The Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District will kick off its month and a half-long public comment solicitation period for the agency’s Comprehensive Plan at the Earth Day Expo April 26.

The parks’ plan, which is updated every six years, will determine what forms of recreation, conservation or development the district will prioritize to best serve the needs of parkgoers. An initial draft of the plan will be finished in fall 2025.

Residents can fill out a survey designed by the park district and a third-party research firm in April, then attend a series of community meetings in a phase called “Setting the Direction” in May.

A three-page draft of the survey asks residents to state their top reasons for visiting parks and parks programming, the efficacy of the district’s communications strategy, and its values and vision, to share details like household income level or whether they own a dog and other questions.

Input is crucial for the district’s planning, particularly because the agency provides a public service, Matthew Keough, BIMPRD senior planner, says in a memo to parks commissioners. “The questions are being structured for Bainbridge respondents to relate their experience and expectations into desired outcomes that will lead to prioritization in the planning process and in future direction setting decisions,” Keough said. “We want to be sure that the proposed questions cover critical planning issues and do so without losing necessary focus.”

The parks planning department asked commissioners to weigh in on a few questions that would supplement categories in the survey.

One potential question presented a gradient scale between two of the district’s priorities—“outdoor recreation in a natural setting” and “natural resource preservation and protection” — and asked respondents to select an emphasis to pursue. Another question posed a hypothetical: if respondents had $100 to spend on improving recreation or programs, how would they spend it?

“Part of educating the community includes recognizing that all ideas come at a cost and how best to allocate available funds,” Commissioner Dawn Janow said at the March 20 parks meeting.

Earth Day Expo is at Battle Point Park and celebrates the environmental movement. There will be live music, booths of sustainability-focused organizations and businesses, including artisans and local restaurants. Along with the survey, parks staff will lead nature-inspired activities for children and an on-site work party for adults and teens.