BELLEFONTE — Centre County Commissioners on Tuesday, July 14 took a moment to honor the dedicated professionals who keep our recreational spaces up and running. The board proclaimed July 17, 2026, to be Parks and Recreation Professionals Day.
“As recreational professionals, our job is to make our communities better places to live,” Todd Roth, President of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society shared.
Parks and recreation professionals in Pennsylvania manage over 6,500 local parks, 125 state parks, 20 state forests, 12,000 miles of trails, 513,000 acres of national forest, 1.5 million acres of game lands, 19 national park sites, 12 heritage areas, and 3 national wildlife refuges.
Thanks to the commitment of these professionals, the Commonwealth remains home to many tourist destinations. Parks and recreation facilities throughout the Commonwealth generate over $2 billion in economic activity and support nearly 15,000 jobs.
As Commissioner Amber Concepcion noted, beyond tourism and economic engagement, parks and recreations professionals support educational ventures — like swimming and water safety lessons — and professional development — providing many young Pennsylvanians with their first jobs.
Commissioner Steve Dershem recognized the role parks and recreation spaces play in community building, especially during the summer when people are seeking respite and relaxation outdoors.
Finally, park and recreation professionals help advance efforts that promote environmental resilience and sustainability. Commissioner Chairman Mark Higgins referred to the effort to designate Penns Cave as a State Park as an example. Should Penns Cave be converted to a state park, that land and water would be conserved in perpetuity by parks and recreations professionals.
For people interested in learning more about park and recreation offerings in the area, www.crpr.org. For those interested in careers in parks and recreation, visit www.prps.org.
