Survey Response, General

From Erika, Denver County, September 19, 2008:

Overall, how supportive are you of the Plan's recommendations?
Extremely supportive.

1. Are there any outstanding issues that you don’t think the plan addressed? No.

2. Are there any recommendations that you would like to add?
I am wondering about the long-term use of automobiles in the parks. (I think about Rocky Mountain National Park where, in several areas of the park, automobiles are now restricted. These areas are accessible now only through shuttle busses.) The existing strategic plan balances the need for access to the parks with the goal of preserving them. At some point, if the demands on the parks become too great, perhaps some of the access might have to be limited. In the future, visitors might access the parks though light rail or other public transit options. Somehow the issue of over use of the parks must be addressed and monitored.

3. Are there any statements or recommendations with which you strongly disagree? No.

4. Which recommendations do you consider most important in the short term?
The two issues which I think are most important both in the short and long term are first, securing adequate funding and, second, developing a comprehensive education/marketing strategy to educate the park users. Through the use of signs and exhibits at the parks, and through local media and the internet, park users must be taught about the park's history and significance. Hopefully this will foster an ethic of stewardship and respect for the parks. Ultimately the parks' survival will depend on knowledgeable citizens who will love and care for them.

5. Which recommendations do you consider most important in the long term? See #4.

Other comments:
My great-grandfather, John Brisben Walker, proposed the Denver Mountain Parks system which gives me a special interest in them. Many thanks to Susan Baird and others who have done such a fine job on developing this much-needed plan. Two points that I would like to underscore are: first, the recommendations to preserve the historic buildings as these add a unique flavor to the mountain parks system. Second, protecting and expanding the park's open space is also very critical. As the population increases, demand will also increase to develop these open spaces. The Denver Mountain Parks play a vital role in protecting open space now and for generations to come.