Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Walworth County.

The Public Involvement Meetings will take place:

• March 3, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lake Geneva City Hall, Council Chambers, 626 Geneva St., Lake Geneva
• March 8, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Walworth County Public Works, Conference Room 117, W4097 County Rd. NN, Elkhorn

“We know the County’s open spaces and parks are really important to our residents,” says Matthew Mortwedt, Walworth County deputy director, asset management. “We want to ensure that everyone who is interested in doing so has the opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and questions about the revised Park and Open Space Plan (POSP).”

The purpose of the County’s POSP is to protect existing natural resources and guide the acquisition and development of lands and facilities needed to meet the outdoor recreation needs of current and future residents. Key proposals from the revised plan include:

• The protection of a total of 77,999 acres of open space lands, or about 21 percent of Walworth County, through a combination of public or nonprofit conservation organization ownership or the application of protective zoning.
• The preservation of eight new critical species habitat sites through protective ownership: Mallard Habitat Area, Turtle Creek Wetland, Sheridan Springs Road Habitat Area, Clover Valley State Wildlife Area, Scout Road Tract, Ebner Woods, Section 28 Wetlands, and Lake Beulah Woodlands.
• The acquisition and development by Walworth County of a new, major County park (major being defined as generally 100 acres or more in size) in the southwestern or west-central portion of the County.
• The maintenance and expansion of the five current major County parks. The County would acquire additional lands and develop new facilities at Price Park Conservancy and Natureland Park, and develop new facilities at White River County Park. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would continue to maintain Whitewater Lake Recreation Area and acquire lands at Big Foot Beach State Park.

Feedback from the public involvement meetings will be incorporated into the final plan revision before being formally presented for adoption by the Walworth County Park Committee and the Board of Supervisors. The plan will tentatively go before the Park Committee for approval at its April 2022 meeting, followed by final approval by the County Board of Supervisors in May.

A draft of the Walworth County Park and Open Space Plan is available on the Walworth County Public Works website. Registration is not required to attend. Those wishing to submit comments remotely may do so by contacting Matthew Mortwedt, deputy director, asset management, at mmortwedt@co.walworth.wi.us, (262) 741-3725.