The mission of the parks and recreation department is to provide a unique system of parks, trails, and recreational experiences, while being superior stewards of the environment. During Covid closures, users of the trail systems and passive outdoor experiences soared from 1 million total users (including sports teams) to more than 2 million trail and open park users.

This increase indicates a need to prioritize individual and family users of our public spaces. A balance has not been achieved in the past, as team sports users have dominated the public spaces and the money spent.

Creating urban green spaces, small parks on open lots, and improved shade canopy along urban streets are all important ways the County can create better recreation opportunities and achieve climate change benefits as well.