Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to King County's open space system; adopting King County's Open Space System: Parks, Trails, Natural Areas and Working Resource Lands, as a functional plan to implement the policies of the King County Comprehensive Plan in accordance with the Washington state Growth Management Act; and repealing Ordinance 12349, Section 1, Ordinance 12349, Section 2, and Ordinance 12349, Section 3.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County government has experienced a transition in its role as a provider of a wide range of open spaces. King County's Open Space Sysyem Plan: Parks, Trails, Natural Areas and Working Resource Lands: updates and creates clear policies to guide the future of King County's open space system of recreation and multiuse parks, trails, natural (ecological) areas and working resource lands; provides consistency with other county plans and reports; and establishes eligibility for Washington state Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation grant funding. The absence of a current plan, less than six years old, left the county ineligible to apply for these grant funds for the past two years. Development of the plan was placed on hold for resolution of a number of issues surrounding the future funding of the stewardship and maintenance of the system.
2. The plan is consistent with the King County Countywide Planning Policies and the King County Comprehensive Plan.
3. The plan is consistent with the Phase II Parks Division Business Plan and the parks omnibus ordinance, Ordinance 14509, approved on November 21, 2002.
4. Development of the plan was guided by the recommendations of the Metropolitan Parks Task Force and Report of the Active Sports and Youth Recreation Commission.
5. Public outreach included a series of meetings held during the summer of 2003, along with a customer service survey conducted on the parks and recreation division web site and public input obtained in developing the metropolitan park task forc...

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