For Fun, For Health, For Life: The Portage Park District

Words and podcast by: Julie Riedel

 

 

“We want to connect people with nature and we are more focused on passive recreation. So that’s one thing that distinguishes us from like city park departments, that are maybe more into league sports and team sports, that kind of thing” said Christine Craycroft, the Portage Park District’s executive director, “But we’re more about hiking and biking and anything we can do to get people out in nature.”

Formed in 1991, as a citizen’s intuitive, The Portage Park District’s main mission is conserving Portage County’s natural environments. The park district is an independent organization from Portage County, and is created through Ohio Revised code 1545. But the district still utilizes county resources. Before 2014 when the district’s 10 year half a mill levy passed, the district received funding from the Portage County General Fund. Now the Portage Park District primarily uses the county for administrative duties like payroll and collecting the tax money from its levy.

The park district is ran by a volunteer board of commissions, who County Probate Court Judge Robert Berger appoints. Each member serves a three-year renewable term. The park commissioners hold monthly public meetings. They oversee the park district’s executive director, set policy, and approve the district’s budget. As the executive director, Craycroft reports to the park commissioners and manages the daily operations of the park district. She is responsible for writing the budget, as well as organizing and implementing the districts plans.

On the sixth attempt the Portage Park District’s levy passed. The Portage Park District’s Master Plan reports that the district collects $ 1.6 million from the levy each year. The levy is the Portage Park District’s primary sources of funding, but it also receives funding from grants and donations to the Portage Park District Foundation, a non-profit established in 2010. Currently most of its budget goes to capital improvements, like land acquisition, trail construction and building improvements.

“It’s a whole new world. It’s been invaluable for us, however, I still don’t feel like it’s enough,” said Craycroft. “I think the mission that we have is so big that we’re always looking for new funding sources.”

While the district wants to connect, people with nature, its main focus is conservation. The Portage Park District wants to protect Portage County’s natural habitats to help support a healthy environment for the county’s residents. As Portage County continues to develop its infrastructure, the park district is trying to preserve natural habitats to maintain clean air and water. The Portage Park District also helps manage and protect threatened plants and species native to Portage County.

As the natural areas steward, Bob Lange oversees and manages the health of the Portage Park District’s 1,400 acres of land. He also helps Craycroft to decide which areas need the district’s attention.

“Generally I try to look for any species we have that are listed with the state of Ohio, or even just habitats or areas that are somewhat threaten in this region. So we try to focus on the ground stewardship efforts in those areas first. Especially areas that maybe need just a little bit amount of work,” said Lange. “Then branch out into some bigger efforts, maybe some more degraded areas and to try to actually restore them. Where it’s not really a matter of just improving them, but reestablishing what should have been there, or what should be there.”

The Portage Park District is working towards fulfilling its master plan adopted in December of 2016. This plan sets the park district’s goals and explains how it intends to use its budget to conserve Portage County’s natural habitats while serving the community. According to the master plan the district wants to restore and open new parks and trails for public use, acquire more land for trails while improving existing parks. Currently the Portage Park District has five parks and three trails open for public use. Since the implementation of the master plan, the Portage Park District has open Shaw Woods and Morgan Park.

The current levy will be up for renewal in 2024. The Portage Park District will have to camping separate from the county to renew it.

“We’ll probably give ourselves a little more leeway and maybe try to renew it a little early,” said Craycroft “Incase we have some communication issues with our voters and they don’t pass it, we’ll have another chance before we run out of money. But we’re very optimistic.”

Follow link to view script: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jdwBH1Y4BmT3MAC1pSUXdAfdUW3scs0MXsJDOvMaGWM/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Conserving the natural habitats of Portage County is the Portage Park District's main goal, and to learn more about the district follow the link to my podcast and story, For Fun, For Health, For Life: The Portage Park District https://t.co/XieS1bsSAw #JMCRPP pic.twitter.com/dhhTG2vRUO

— Julie R. (@awkwardlycoffee) April 12, 2018