Posted 2/22/01 County Parks task force begins work - Citizens will have input into 25-year park plan By MaryHelen Swanson On Feb. 15 a group of people met at the Chisago County Government Center to begin the process of preparing a revised county park plan, long overdue since the last comprehensive park plan was created in 1972. Leaders in the development of Chisago County parks and trails from park board members to foundation board members, will share in the commitment to the preparation of the new 25-year plan over the next several months. Helping in this work will be consultants from Sanders, Wacker, Bergley, Inc., landscape architects and planners out of St. Paul. The process has already begun with the collecting of current park and recreation data by Bill Bleckwenn and Bill Sanders, consultants. They have inventoried the parks and trails now available, and studied demographic factors for planning for the future. They have concluded that the countyís fast-paced growth may impact existing natural areas and will, at the same time, increase the need for additional recreation opportunities. They believe that recreation opportunities should address the needs of an aging population and the fact that there are a significant number of nonresidents visiting the county for leisure activities. As the planning proceeds, a series of at least three public meetings will be held around the county to gather citizen input. ìWe want to make sure weíre really reaching out to everybody in the county,î Sanders said. The meetings are being planned for March and early April, dates and locations to be announced later. As part of the planning process, citizens should be prepared to let the county know what they want and will need in the areas of park and recreation. A survey will be passed out at the public meetings. To have answers ready, residents might consider some of the following issues: ï What are the most important recreation issues facing Chisago County? ï What are the most important open space issues? ï What are the most important trail issues? ï Which of those park/open space issues will affect your family face in the next 20 years? ï What areas of improvement are needed for recreation in Chisago County over the next 20 years. ï If you belong to an organization, governmental unit or business, what role do you see yourself playing in bringing about recreation/open space/trails opportunities. In a brief overview of the history of parks in Chisago County, it was noted that in 1965 concerned citizens began to organize to protect unique natural areas in the county. One year later, in 1966, the county lost out on the opportunity to purchase the Kost Dam site simply because it wasnít prepared to purchase park land. The Chisago County Sportsmanís Club came to the rescue, purchasing it and saving it to become the first official county park. In 1970, the first county park board was appointed. Two years later the first park plan was prepared and in another two years, 1974, Fish Lake and Checkerboard Parks were established as county parks. The Sunrise Prairie Trail is the most recent recreation facility constructed by the county on the abandoned Burlington Northern railroad bed. The purchase of this property was to preserve it for potential transportation services in the future. Until that comes about, it has been made into a multi-purpose recreational trailway. As the planning begins, Sanders offered the following quote as something to keep in mind: ìLook forward for a century . . .wealth cannot purchase a lost opportunity, or restore natural features of grandeur and beauty which you can preserve if you but say the word . . .î -W.H.S. Cleveland. The Post Review will announce the upcoming public meetings when they have been set. ©Post Review