Did you know that wherever you are in Montgomery County, you are never more than 2 miles away from a park?
Montgomery Parks’ mission is to protect and interpret our valuable natural and cultural resources, balance the demand for recreation with the need for conservation, offer a variety of enjoyable recreational activities that encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide clean, safe, and accessible places for leisure-time activities.
Parks Improve…
Mental and Physical Health
The 2014 survey, Exposure to Neighborhood Green Space and Mental Health: Evidence from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin, found “higher levels of neighborhood green space were associated with significantly lower levels of symptomology for depression, anxiety and stress.”
A May 2010 Report to the President from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity states that “children of all ages are healthier, happier and have better social skills if they have frequent opportunities for free and unstructured play outdoors.”
The Economy
The Economic Impact of Parks report issued in 2017 by the National Recreation and Park Association, in partnership with the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, demonstrates the profound effect of local parks and recreational agencies’ capital spending and operations.
Economic Impact in MD
Labor Income: $827,208,357
Employment (jobs): 17,931
Economic Activity (Transactions): $2,361,648,085
The Environment
The U.S. Forest Service calculated over the course of one year, “an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced by a car driven 26,000 miles.” The North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Tree Facts webpage states a ”tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.”
Our park system actively manages more than 29,000 natural acres for environmental preservation, contributing greatly to this county’s environmental health.
At-a-Glance
Montgomery County Parks
424
Total number of parks37,072
Total acres of parkland269.6
Total natural and paved surface trails (miles)490
Total stream length (miles)Discover more Montgomery Parks’ system highlights in the Green Tree Report PDF.
Park Budget
$122 million
Park Fund, Adopted Operating Budget FY2020$76 million
Capital Improvements Program FY2019-2024$167.7 million
Capital Improvements Program FY2019-2024Current Projects
