Polk County forwards draft Outdoor Recreation Plan to County Board after public hearing

Polk County supervisors voted to forward the county—s draft Outdoor Recreation Plan to the full County Board after a public hearing and staff presentation on the plan's priorities.

County staff opened the hearing by calling the plan a "guiding document for decision making" that will steer investment in county-managed parks, trails and county forest lands. The presenter said the plan prioritizes correcting safety issues, improving accessibility and modernizing aging facilities, and noted that adoption will make the county eligible to apply for state and federal grants.

At the hearing staff described the planning process as a review of previous plans, site visits to county properties and a public survey. "We really focused on our full county-managed properties," the county staff member said, adding that some recommendations are advisory and will be pursued as funding and opportunities arise. The presentation also clarified how county forest lands differ from park property and noted collaboration with environmental services on forest management.

Members of the public who addressed the board supported the plan. Nancy Moe, representing Friends of Gandy Dancer State Trail, said volunteers helped clear fallen trees and that the group will install kiosks, bike racks and repair stations at trailheads. "The kiosks are already printed and ready," she said, and described a tri-shaw program that provides assisted bikes for nursing-home residents and people with disabilities.

Supervisors discussed the plan's role in helping the county prioritize budgeted improvements; the county administrator and staff emphasized safety, accessibility and grant eligibility as primary drivers. After brief discussion, a supervisor moved, and the board seconded, to forward the draft plan to the County Board for further consideration. The motion passed by voice vote.

The County Board will receive the draft plan for formal review and any future decisions about project funding or implementation. The county staff noted that individual projects recommended in the plan are not automatic appropriations; funding decisions will be made through the board's budget process.