Here We Grow Again

Bozeman Parks and Recreation Update

Bozeman is a great place to be and it’s no secret. It isn’t just our proximity to mountains, rivers, and national forests, but a community vision for growth that will help to ensure that life is just as good Inside Bozeman as it is Outside Bozeman.

For the Parks and Recreation department, a large part of that planning is the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOP) Bond Program. The TOP Program is a 15-million-dollar bond approved by Bozeman voters in 2012 to preserve natural areas and open spaces, create parks, enhance our trail system, expand multi-use recreation fields, and preserve or enhance water quality in our valley. As of this spring, the City Commission has approved three TOP projects.

The first two are the new 2.1-mile paved path to the M Trail and Drinking Horse Mountain and the Bozeman Ponds Expansion Project (see facing page for details).

Third is the Bozeman Creek Enhancement Project, which addresses water-quality issues and potential stream-restoration projects along Bozeman Creek. Restoration of the 800-foot section of Bozeman Creek that flows through Bogert Park will be a public demonstration of what Bozeman Creek could be, and a catalyst to further stream enhancement.

Undoubtedly, some of these projects will evolve, but as our valley continues to grow, it is important that we work to plan, provide, and protect critical public spaces to maintain our quality of life and help preserve it for the next generation of Bozeman lovers.

Mitch Overton is the director of Bozeman Parks and Recreation.