Sonoma County wants community input on future Mark West Creek park

Sonoma County’s parks agency is asking for community input to help craft its overarching plan for the future Mark West Creek Regional Park northeast of Santa Rosa.

Opened for scheduled public visits in 2019, the 1,192-acre property was assembled by the county through $23 million in taxpayer-funded acquisitions starting more than 14 years ago.

The master plan underway at Regional Parks is expected to be presented late next year to the Board of Supervisors for its approval.

“The master plan will be driven by public input to create an accessible park with an emphasis on low-impact recreational activities, ecological protection and enhancement, interpretive programs, and educational experiences,” Sonoma County Regional Parks said in an announcement on its website.

The new park, which takes in 2.5 miles of Mark West Creek — a spawning stream for steelhead trout and salmon — as well as lush woodland, is set to be the third largest park in the county system, behind Tolay Lake and Hood Mountain.

It is home to many species of wildlife, including mountain lions and bobcats, California giant salamanders and northern spotted owls, according to the parks agency.

“These parks and preserves are public lands that are meant to enhance the community’s quality of life, so we want to hear from the community about what they value and desire,” Sonoma County Regional Parks Marketing Specialist Sarah Phelps said.

Regional Parks is asking for community input via its survey online and in-person at public events listed in its events calendar. Respondents will be asked for information including how close they live to the park, how often they might visit and what kinds of activities would interest them the most at the park.

The deadline to participate in the survey is Nov. 11. Contact Park Planner Mark Cleveland at mark.cleveland@sonoma-county.org or 707-565-3345 with any questions.

You can reach intern Lonnie Hayes at lonnie.hayes@pressdemocrat.com.