Thoughtful planning for recreation development helps set priorities, manage expectations, secure funding, and implement projects successfully. And the planning process itself is a good way for teams to come together – especially if meetings can include some recreation!

The Center brings facilitation, convening, and fundraising skills to support recreation planning in areas across the Northern Forest where we focus our investment. This includes:

• Facilitating strategic planning processes for recreation organizations such as the Coos Cycling Club and Katahdin Area Trails.
• Helping Community Forest teams plan for outdoor recreation options on their newly conserved land.
• Coordinating the Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance to help communities plan and implement recreation improvements that serve their residents.
• Providing trail mapping and signage grants to members of the Bike Borderlands initiative as they build out their planned trail networks.
• Convening the Northern Forest Outdoor Recreation Symposium to drive regional thinking on recreation planning issues.

Planning might not be as fun as the recreating itself, but it’s essential to developing the kind of high quality, long-lasting recreation assets that so many Northern Forest communities and organizations are working toward. Center staff are delighted to support these efforts – and enjoy the results later.