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16 <br /> 1 documents like the 2030 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Mountains to Sea Trail route adoption <br /> 2 (2018), a formal trails plan for the County has not existed. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 A Request for Proposals was developed in the summer of 2024 and issued in September of that year. <br /> 5 Gensler was selected as the consultant to prepare the plan, and the contract was awarded at the Board's <br /> 6 Business meeting on December 10, 2024.As shown in the attached draft plan, project work got underway <br /> 7 with a project kickoff in January 2025 including the consultant, staff and the Parks and Recreation Council, <br /> 8 which serves as the steering committee for the Plan. <br /> 9 <br /> 10 In March 2025, GIS mapping and data analysis began, including review of prior plan efforts and on-site <br /> 11 field visits to a number of potential trail locations based on preliminary assessments(summarized on page <br /> 12 14 of the draft plan and this process is also discussed in more detail in Sections 1-3 of the attached draft <br /> 13 Plan.) <br /> 14 <br /> 15 Project goals were created from opportunities and challenges discussions held by the Parks and Recreation <br /> 16 Council in early 2025. Five (5) project goals were identified: <br /> 17 <br /> 18 1. Spark enthusiasm for county trail connectivity with an equitable, inclusive and engaging <br /> 19 outreach process. <br /> 20 2. Develop a Trails Plan that reflects the community's vision and aligns with other County and <br /> 21 municipality efforts, such as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (currently underway). <br /> 22 3. Create a comprehensive network of connectivity between key points of interest including <br /> 23 work, home, school, commerce and public transit. <br /> 24 4. Expand access to excellent parks and recreation opportunities for a broader population, <br /> 25 especially in the rural areas of the county. <br /> 26 5. Identify new and existing connections to complete the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) segment <br /> 27 in Orange County. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 A process for public outreach and engagement is outlined in Section 3 of the draft Plan. This included a <br /> 30 project webpage, e-newsletters, social media campaigns, digital display graphics and flyers at parks, <br /> 31 among other efforts. Two (2) rounds of public engagement workshops were held in May and September <br /> 32 of 2025, with accompanying online surveys that allowed participants to take in the workshop experience <br /> 33 and provide feedback. Pop-up events were also held to try and reach out to other members of the public. <br /> 34 Respondents and attendees provided information about current use of trails and parks, points of interest <br /> 35 to be connected, and aspirational design vision. Individuals were also asked to prioritize different trail <br /> 36 possibilities and react to an initial prioritization created from the workshops, surveys,on-site analysis and <br /> 37 prior plans. <br /> 38 <br /> 39 Note: Coordination with the staff and consultant for the ongoing Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was built <br /> 40 into the Trails Plan effort as well. Staff and consultants participated in a joint workshop and both were <br /> 41 present at a community outreach event.The Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is continuing and will be coming <br /> 42 to the Board later this year, and efforts to ensure consistency will be included. <br /> 43 <br /> 44 From the work done throughout 2025, a set of six (6) guiding principles were determined reflecting <br /> 45 recurring themes from public engagement, meetings with the steering committee and alignment with <br /> 46 guiding plans.These are (as shown on page 38 of the Plan): <br /> 47 <br />