Dane County to hold public meetings to discuss updates to parks plan

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – Dane County Parks officials are updating their Parks and Open Space Plan, and are holding a series of public meetings to hear from you about how the parks should be used. The plan is updated every five years, and serves as an outline for how the community wants to see in their parks, recreation, and conservation efforts. 

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, usage of county parks has skyrocketed, as social distancing kept people from gathering indoors. According to county officials, 2021 saw the highest number of people visiting parks on record. 

“Now more than ever, we realize parks are essential for Dane County residents’ well-being,” County Executive Joe Parisi said. “The number of people using Dane County Parks is estimated at nearly five million. This plan is an essential roadmap to help us understand how we can continue to sustainably provide public access while balancing cultural and natural resource protection.”

The county’s Parks and Open Space Plan is not a zoning document, nor does it dictate exactly how a trail or park will look. Instead, the plan is regularly updated to guide county officials, and helps them know how the parks are being used. The plan needs to be updated every five years in order for the county to qualify for grants from the state’s Stewardship program. 

The last Parks and Open Spaces plan focused on protecting natural resources across the county from impacts brought on by climate change, and making parks more accessible and inclusive to everyone. 

County officials say that the number one use of county parks at the moment is walking, running, and hiking. Other popular uses include using the county’s dog parks, swimming, and biking. 

County officials are holding two informational meetings to hear from the public about how they use the parks, and what they want the county to focus on when planning future improvements. The first meeting will be on April 3 at 7PM at the Lussier Family Heritage Center in William G Lunney Lake Farm County Park in Madison. The second is on April 15 at 7PM at the Village of Windsor Municipal Building in DeForest. Both meetings can be attended virtually. 

The county has also opened a survey for you to share how you use the county parks system. The survey is available in both English and Spanish, and is open until May 1.