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CHAPTER 5 <br />NON-COUNTY RECREATION SUPPLIERS <br /> <br />RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE SUPPLIERS <br /> <br />In addition to the Anoka [County Parks System, there are <br />several leisure providers Offering recreation opportunities <br />to Anoka County residents. These providers are privately <br />and publicly owned and c~ffer facilities and amenities that <br />may have an influence on future planning for the Anoka <br />County Parks System. <br /> <br />Municipalities in Anoka~ County provide a variety of <br />recreation services to their communities. To inventory <br />comparable services, thre~ designations were developed to <br />account for municipal se~ices. A City Park designation <br />refers to municipal parks (hat offer picnicking, park trails, <br />swimming beaches, open play areas and creative play <br />facdmes. Facd~ty development in these parks ts nearly <br />complete. Through this study seven parks were ~denttfied <br />as comparable to coudty parks. A Natural Area <br />designation includes thdse municipal parks that offer <br />passive recreation opport~ nities. In general, these parks <br />encompass 10 to 50 acre~. These areas are characterized <br />by minimal developmenti Recreation activities generally <br />include: nature observati{>n, trail hiking, and picnicking. <br />The study identified 27 Marks where recreation activities <br />were dependent on the n4tural resources in the park. The <br />third designation, Special, Feature,. refers to entrepenurial <br />ventures operated by muhicipalities. They include: golf <br />courses, nature centers and swimming pools. These <br />features are generally foufld in the southern section of the <br />county, but are becoming !more in demand in the northern <br />communities as well. There were five special feature areas <br />that were identified in thil study. These are: Greenhaven <br />Golf Course, Bunker HillslGolfCourse, Charles Horn Pool, <br />Riverwind Pool and Springbrook Nature Center. <br /> <br />An inventory of state, federal and not-for-profit recreation <br />and open space providers focused in two areas. Areas that <br />contain representative na~ral landscapes of Anoka County <br />were be labeled Natural Areas. These landscapes include: <br />marshes, swamps, wetlands, oak forests, prairies, and oak <br />savannas. Many of thes_~ areas do not offer developed <br />recreation opportunities, t~ut rather provide areas to enjoy <br />open space. These parks! range in size from 40 acres to <br />20,000 acres. When the stcdy was completed, 16 areas met <br />the requirement for this designation. Most of these areas <br />are owned by the Mir~nesota D.N.R., University of <br />Minnesota, The Nature ~-onservancy, and the Minnesota <br />Land Trust. The secortd area of study was Special <br />Dexignations. This designation focussed on rivers, lakes <br />and natural landscapes tha{ have been recognized as having <br /> <br />significant cultural, natural, and economic resources within <br />their boundaries. There were two areas in Anoka County <br />that met these requirements: the Mississippi National River <br />and Recreation Area and the Wild and Scenic Rum River. <br /> <br />There are several private recreation providers operating in <br />the county. Comparable development in recreation <br />facilities in the private sector will be designated Special <br />Feature areas and include golf courses, campgrounds and <br />gun clubs. There are seven golf courses and three <br />campgrounds that are privately owned in Anoka County. <br />There are also private recreation opportunities that rely on <br />fiatural areas. These activities, mainl~?thunting and trap <br />shooting, were assigned a Natural Area designation. There <br />are three gun clubs that manage significant land for this <br />type of experience. <br /> <br />DISTRIBUTION AND ANALYSIS OF SIMILAR <br /> OPPORTUNITIES <br /> <br />This interpretive board~valk at Peninsula Point - Two Rivers Historic Park <br />in Anoka walks visitors through the history of the Mississippi and Rum <br />Rivers. <br /> <br />In the past 20 years there has been an expansion in the <br />provision of recreation services by all sectors of society. <br />Recently public agencies have faced increases in demands <br />for services, while traditional tax-based funding has not <br />kept pace, limiting the ability to respond to all recreation <br />demands. This has led to the emergence of more recreation <br />services offered in the private sector, and user fees in the <br />public sector. This trend has spurred public agencies to <br />implement marketing and programming strategies <br />traditionally found in the private side. <br /> <br />Page <br /> <br /> <br />