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Exploring private funding for parks

If you ask residents of the metropolitan area what they treasure most about our region, the answer you’ll get most often is “our parks and trails.” In our 2005 annual residents’ survey, 37 percent ranked parks, trails and natural areas as our most attractive feature.

This system consists of 48 regional parks, 22 regional trails and six special recreation features that attract 33 million visitors a year. It not only provides spaces for walking, biking, swimming and boating. It also protects and preserves irreplaceable natural features such as lakes and wetlands, hardwood forests and native prairies.

As we look to the future, we need to anticipate the needs of our growing population and set aside additional recreational lands before they are consumed by development.

In the Council’s 2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan, which we adopted last year, we offer our vision for how to improve and expand the system. When fully implemented, our plan would expand it from the current 52,600 acres to nearly 70,000 acres, or 35 percent. And it would increase our network of trails from the 177 miles open today to 877 miles.

Our great challenge will be obtaining the resources needed to implement our plan while the lands are still available. Recognizing that regional parks must compete with many other worthy programs for state funding, the Council is working with the Trust for Public Land to explore the idea of raising funds from private sources to accelerate our park acquisition efforts.

There are several models around the country from which we could learn. Park systems in Texas, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Calgary all have philanthropic partners that help support their efforts.

Over the last several months, I have spoken with nearly a dozen local foundation leaders about this idea and have come away encouraged. Together with the Trust for Public Land, we are now undertaking a more formal feasibility study, which we hope to complete by November.

As our regional park system expands, costs for development and operations certainly will increase. We need to consider creative ways to ensure that we can continue to expand our park system in the coming years, while maintaining the parks and trails we already have.

We can leave no greater legacy to future generations than an expanded park system that preserves access to outdoor recreation and protects vital natural areas.

Peter Bell

September 2006