Washington

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) is supporting state leaders on active living issues through education and networking opportunities. The Local Government Commission (LGC) is supporting local official efforts in Skagit and Whatcom Counties.

In June 2003, NGA participated in two state events. The first, held on June 3, was a conference called Creating Healthy, Active Communities and organized by the Washington State Department of Health. This conference launched the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Strategic Plan. The second, held on June 4, was in support of the Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity's (WCPPA) annual meeting Transforming Communities to Encourage Physical Activity.

On April 21, 2004, the NGA Center and WCPPA, in collaboration with the LGC, sponsored a dinner briefing called Leadership for Healthy Communities in Washington. Recreational Equipment, Incorporated (REI) generously provide meeting space and Dennis Madsen, then the CEO or REI, served as the Master of Ceremonies. Mary Selecky, Secretary of the Washington State Department of Health; Washington State Senator Rosa Franklin; Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley; and several experts on active living served as speakers.

The meeting gathered approximately sixty Washington leaders from state and local government, non-profits, academia and the private sector to learn about and share ideas regarding an issue that touches every person: the effects of physical activity rates on Washingtonian's health and health care casts. The meeting goals were to:

Provide a forum for Washington leaders to discuss policies and programs that foster active living, focusing on successes within them state.
Identify the needs of Washington leaders in developing active living policies and programs

The WCPPA is currently working on a follow-up white paper and press release surrounding the outcomes of this meeting as well as the results of research into the economic costs of physical inactivity in Washington State.

Following the April 2004 briefing, the Local Government Commission held a briefing for local officials from Skagit and Whatcom counties. The LGC, in partnership with the City of Bellingham and the Whatcom County Council of Governments, held a dinner meeting for local leaders in Bellingham, WA on July 8, 2004. Over 20 elected officials and city/county managers from Whatcom and Skagit counties attended. The evening focused on the connections between health, active living and community design as well as how local communities can work together to create a bicycle trail system that provides an opportunity for their residents to become more physically active.

Together, NGA and LGC support state and local leaders in:

Educating interested leaders about the relationship between physical activity opportunities and community design
Supporting state officials who request tailored assistance in developing active living policies, programs and/or projects
Researching the economic benefits of increasing physical activity
Providing active living training for Skagit and Whatcom county officials

For more information on state-level activities contact:

Tracey Wolff Westfield, NGA
twestfield@nga.org
202.624.5356

For more information on local efforts contact:

Paul Zykofsky, LGC
pzykofsky@lgc.org
916.448.1198 x317