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Missoula council adopts PROS 2040 master plan to guide parks, open space and trails
Summary
After a 22-month public engagement process the City Council unanimously adopted the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PROS) 2040 master plan on June 23. The plan prioritizes walkable access, urban forestry, river corridor stewardship and year-round recreation, and outlines a 15-year implementation framework.
The Missoula City Council on June 23 adopted the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PROS) 2040 master plan, accepting a community-driven blueprint the city says will guide park and open-space investments for the next 15 years.
Parks and Recreation Director Donna Gockler and project staff described a 22-month planning process that involved a 16-member community working group, public workshops, a statistically valid survey conducted with the University of Montana, listening sessions and artist-led outreach that reached more than 5,000 residents. The plan aligns with the city's recently adopted land-use plan and aims to help the city maintain park access as Missoula grows denser.
Major themes captured in the plan include a '2-minute walk/roll' standard for neighborhood access; investments to stabilize and expand the urban tree canopy; prioritized river corridor management and public access; improved trail connectivity and greenways; strategies for all-season recreation facilities; and an emphasis on maintenance and safety. The plan recommends prioritizing equity in implementation, including attention to neighborhoods with deficient access to natural areas and parks.
Speakers from the community working group and a range of residents praised the process and thanked parks staff for the outreach. The working group voted unanimously to advance the plan; the Park and Recreation Advisory Board recommended adoption on June 10.
Councilor Savage moved approval; the council voted unanimously to adopt the plan. Staff noted recommended administrative edits for clarity, readability and accessibility, and said any project-level funding decisions will be subject to the city's normal budgeting process. The plan does not itself appropriate funds but is intended to improve the city's ability to compete for grants and to sequence projects using equity and climate-resilience criteria.
