The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is inviting Santa Clarita residents to provide input to help inform future planning and funding to address regional and rural park and recreation needs through different workshops and surveys.

The surveys and workshops are set to inform and engage L.A. County residents about the Regional and Rural Edition, which is a focused update of the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Need Assessment, according to officials.  

Specifically, they are set to apply an equity lens to comprehensively identify, analyze, map and document the need for Regional facilities, including regional parks, beaches and lakes, trails and natural areas and open spaces; and the park needs of Rural communities in the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Monica Mountains and Santa Catalina Island, DPR officials said.

“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 DPR. “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.”

A critical component of the project is community engagement and outreach, DPR officials said. 

Thus, DPR is using a variety of methods to inform, engage and gather input from L.A. County residents, through online workshops of surveys.

A series of online workshops are scheduled for August and September 2021. 

There is expected to be a workshop for each of the 11 regional study areas established for this project, according to officials.  

Each workshop is expected to 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. 

The public may attend any of the following workshops.

To see a list of the cities and unincorporated communities within each of the regional study areas and to RSVP, visit the project website. 

Surveys

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

Two online surveys are currently available, with the third scheduled to come later in August or September, according to DPR officials.

The first survey is intended for a Countywide audience and focuses on general recreation needs and preferences 

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, according to officials. 

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

A third and final survey is scheduled to be launched in late August early September and is set to focus on regional recreation needs and preferences.

Park and Community Events

DPR is also 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. 

“We will be at upcoming park and community events to share about the project and capture your thoughts and ideas through short surveys and other activities,” DPR officials said.

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 are set to be used to help inform project planning and selection for competitive grants. The Regional and Rural Edition is set to 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, click here. 

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