The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is inviting the public to provide input to help inform future planning and funding to address regional and rural park and recreation needs.

The L.A. County DPR announced it is launching several activities to inform and engage county residents about the Regional and Rural Edition, which is a focused update of the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment.

Specifically, it will apply an equity lens to comprehensively identify, analyze, map, and document the following:

– The need for Regional facilities, including regional parks, beaches and lakes, trails, and natural areas and open spaces.

– The park needs of Rural communities in the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, and Santa Catalina Island.

A critical component of the project is community engagement and outreach. Thus, DPR is using a variety of methods to inform, engage, and gather input from county residents including:

Online Workshops

A series of online workshops are scheduled for August and September 2021. There will be a workshop for each of the eleven regional study areas established for this project. Each workshop will include a presentation about the Regional and Rural Edition and specific information about the study area, allowing for more focused discussions based on geography and the unique attributes of each area.

Santa Clarita Valley residents can join the online workshop on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, at 6 p.m. by pre-registering through the following link: https://bit.ly/RRE_SantaClaritaValley.

To see a list of the cities and unincorporated communities within each of the regional study areas and to RSVP, visit the project website: https://lacountyparkneeds.org/rre-home/.

Surveys

Three online surveys are being used to collect public input on regional and rural park needs. Two online surveys are currently available:

– The first survey is intended for a Countywide audience and focuses on general recreation needs and preferences (https://new.maptionnaire.com/q/4j3jjv8n3iur).

– The second survey focuses on the park and recreation needs of rural communities in the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, and Santa Catalina Island. (https://new.maptionnaire.com/q/6buc88wjr4cy).

Both surveys are available in six languages: English, Spanish, Armenian, Chinese (traditional and simplified), and Korean.

– A third and final survey will be launched in late August/early September 2021 and will focus on regional recreation needs and preferences.

Park and Community Events

DPR is collaborating with a wide range of community partners and community-based organizations to inform the public and solicit input on regional and rural park needs. It will be at upcoming park and community events to share about the project and capture the community’s thoughts and ideas through short surveys and other activities.

Project Website

The Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment website has been updated to provide specific information about the Regional and Rural Edition. DPR encourages the public to visit the site to learn more about the project and get the latest updates, including links to online surveys and upcoming meetings.

Social Media Campaign

DPR has set up social media accounts for the project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The account name is “lacparkneeds” across all three platforms. Please follow us to stay updated about the project and learn more about regional parks, natural areas, trails, and other interesting topics related to regional and rural recreation.

“Parks are a matter of public health, social equity and serve a vital role in supporting resilient communities throughout Los Angeles County,” said Norma E. García-Gonzalez, Director of LA County Parks and Recreation. “We encourage all Los Angeles County residents to participate and get involved. Their input will help inform future planning and funding allocation for regional parks, open space, and trails.”

DPR is the lead agency charged with updates of the Countywide Parks Needs Assessment. The 2016 Parks Needs Assessment involved a process that included data collection and analysis, engagement with stakeholders and community members in cities and unincorporated areas, prioritization and cost estimation of prioritized park projects, and the determination of the level of park need in each study area based on a suite of metrics. The 2016 Parks Needs Assessment directly informed the development of Measure A, a Countywide funding measure for parks which was approved by nearly 75% of L.A. County voters in November 2016 and generates over $90 million annually.

Per direction from the Board of Supervisors and the Grants Administration Manual for Measure A, the results of the Regional and Rural Edition will be used to help inform project planning and selection for competitive grants. The Regional and Rural Edition will also provide baseline data and analyses to inform future park and recreation planning efforts by DPR, cities, and other stakeholders.

For more information about the Regional and Rural Edition, and the 2016 Parks Needs Assessment, visit https://lacountyparkneeds.org/.