Part III
several other Tacoma parks are all located within two to three blocks of shopping centers or business districts, providing hundreds of employees with a break from the working environment. As much as people depend on their parks, the park system depends on the people who visit them to donate their time to youth programs and park restoration efforts. The success of Tacoma parks is increasingly dependent on the involvement of these volunteers. In 2010 more than 52,000 volunteer hours were donated by Tacoma organizations, societies and groups of volunteers.c
Stewardship Activities Long-term investment in city parks, both in the form of financial investment and volunteerism, is crucial for maintaining the health and vitality of the parks and the entire community. Active stewardship is essential to prevent greenspace from being overrun with invasive species, and to maintain trails and ornamental landscapes. When stewardship is abandoned and parks are allowed to decay, people are less likely to make use of them and are less enthusiastic about putting energy into their upkeep. Renovation and construction projects raise longerterm stewardship issues. While the addition of parking lots may improve accessibility to park visitors in the short run, the conversion of landscape may result in increased flooding, toxic runoff, and degraded aesthetics in the longer run, thus rendering the parking lot project a bad investment.
Renovation Activities MPT is currently in the midst of reconstructing and renovating many of its parks. In 2005, Park District voters passed an $84.3 million bond measure that allowed MPT to implement projects
c
Information provided by MPT.
Economic Impact of Metro Parks Tacoma Ecosystem Services
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