Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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under the Metropolitan Significance Review regulations and the Metropolitan Land Planning Act, as described in the System Protection Policy found in Chapter 4. However, the Council does not grant regional funds to state or federal agencies for capital improvements or for operations and maintenance of these facilities. Figure 3 -1 depicts the national, federal and state recreation lands in the region. Local Parks Local recreational open space facilities provide for a very large number and variety of recreational activities that occur in the metropolitan area. Local parks are often more intensely developed than regional parks and provide facilities for active recreation, such as playgrounds, athletic fields, courts, and aquatic centers. Local parks are designed to serve a neighborhood or community and are frequently located in residential areas. Local parks are usually much smaller than regional parks and are located and designed to serve the local population, rather than primarily based on natural resource amenities. Local trails typically provide connections between community destinations, such as schools, libraries, and community centers. Although local recreational open space areas are not covered by this plan, the facilities and services they offer are taken into consideration when master plans of the regional system are prepared and reviewed. Private Recreation Public recreational open space facilities do not meet all the demands for such recreation required by the area's residents. Private operations also make substantial contributions to the development of facilities and the provision of services. The most prominent facilities provided by the private sector are golf courses, riding facilities, gun clubs, marinas, day camps, and downhill ski areas. There are also multiple recreational open space areas owned and operated by corporations, employees' associations, benevolent associations, and nonprofit social agencies. These private facilities reduce the burden on the public sector, provide additional opportunities, and help to preserve thousands of acres of land in open space. They complement activities and experiences offered by the public sector. Nonprofit Partners Nonprofit organizations, such as the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota, the Trust for Public Land and the Nature Conservancy, have a long history of supporting the outdoor recreation system in the region by protecting and restoring natural areas and wetlands, helping acquire park land, and advocating for the importance of recreation and open space.