San Juan County Parks Department is looking for the community’s input on their operations for the next six years.

Islanders were offered the opportunity to attend information sessions on San Juan, Shaw, Lopez and Orcas at the end of March. The public was invited to meet and speak with representatives from the county and land bank, and to provide their input on the park department’s six-year plan.

The session were an open house style, with easels placed around the room highlighting six aspects of the department’s intentions. Participants could mark what outdoor spots they use the most; grade the parks and trails on each island; list their preferences of non-motorized transportation (walking, biking, horses or boating); give priorities in relation to marine facilities and beach/water access; give feedback on land acquisition and conservation with suggestions of locations where the department should focus their efforts; and suggest where the parks department should spend money on projects.

Around 10 people attended the session on Orcas, compared to the 13 who attended on Shaw; 28 on Lopez; and 30 on San Juan.

Prior to the session, Gretchen Muller, a senior associate at Cascadia Consulting, presented a slideshow and explained that the parks, trails and natural areas plan has to be updated every six years. It is a requirement for the county to get funding from the state for park and trail projects. She also said the plan is created to address community needs and priorities.

Since the last update, the county developed a long-term vision for managing public areas and acquired 215 acres in easements and 475 acres in natural areas, according to Muller. During a similar meeting six years ago, 90 percent of survey responders, trail creation and maintenance ranked as high priority, she explained.

For islanders who were unable to attend any of the meetings, they can go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/MyParks to answer questions. The survey will close in mid-April, with responses being compiled at the end of the month. For more information, contact Dona Wuthnow, San Juan County Parks and Fair Director, at donaw@sanjuanco.com.