Love County Natural Areas and Parks? Take our annual survey!

The Benton County Natural Areas and Parks Department launched the 2019 parks use survey of four County parks in May and will run through the end of August – generally the peak season for parks use in Benton County.

The department is trying to understand how county parks are being used and by how many patrons, and how the county can improve the user experience for future generations.

The 2019 survey is focusing on Bellfountain Park, Fort Hoskins Historic Park, Fitton Green Natural Area, and Irish Bend Park. A different set of parks will be surveyed each year.

“This is the second year we are running the survey. We worked with our Benton County Health Department to include a survey for residents that may not currently use our county parks, and a Spanish version of the survey.  All the feedback helps us inform residents that may not be aware of our parks, and helps our efforts to engage them in county parks now and in the future,” said Adam Stebbins, Benton County natural resources coordinator and outdoor recreation/education program coordinator.

“In the past, the only way to estimate use was to count reservations, and not all of our parks use a reservation system. Our goal is to have this rotating at five different parks each summer,” Stebbins said.

The county is completing vehicle counts at parking areas and in-person surveys of park users during peak hours. There is an online survey people can take about the kinds of values and experiences they want from their parks, as well as what improvements they’d like to see.

The online survey can be completed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SSYL5ZP (Por favor, tome la encuesta aquí: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NM5H8PL).

The information will be used to inform the department’s strategic plan and help set priorities for maintenance and improvement projects, as well as where to consider adding amenities, such as trails, picnic areas and restrooms.