes

Representatives of twenty open space and recreation groups participated in the Department of Conservation and Recreation's inaugural Partnership Chat at 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA.

After a round of introductions (see below for a list of open space and recreation groups represented at the meeting), Conrad Crawford, Director of Partnerships, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), offered an overview of the Partnership Chat Program. Crawford comes to the DCR from the Executive office for Transportation. He created the Partnership Chats to complement the Stewardship Council and create new opportunities for public input into policy issues regarding state forests, parks and beaches.

Ariana Johnson, Assistant General Counsel for the DCR lead a discussion about the DCR's role implementing policies called for in "An Act Relative to Volunteers in State Parks." Johnson explained that the legislation provides 1) for the DCR to co-sponsor with non-profit organizations (NPOs) events at which the NPO raises funds for the DCR, and 2) for volunteers at such events to be considered public employees and entitled to representation by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.

The legislation was originally proposed by the Friends of Willard Park and written by Senator Antonioni to supersede the DCR's existing permitting process that
requires proof of cost-prohibitive liability insurance. For more information, see the Open Letter to Commissioner Rick Sullivan from Friends of Willard Brook in the Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network February 10, 2009 Newsletter (page 2).

The legislation is not self-implementing. To implement the legislation, Johnson explained it is necessary that the DCR develop procedures for


  1. authorizing and registering volunteers;

  2. the delegation of responsibility for volunteers to NPO staff; and

  3. accounting and reporting


The fourth task identified by Johnson is to a define "volunteer."

Examples of documentation from other states of volunteer programs and policies governing partnerships with NPOs, including the "Florida Citizen Support Organization Handbook" and a similar publication from Utah.

As a policy is being developed by the DCR, Conrad assured everyone that drafts would be made available for comment to interested partner organizations.

Participants were asked to to discuss the kinds of activities that they would like to see covered under the DCR's guidelines for volunteers.

One of the DCR employees present raised concerns about involving non-profit organizations in park operations. At the other end of the comments spectrum, one NPO representative commended the current lack of formality that gives DCR park managers autonomy in partnering with Friends groups.

A more formal policy will certainly help to ensure that all volunteer groups are treated equally by the DCR, nonetheless, there was a great degree of agreement that an overly formal process of registering volunteers and, in particular, an inordinate amount of documentation and red tape, will be a "buzz kill." As one citizen observed, volunteers have exuberance that is squashed by large organizations with a lot of bureaucracy.

People were interested in how the legislation and its eventual implementation will apply to their organizations. Johnson explained that even under the new legislation the NPOs would not be covered. There seemed to be a lot of confusion about this. Someone remarked that it seemed that the people who proposed the legislation did not get what they wanted and Crawford said, "That's right."

The following open space and recreation groups sent representatives to the DCR Partnership Chat:

Posted by Michèle on March 19, 2009 5:00 PM