Resolution_2021 Kittitas Co Recreation and Tourism Plan Adoption

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Mountains to Sound Greenway via email: For the consideration of Public Works staff, Thank you for undertaking the revision of the Kittitas County 2016 Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Plan. The original plan, its supporting tourism plan, and the attending surveys and studies, did a remarkable job of categorizing Kittitas County's assets, needs, challenges, and opportunities. It was comprehensive and aspirational, but more than anyone could have expected the County staff to take on without a dedicated Parks and Recreation staff. I am excited to see the County setting priorities and providing staff with the guidance they'll need to begin addressing recreational infrastructure needs! The priorities selected in the revision make good sense and play to the County's standing expertise. As a resident of Thorp and an employee of the Mountains to Sound Greenway trust, I am personally and professionally engaged in several trail/access planning projects locally. The best known of these is the Towns to Teanaway (T2T) project, an effort to link the Upper County communities of Cie Elum, Roslyn, and Ronald over private lands to the Teanaway Community Forest via a sustainable system of nonmotorized trails. In 2019, the Kitittas County Parks and Recreation District #1 (KPRD1) officially took on the role of legal and fiscal sponsor for T2T. As a subordinate group of Kittitas County government, KPRD1 has taken some initial steps down the path the revised PROS plan looks to pave — holding easements for public recreational amenities, providing some maintenance services, and offering some guidelines for safe and responsible recreation. Considering KPRD1's official standing with the County, and T2T's status as a sponsored KPRD1 project, I would like to encourage the revised PROS plan to specifically call out Towns to Teanaway under Plan Element 1: Trail Systems. Official recognition in municipal planning documents is often a requirement for projects like T2T to pursue grants and other funding opportunities for capital construction. I'm very glad to see the type of project and activities generally referred to in Action Items 1.4 and 1.7 but being listed by name would do much for our future ability to implement T2T for the further success of organized recreation in Kittitas County. Thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Nicky Pas! (she/her) Upper Yakima Basin Community Coordinator Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust (509) 656-4073 27