Survey: Help shape Washington’s outdoor recreation plans

Where is your favorite outdoor public space in Washington?

That’s one of the questions on a survey being conducted by the state Recreation and Conservation Office as kicks off rewrites of its State Recreation and Conservation Plan and its State Trails Plan.

The agency wants to know where residents spend the most time outside and where they feel there’s room for improvement.

The State Recreation and Conservation Plan and the State Trails Plan provide guidance for the development of parks, trails and other outdoor amenities throughout the state, as well as make those projects eligible for state and federal funding programs.

Recreation and Conservation Office Communications Manager Susan Zemek said one example of such funding programs is the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has in recent years awarded funds to expand Mount Vernon’s Little Mountain Park, as well as help develop Sedro-Woolley’s Olmsted Park and upgrade Anacortes’ Cap Sante Marina RV Park.

The survey, along with an opportunity to drop a pin on a “map your favorite place” page, is available online through Nov. 14.

“We want to hear from people of as many different backgrounds as possible, people who regularly enjoy Washington’s outdoors and others who feel they don’t have as much access to public lands … It’s really important that everyone tell us what they want their outdoor places to look like in the future,” Recreation and Conservation Office Director Megan Duffy said in a news release.

The Recreation and Conservation Office plans to release draft plans in early 2022 for additional public feedback before finalizing them before the end of the year.

— Reporter Kimberly Cauvel: 360-416-2199, kcauvel@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter: @KimberlySVH, Facebook.com/bykimberlycauvel

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