Starting in Spring 2019, the City of Helena engaged CDR Associates to lead the Helena Open Lands Recreation Plan update. The CDR team interviewed 50 individuals from 23 organizations or affiliations, and reached out to nearly 80 individuals from 38 organizations or affiliations. From these interviews key themes emerged. 

In Fall 2019, CDR engaged Halliday & Associates to design and facilitate three community workshops to gather input on key themes. More than 100 people participated in the workshops. In addition, an online survey generated more than 150 responses.  The community input helped guide the City of Helena’s Open Lands Recreation Plan update.

The purpose of the Helena Open Land Recreation Plan is to be an accessible, usable policy guide for current and future decision making. As a tool, it is intended to guide at a policy level not prescribe operational tasks.  The City of Helena envisions this plan to serve as a policy guide for current and future decisions. The City recognizes that uses and demands will continue to change over time.  This policy plan sets out broad guidance and a collaborative process to equip the community’s stewardship of Helena Open Lands.