The Park Planner's Dilemma: Natural Areas & Recreation
Track: Planning & Design

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 | 1:00 to 2:15pm

Speakers:
Steven Starlund, Parks and Open Space Planner, Kitsap County Parks
Arno Bergstrom, Parks Forester, Kitsap County Parks

Session Description:

The story is familiar to many…your agency acquires open space with streams, forested landscapes and natural areas with the intent to preserve and protect wild and native areas. Then in a flash, recreation enthusiasts start dreaming about increased uses and before you know it the recreational users are squared off with the environmentalists…and that my friends is the, “Park Planner’s Dilemma.” The good news is this relationship can work with a healthy dose of good-science assessments, stewardship zoning and a “consent” public involvement process for balancing appropriate recreational uses with conservation planning principles.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand the short-term and long-term impacts of recreation activities on wildlife and habitat and identify strategies to balance the two uses.
• Participants will learn the basic tenets of restoration forestry and strategies to develop healthy and diverse ecosystems through active management.
• Participants will learn to develop and apply landscape classifications (stewardship “zoning”) to the land management and park design program.