(Note: The following article was submitted to the Patriot by Sherburne County.)

Sherburne County is in the final stages of developing a plan to guide future investments in the parks and recreation system for the next 10-20 years. The planning process began in early 2022 and included a detailed needs assessment and evaluation of the existing parks and trails, conditions of facilities, comparison to peer counties, regional and national trends, and public and stakeholder input.

A list of draft recommendations has been developed by County staff and park planners. The recommendations are based on input collected during the summer and fall of 2022 through online surveys, stakeholder engagement, and pop-up meetings held at events in the County.

The draft recommendations include high-level goals, short-term initiatives, and long-term objectives, focused on increasing marketing and awareness of parks and trails, developing high-quality parks and facilities, and protecting and sustaining natural resources in the park system.

A brief survey is open for public input in January. The survey asks about prioritizing the draft goals and recommendations. Please help the County plan by providing input on the draft recommendations.

Link to survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/SherburneParksPlan2023.

The system planning process is expected to be complete in the spring of 2023. Following County Board adoption of the Plan document, the Parks and Recreation Department will use the plan to guide decisions and direct investments in the parks system for the next decade or more.