BEND, OR -- Bend Parks and Recreation is working on long-range planning to create a roadmap for the district over the next ten years. Julie Brown says the first comprehensive plan was developed in 1980 and was last reviewed in 2012. "It is something that we use to prioritize the projects and facilities that serve this community, and has resulted in some great amenities that we all enjoy everyday: the Deschutes River Trail, some of the other parks that we have along the Deschutes River, as well as Pine Nursery Park, are just a few of the examples of things that exist today because of this planning effort."

An online interactive map and survey launched this week. Brown tells KBND News, "You have this tool that you can drag and drop pins around town on this map and tell us about how you’re currently using parks and trails and facility services and other activities that people are using with their free time. That really helps us to be able to get a sense for where are we meeting needs around the community, and where are some opportunities, moving forward, that we should look at." She adds, "The great thing about the mapping tool is I think it gives people an opportunity to provide us with input that maybe would be a little bit different than attending one of our community workshops or a public meeting. That is still going to be part of our process, but I think this mapping tool is something that doesn’t take very much time, and it’s something that people can do either from a computer or from their phone."