The Warren County Park District has announced a new strategic plan.
The plan is meant to be a guideline based on community feedback, centered around WCPD's mission statement, and does not include specific project proposals or budget requirements.
Warren County Park District includes 18 properties: 12 of them are public parks and the other six are reserved for conservation. This amounts to over 1,700 acres of land.
The WCPD describes its 2025 Strategic Plan as "a bold vision for parks, trails, and green space in Ohio's Largest Playground."
The plan includes:
- A detailed summary of the WCPD's vision and goals and unique attributes
- Background information on the park district itself
- The condition of the parks as they are now
- How the parks have served the community
- Possible ways to implement the plan across all areas:
- Conservation
- Recreation
- Education
- Connectivity
- Community
- Operations
Matt Latham, CEO of the Warren County Park District, said the plan is meant to foster a welcoming, engaging environment for people to connect with each other and with nature, especially in an "polarized" and "stressful" time.
"People need a way to escape. They need ways to get away from that for a minute, re-center themselves, and be at peace. And that's really what we're trying to provide here," Latham said.
The plan was created around community feedback and input. WCPD received 365 survey responses, conducted four steering committee meetings, held eight focus group meetings with a total of 122 attendees, and hosted six open houses across Warren County.
"We're repeating words back to the community that we heard them say about us, about who they think we are, what they want to see from us," said Latham. "It's about reflecting the community's vision for their park district back to them."
WCPD has previously partnered with organizations such as Whitetails Unlimited, OSU Extension, 4H, and Scouting America. The new plan sets the foundation for future collaborations with organizations, individuals, government entities, and businesses.
Latham said WCPD wants to work with those who share a piece of their mission: "How do you, as a member of this community, want to work with us so that we can bring these planned goals into reality?"
For more information or to get involved, go to warrencountypark.com.
