8 | NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION PRE-PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT PASSIVE RECREATION AREAS AND TRAILS – Passive recreation areas are generally minimally developed or undisturbed natural areas that allow for nonspecific uses requiring little dedicated infrastructure or space. They can provide for recreation such as walking/running, fishing, or canoeing.16 Parkland forests serve as natural infiltration zones; bioretention practices such as rain gardens can be installed as part of a wildlife habitat or in tandem with a park’s environmental education initiative.17 Park trails are designed for their intended users. Some are multi-use; others are meant only for a single use (such as bicyclists or horseback riders). Park trails provide opportunities for recreation and enjoyment. They can be the focal point of a park or greenway or connect parks to nearby communities18. They can also provide access to natural resources and connections throughout communities while preserving ecological functions that naturally manage stormwater, such as raised boardwalks through wetlands. Adding trees, native plants, and bioretention areas along trails can create demonstration projects that educate trail users about stormwater issues. Trails are also good candidates for permeable pavement or other pervious surfaces.19, 20 NATURAL AREAS – Also referred to as “Natural Resource Areas,” natural areas are “lands set aside for preservation of significant natural resources, remnant landscapes, open space, and visual aesthetics/buffering”.21 Natural areas are designed for minimal recreational use, and vary in size depending on the existing resource. Natural areas in parks may include wetlands, water bodies, forests, geologic features, trails, or interpretive exhibits.22 Many of these areas provide a “natural” form of green stormwater infrastructure in parks that can reduce/absorb runoff from developed areas. Stream and shorelines are potential candidates for restoration projects. PARK ENTRANCES – Park entrances are commonly developed to draw attention and invite the public in. The use of an attractive green stormwater infrastructure practice at the entrance and/or the park perimeter provides multiple functions, such as creating an inviting entrance, providing a highly visible educational component, and treating polluted stormwater runoff not just from within the park but potentially from the surrounding roadway. PARKING AREAS –Parking areas provide many opportunities for reducing stormwater runoff by integrating green stormwater infrastructure into their design. Replacing traditional asphalt with permeable paving materials can promote infiltration of stormwater runoff. Bioswales or bioretention cells can capture or slow runoff and can be installed in existing or expanded medians or parking lot edges. Planting trees and native vegetation around and within parking lots can help slow runoff while reducing the heat island effect, making the park environment more enjoyable for pedestrians.23
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