Linking Protected Open Space into a Regional Network | Public Recreational Facilities, Parks,
and Preserves | Restoration Sites and Development Initiated Open Spaces | Open Space
Protected by Non Profit Land Trusts | Open Space Funding, Staffing, and Resources |
Open
Space Restoration, Management, and Access
Open Space Restoration, Management, and Access
There are no guidelines for managing the wide variety of protected open spaces in a consistent manner. Large areas of the County are protected as open space and need to be managed in perpetuity. Management concerns include maintaining native vegetation and biodiversity; providing security and liability coverage; trail access and maintenance; and securing maintenance funding and staff. The management of open space is not always considered in the discussion of preserving it. Each municipality handles open space management its own way. There is a lack of guidelines for home owner associations to follow. Few retention basins are properly managed and most are mowed. Too often, riparian buffers are not maintained.
Protected open spaces are not always maintained to ensure that they do not become environmentally degraded. As areas with large unprotected open spaces have diminished, protected open spaces are becoming the last remaining areas for maintaining natural communities, water quality, and air quality. Efforts to promote the preservation of open space do not always include the use and maintenance of protected land. Such properties need to be managed in perpetuity. Management concerns include maintaining native vegetation and biodiversity, and securing maintenance funding and staff.
In the past, many protected open spaces were not adequately designed to accommodate recreational access and other uses. There is a need to ensure access to protected open spaces where appropriate so that the public can “connect” with lands that were publicly funded. In most settings, trails linking to open spaces are the preferred mechanism for providing this access. Access must be balanced to avoid overuse. The carrying capacity of open space should be evaluated to determine how it can be used for recreation without damaging the natural resources of the land. There needs to be better education so that the public knows that open space preserves can only support a limited number of visitors before they get damaged by overuse. Furthermore, there needs to be more guidance to municipalities regarding security and liability coverage, trail access, and maintenance.
Linking Protected Open Space into a Regional Network | Public Recreational Facilities, Parks,
and Preserves | Restoration Sites and Development Initiated Open Spaces | Open Space
Protected by Non Profit Land Trusts | Open Space Funding, Staffing, and Resources |
Open
Space Restoration, Management, and Access
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