The Marshall County Parks and Recreation Board heard from MACOG Senior Community Development Planner Donny Ritsema who helped the board assemble its five-year Parks Master Plan.
The board went through a series of workshops and meetings with a steering group to narrow down a vision, mission statement and what the public wants to see in the county parks which include Mill Pond off of Rose Road and Memorial Forest at State Road 17 and 14th Road. The development of trails was the top answer of what the public would like to see following the release of a survey which gathered over 300 responses. Residents would also like to see more branding and marketing, and plant, wildlife, and insect identification opportunities.
Other needs include expanding access to the Yellow River to enhance recreational opportunities, build a volunteer network to enhance the park system through maintenance and fundraising activities, and develop an asset management plan to take care of the county’s park system.
The board approved the five-year Master Plan with a unanimous vote Thursday night. Ritsema plans to make some minor changes to the document, which were reviewed and approved by the board, prior to its submission to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources by Thursday, April 15. If the plan can be submitted by April 15, the park board members will have an opportunity to apply for Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants.
The board thanked Ritsema for his hard work on the document in such a short amount of time. Input was gathered within a few short months in order to prepare the 60-page document. A link to the copy of the plan can be found here or at the Plymouth Public Library.
