Environmental leadership and maintenance faces a variety of interconnected challenges that stem from the complexities of environmental, political, economic, and social dynamics that come with it. In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges in environmental leadership, especially park maintenance, is limited resources and funding. When thinking about such an expansive park system like the James River, the level of resources and manpower needed to keep the entire area maintained is extreme. So much of the work is done by volunteer support, like we saw with invasive species removal at the Richmond Slave Trail, and that can be extremely unpredictable. Staffing to oversee maintenance, cleanliness, and recreation activities, for a park system of this size requires massive amounts of funding that often aren’t present.
I was really interested to learn about how the James River Park System is managed. While it is owned by the city of Richmond’s Parks, Recreations, and Community Facilities Department and managed by 9 full time employees. However, maintenance and leadership is heavily supported by two key organizations, the James River Association and the Friends of the James River Park. Both of these organizations are non-profits. I found this to be a really interesting system of management, both governmental and local organizations taking part in leadership. However, I do think this can create some challenges with fragmentation in leadership/decision-making. Involvement of City government, non-profit organizations, and volunteers can give rise to conflicting stakeholder interests and priorities. Another aspect of leadership and management that can be challenging for the JRPS is its sheer size and range. During our Belle Isle visit, I remember thinking about the difficulties that must come with managing just that one location. When considering how expansive the JRPS, the issues that come with management a clear. Overall, the challenges that face managing environmental areas and park systems, especially as expansive as the JRPS, and numerous and stem from many complex factors.