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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[EXTERNAL]CRO Planning & Design Response to RFQ_ Contractors - All Trades and Services - Parks and Recreation Department Due Thursday, August 27th at 3_00PM MTFrom:Drew Pollak-Bruce To:Bozeman Procurement Cc:Carolyn Lawrence; Abigail Johnson Subject:[EXTERNAL]CRO Planning & Design Response to RFQ: Contractors - All Trades and Services - Parks andRecreation Department Due Thursday, August 27th at 3:00PM MT Date:Wednesday, August 26, 2026 4:21:08 PM Attachments:image001.pngCRO_RESPONSE TO RFQ ALL TRADES AND SERVICES PARKS AND REC.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Bozeman Procurement Team! I am very pleased to provide the attached response to the Bozeman Parks & Recreation Department RFQ for Contractors for All Trades and Services due Thursday, August 27th at 3:00PM MT on behalf of CRO Planning & Design. Please confirm receipt of the submission if possible and let me know if there are any questions or if you or your team requires any clarifications. We very much appreciate the opportunity to submit a response to demonstrate our team’s qualifications for this exciting work with the City! Thanks!! ~Drew __________________________________ Drew Pollak-Bruce, CPRP (he/him/bro) Founder & Principal 303.859.2370 Drew@CROplanning.com www.CROplanning.com ACITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES AND SERVICES PREPARED BY CRO PLANNING & DESIGN COVER LETTER 1CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS Katherine Canter City of Bozeman|procurement@bozeman.net RE: Qualifications for Bozeman Parks & Recreation All Trades and Services Dear Katherine Canter, We are pleased to submit the attached qualifications for the City of Bozeman Parks & Recreation Department’s All Trades and Services on behalf of CRO Planning & Design. Our team enjoyed working on the Bikefill project with the City and the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, where we led the public engagement phase. This included developing and executing a three-month strategy that included an online survey, focus groups, two in-person workshops, and a virtual workshop to shape trail design for riders of all ages and abilities. We are excited about the opportunity to build on that relationship and help the Parks & Recreation Department with future projects. Our team brings extensive experience leading community engagement, park planning & design, and trail inventory & planning projects that combine technical analysis and practical implementation strategies to help communities prioritize investments and expand access to outdoor recreation. Community engagement is at the center of our work. For the City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, we designed and fielded a statistically robust survey of 400 residents to understand why local recreators weren’t using Boulder’s open space system, one of the first studies to focus specifically on barriers among non-users rather than existing visitors. For the Town of Essex, Vermont, we ran a deeply collaborative process with trail users, volunteers, and municipal partners, using workshops, stakeholder meetings, and interactive mapping exercises to surface gaps between existing conditions and community priorities. And for the Town of Williston, Vermont, our engagement strategy (online surveys, open house events, and stakeholder interviews) directly shaped our recommendations in their Recreation and Parks Master Plan. Our team has worked with municipalities, counties, state agencies, and federal land managers across the country to lead community engagement processes, inventory park and trail systems, evaluate existing conditions and user experiences, identify enhancement and connectivity opportunities, and develop long-range recreation and trail plans that are grounded in community priorities. We understand that successful planning requires an understanding of how people use public spaces, how these assets connect to neighborhoods and community destinations, who maintains them, and where thoughtful improvements can create lasting public benefit. We also recognize the importance of employing diverse methods of community engagement, including in-person open house events and workshops, StoryMaps, online surveys, stakeholder meetings, and focus groups, to ensure project outcomes are backed and embraced by the public. We are committed to delivering organized, transparent processes that result in actionable guides for future efforts, grant applications, capital investments, and continued collaboration among the many departments and organizations that work with Parks & Recreation. The next page lists the services with which our firm can provide the City. In the following pages, we demonstrate our team’s relevant experience, firm and team information, and references. We appreciate your consideration and welcome the opportunity to discuss how our experience with community engagement, parks and recreation planning, and trail planning can help the City of Bozeman’s Parks & Recreation Department achieve its future projects. Thank you for reading; we are excited about the chance to work with the City and engage with the amaing Bozeman recreation community again. Sincerely, August 2026 Drew Pollak-Bruce, CPRP | Founder & Principal | Drew@CROPlanning.com | 303.859.2370 SERVICES WE COULD PROVIDE We are ready and well qualified to provide the following services to the City of Bozeman Parks & Recreation Department: 2CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS 3CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS CITY OF BOZEMAN BOULDER OPEN SPACE & MOUNTAIN PARKS: EXPLORATION OF BARRIERS TO OUTDOOR RECREATION PARTICIPATION CITY OF BOULDER OPEN SPACE & MOUNTAIN PARKS CRO Planning & Design partnered with the City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks (OSMP) to better understand why many local residents who participate in outdoor recreation were not using Boulder’s extensive open space system. Using a statistically robust survey of 400 City and County residents who had recreated outdoors but had not visited OSMP areas in the previous year, our team conducted one of the first studies focused specifically on identifying barriers to participation among non-users rather than existing visitors. The research examined a broad range of potential constraints, including transportation, safety, amenities, information, accessibility, social dynamics, and perceptions of inclusion, to provide a comprehensive understanding of what prevents residents from accessing Boulder’s public lands. The study revealed that nearly all non-visitors wanted to experience OSMP areas, demonstrating that limited participation was driven by addressable barriers rather than a lack of interest. Our analysis identified key opportunities to improve equitable access through enhanced communication, transportation, visitor amenities, safety, and inclusive programming, while establishing a baseline for measuring future progress. The findings are helping inform OSMP’s long-term access and inclusivity initiatives by providing data-driven recommendations that support more equitable recreation planning, investments, and broader community engagement. FIRM EXPERIENCE 4CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS BIKEFILL: COMMUNITY BIKE PARK PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GALLLATIN VALLEY LAND TRUST, CITY OF BOZEMAN, AND THE SOUTHWEST MONTANA MOUNTAIN BIKING ASSOCIATION (SWMMBA) CRO Planning & Design supported the planning and design of Bikefill, an innovative community bike park that transforms 66 acres of previously impacted City-owned land between Bozeman’s Snowfill Recreation Area and former municipal landfill into a vibrant public recreation asset. Rather than leaving land with limited potential for housing or commercial development vacant, Bikefill reimagines the site as a free, community-focused destination featuring more than five miles of purpose-built trails for riders of all ages and abilities. Planned amenities include beginner through advanced trails, adaptive mountain biking opportunities, cyclocross trails, pump tracks, skills areas, and community gathering spaces. The project will also concentrate higher-intensity riding on previously disturbed land, helping reduce pressure and user conflicts on surrounding natural-surface trails. CRO approached public engagement as a critical component of the project, recognizing that the park’s success would depend on understanding the needs, experiences, and expectations of Bozeman’s diverse riding community before detailed design began. The team collaborated closely with Gallatin Valley Land Trust, the City of Bozeman, and The Dirt Concern, the Bozeman chapter of the Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association, to develop and implement a three-month engagement process. The program included a comprehensive online survey, three targeted focus groups, two in-person public workshops, and an interactive virtual workshop. The online survey, promoted through the City’s Engage Bozeman website and accessible by QR code, provided an efficient way to reach a broad cross-section of the community. Focus groups enabled deeper conversations with Bozeman Youth Cycling and National Interscholastic Cycling Association participants, cyclocross riders, and members of the adaptive recreation community. These discussions helped the project team better understand desired trail experiences, progression needs, accessibility considerations, programming opportunities, and potential barriers to participation. CRO also facilitated highly interactive public workshops where participants responded to targeted questions through mapping, written comments, and sticker-dot exercises. In-person and virtual formats provided multiple ways for community members to participate and allowed the team to clearly document, visualize, and communicate community priorities. The resulting input helped establish an inclusive vision for Bikefill and provided a strong foundation for subsequent master planning and design. The project officially broke ground in June 2026, with completion anticipated in 2027. 5CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE Bottom: The project team analyzed results from the public survey and created visually pleasing infographics that clearly communicate the results to the client and the public. Top: Public engagement sessions in Bozeman, Montana offered residents an opportunity to share feedback, ideas, and concerns with the project team. 6CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE BOULDER PARKS, RECREATION ACTIVITY, & VISITOR USE FRAMEWORK CITY OF BOULDER PARKS & RECREATION CRO Planning & Design is currently leading a multi- year PARKS, recreation, and visitor-use analysis for the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation in partnership with Perimeter Geography and Waypoint Telemetry. As a community often looked to nationally for progressive park, recreation, sustainability, and equity practices, Boulder is undertaking its first comprehensive measurement of outdoor recreation activities across its urban park system. The project moves beyond counting parks and physical assets to understand what activities are occurring, where they occur, how intensively spaces are used, and how equitably recreation opportunities are distributed. The team is developing a comprehensive recreation activity list and data dictionary, standardized geographic domains, GIS mapping protocols, intensity metrics, and customized activity-based service standards. The methodology will be tested within two of Boulder’s “Naturehood” zones through a year-long pilot evaluation that combines Placer.ai movement data, City datasets, field observations, automated counts, and stakeholder and park-user input. The analysis will examine activity locations, seasonality, use intensity, multimodal access, spatial equity, and the relationships between park assets and the many activities they support. Customized benchmarking will connect national and peer-community standards with real activity and visitor-use data, providing a more meaningful measure of service than traditional assets-per- capita comparisons. The project will produce an expandable GIS database, interactive mapping tools, an accessible and graphic-rich findings report, and a documented methodology that can be replicated throughout the broader park system. Findings will be validated with City staff and stakeholders and translated into practical management strategies and future data-collection priorities. By connecting visitor-use data, geographic analysis, equity, and activity-based service standards, this work has the potential to establish a new model for how communities evaluate park performance and make informed recreation investments. 7CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS WILLISTON RECREATION & PARKS MASTER PLAN TOWN OF WILLISTON, VERMONT The Town of Williston hired CRO Planning & Design to develop a comprehensive Recreation and Parks Master Plan to guide the future of the community’s park system. This plan began with a full inventory of existing parks, outlining their defining characteristics, including ownership, accessibility, amenities, and natural resources. By documenting what currently exists, the Town could better understand how its recreational assets are distributed and how well they serve today’s residents. A key technical component of the plan involved using GIS mapping to conduct a detailed gap analysis. This analysis identified areas of Williston that lack convenient access to parks and recreational spaces, highlighting opportunities for future development. As the Town continues to grow, the Master Plan will ensure that this growth is supported by equitable access to high-quality parks. FIRM EXPERIENCE This included assessing potential locations for new parks, with particular attention given to Williston’s Growth Center and Village, where population and activity levels are expected to increase, and providing recommendations for how to enhance the Town’s existing parks Public engagement was central to this project, involving online community surveys, open house events, and stakeholder interviews to gather local ideas and priorities. These community perspectives shaped the plan’s recommendations. Ultimately, the project resulted in a clear and consistent implementation plan, integrating information from other Williston plans and the recent indoor recreation scoping study. The final plan will guide the Town’s efforts to enhance, expand, and sustainably manage its park system into the future. 8CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE ESSEX KEYSTONE TRAIL & CONNECTIVITY MASTER PLAN TOWN OF ESSEX, VERMONT CRO Planning & Design led the Keystone Trail & Connectivity (KTC) Plan for Essex, Vermont, one of the largest communities in the state. This project represents ambitious effort to transform a well- used but fragmented trail system into a cohesive, multi-use network that serves as both a local backyard resource and a regional destination. This treasured town forest trail system serves as a primary recreation asset for many different users types, and functions as a primary outdoor asset for all the nearby population centers. The project began with a comprehensive assessment of existing conditions, recognizing that while miles of trails already existed, many were legacy routes or informal paths that did not align with current user expectations, sustainability standards, or desired recreational experiences. This understanding shaped a planning approach focused not just on connectivity, but on redefining how the system could better serve evolving community needs. A central component of the KTC Plan was the development of a diverse, intentional trail network that supports multiple user groups and experience types. The plan established a hierarchy of trail typologies—including bike-optimized singletrack, shared-use natural surface trails, and accessible multi-use paths—each designed to meet specific recreational goals and skill levels. Rather than treating all trails as interchangeable, the project emphasized designing for experience: identifying where users desired flow-oriented mountain biking, family-friendly loops, commuting connections, or quiet nature immersion, and aligning trail design accordingly. This approach ensured that the system could accommodate a wide range of uses while minimizing conflict and improving overall trail quality and sustainability. Our methodology for the trail system redesign included a comprehensive zone analysis of the existing trail system so as to designate best uses throughout the Town. In working with an environmental services firm, we designated certain areas as no-trail zones in order to preserve wildlife habitat and fragile ecosystems. Other areas were designated for active transportation trails, due to their connective positioning between neighborhoods, while forested public lands were retained for a mountain bike trail zone. Equally important was a deeply collaborative engagement process that worked closely with local trail users, volunteers, and municipal partners to understand how the system was being used, and how it wasn’t. Through workshops, stakeholder meetings, and interactive mapping, CRO facilitated conversations that surfaced gaps between existing conditions and desired experiences, allowing the community to directly shape priorities for new trail development, reroutes, and upgrades. This user- centered, experience-driven methodology resulted in a clear, implementable vision that balances recreation, access, and environmental stewardship. The Public Visioning Workshop invited community members to draw, write, and apply labels to maps of Essex’s existing active transportation network to show preferences and concerns for the system’s redevelopment. 9CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE The above map, part of a series in the final report, depicts the existing conditions of Essex’s active transportation system. One proposed typology for Essex’s trail system. 10CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS HARRIMAN STATE PARK TRAIL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT PLAN FRIENDS OF HARRIMAN STATE PARK CRO Planning & Design led a team to develop a Trails Management Plan for Harriman State Park & Wildlife Refuge, located in Island Park, Idaho which is part of the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem. The team evaulated Harriman’s 22-mile trail system to develop conceptual trail redesigns and management recommendations that match the park’s multi-jurisdictional management landscape, changing user base, and sensitive ecological system. Harriman State Park user groups include mountain bikers, equestrians, a horse concessionaire, hikers, dog-walkers, snowshoers, and nordic skiers. These user groups have a history of conflicting needs. The Trail Management Plan therefore focuses on implementing new signage and recommended trail uses that enable all user groups to recreate harmoniously while maintaining their safety and desired trail experience. Tasks in this project included a widespread evaluation of existing management plans and the park’s operational structure, robust public engagement and multi- agency collaboration, trail assessment and design, map & signage design, and an ecological evaluation to understand how the park’s trail system impacts surrounding wildlife. Results from the Harriman Trails Experience Survey illustrate differing user group priorities and existing user group conflicts. FIRM EXPERIENCE 11CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE The final maps feature legends depicting the recommended activities on each of Harriman’s trails. These activity recommendations are the result of a comprehensive user group stakeholder engagement plan. 6550 7336 7150 6936 6336 6376 6299 6758 6533 6531 6226 6910 6196 6140 6165 6174 6205 6191 6177 6158 6145 6159 6126 6159 6154 6206 6199 6166 6175 Henrys Fork of the Snake Riv er Golden Silver PondFish Lake Lake MountainMoonshine CARIBOU-TARGHEE NATIONAL FOREST CARIBOU-TARGHEE NATIONAL FORESTCaldera Trail Bing LempkeTrail Meadow Trail Golden LakeTrail Sagebrush Trail Great GrayTrail Railroad Ranch Walkway Cattail Trail Silver Lake Trail Meadow Trail Thurmon Trail Ridge Trail Ridge Shortcut Lodgepole Nature Trail Pelican PointTrail Pelican PointTrail Golden Lake Trail Ridge Trail Silver LakeTrail Meadow Trail Cattail Trail RiverviewTrail John Muir Trail Pelican PointTrail 20 20 20 47 47 SUMMER TRAILS ISLAND PARK, ID 1.4 1.11.1 1.3 .8 .5 .5 .9 .3 .2 .3 .7 1.1 .8 .7 2.4 1.7 .6 .6 Green Canyon Rd. Mesa F a l l s H w y . .7 .1 .4 .2 .4 .2 .5 .1 .4 .6 .4 Osborne Parking .2 .2 HenrysForkRailroad Ranch Key Buildings Boys House Bunkhouse & Coolhouse Cattle Forman’s Ranch Manager Dorm & Dining Hall Scovel Center Meadow T ra i l Pelican Point Trail Rail road Ranch Wa lkway Overnight Guest Parking Only T r a i l N am e Mil e s Hik e Bik eHo r s e sDif f i c u l t y Bing Lempke 1.4 Caldera 1.1 Cattail 1.2 Golden Lake 1.5 Great Gray .8 John Muir .8 Lodgepole 1.2 Meadow 1.9 Pelican Point 3.2 Railroad Ranch .4 Ridge 2.2 Ridge Shortcut .6 Riverview .6 Sagebrush .8 Silver Lake 2.6 Thurmon 1.1 TRAIL TYPE Singletrack Gravel/Accessible Doubletrack Dirt Road Paved ROADS 2.1 State Park Boundary Trail segments in MILES No E-bikes beyond this point. E-Bikes are not allowed on U.S. Forest Service Trails. Service Local State Highway Trail Junctions Parking Visitor Center Restrooms Picnic Shelter Yurt Historic Railroad Ranch Barricade Scenic ViewpointBridge Gravel Boat Launch 0 0.5 1 miles Recommended Activities Ranch Office Non-Motorized Boat Launch Fishing Acces Park Entrance 0 200100FT N 12CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER VERMONT: VT SCORP, STATEWIDE TRAILS PLAN & VOREC 5-YEAR ACTION PLAN STATE OF VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF FORETS, PARKS, AND RECREATION & VERMONT OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMIC COLLABORATIVE CCRO Planning & Design worked with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation and the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative to lead Move Forward Together Vermont, an integrated statewide planning initiative encompassing Vermont’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, VOREC Action Plan, and Statewide Trails Plan. The process established a shared five-year vision for outdoor recreation, trails, stewardship, community wellness, and economic development. A central component of the initiative was the development of Vermont’s first comprehensive statewide trails dataset. CRO inventoried, evaluated, and consolidated trail information from four complex sources maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, TrailFinder, and Vermont E911. The team reconciled differences in geometry, coverage, and attribution to produce a standardized GIS layer representing thousands of miles of trails. The resulting dataset documented trail activities, managing organizations, landownership, seasonality, and motorized and non- motorized access. CRO then used this information to evaluate the statewide trail network, identify data and connectivity gaps, better understand regional trail opportunities, and develop priorities related to trail access, management, investment, policy, and long-term data stewardship. The planning process was grounded in extensive public and stakeholder engagement. CRO conducted statewide surveys of recreation users, providers, and outdoor businesses, including Vermont’s first statistically representative statewide outdoor recreation user survey. Additional engagement included regional public workshops, focus groups, interviews, and a statewide stakeholder summit. The team analyzed and translated this extensive input into clear findings, priorities, and recommended actions, while using branded graphics, maps, presentations, and visual summaries to make complex statewide information accessible to agencies, partners, decision-makers, and the public. CRO also produced high-quality graphic design and data visualization for the project, creating a cohesive project brand that carried across the project website, surveys, presentations, engagement materials, infographics, maps, and final planning documents. This included development of a regularly updated an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap collection that served as the project’s central communications and engagement hub. The site introduced the initiative and its brand, explained project goals and timelines, hosted participation opportunities, shared survey and engagement findings, presented interactive maps and data visualizations, and communicated the emerging vision and priority actions. This living website allowed the State to maintain momentum and transparency throughout the planning process while connecting technical analysis, local perspectives, and statewide recommendations through an intuitive public-facing narrative. The work culminated in a coordinated family of visually engaging plans and implementation resources that continues to guide outdoor recreation and trail investment throughout Vermont. MFTV Story Map 13CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS FIRM EXPERIENCE Move Forward Together Vermont A Vision for our Outdoor Recreation Future Thousands of people engaged in focus groups, participated in surveys, and provided feedback over an 18 month period so we could learn more about outdoor recreation in our state. 93% of people in Vermont participate in outdoor recreation each year Vermont’s outdoor economy generates $2.1B and employs 16,283 people Vermont has over 11,500 miles of trails VERMONT LAKE CHAMPLAIN CAMEL’S HUMP The top reasons people participate in outdoor recreation in Vermont are to: Enhance their mental well-being Relax and recharge Appreciate the scenic beauty The high cost of gear, equipment, and clothing is the top barrier for people participating in outdoor recreation in Vermont, followed by competing interests and insufficient facilities. Non-binary and low-income respondents face particular barriers including a lack of accessible information, difficulties with transportation and the high cost of gear, equipment, and clothing. The most popular activities that people participate in: Walking Hiking Swimming Flatwater paddling Gardening The top activities outdoor businesses support: Bicycling Hiking/walking Backcountry skiing Learn more by visiting bit.ly/MoveTogetherVT Data based on responses to surveys completed through the Move Forward Together Vermont planning process MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER VERMONT SCORP & VOREC ACTION PLAN (CONTINUED) STATE OF VERMONT DEPT. OF FORESTS, PARKS, & RECREATION & VOREC 20 PREPARED FOR THE TOWN OF HARTFORD, VERMONT, PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT CRO EXAMPLE PROJECTS & REFERENCESMOVE FORWARD TOGETHER VERMONT: THE 2024 VERMONT STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN (SCORP) & VOREC ACTION PLANSTATE OF VERMONT DEPT. OF FORESTS, PARKS, & RECREATION & VORECCRO Planning & Design is worked with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation and the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) in supporting the Move Forward Together Vermont (MFTV) Initiative, which includes the development of Vermont’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). A SCORP is essentially an outdoor recreation master plan for states - a planning document, completed every five years, that is used to guide statewide outdoor recreation management and subsequent funding directives. Our team assisted the state to develop a well-informed SCORP that will effectively guide the state’s outdoor recreation future. The final product can be viewed at fpr.vermont.gov/move-forward-together-vermont.PROJECT OUTCOMES • A series of robust public outreach activities including two statewide recreation user surveys, a recreation provider survey, an outdoor business survey, an in-person summit meeting with key stakeholders, and open house meetings with the public across the state • In-depth analyses and interpretations of survey data to inform the development of a vision, priorities, and key actions for managing outdoor recreation in Vermont for the next five years • A statewide trails map layer using multiple official data sources via ArcGIS • A statewide recreational asset inventory of federal, state, municipal, and NGO recreational assets, trails, and amenities throughout Vermont • A series of compelling infographics and reports that clearly communicate data findings and implications for managing outdoor recreation within Vermont into the future • A project StoryMap site, specifically the ‘outreach results’ and ‘draft vision and priority action’ pages, that is regularly updated and serves as an information hub for the MFTV initiative • Created a final plan document PROJECT REFERENCE:Name: Claire PolfusTitle: Recreation Program ManagerOrganization: Vermont Department of Forestry, Parks & RecreationEmail: claire.polfus@vermont.govPhone: (802) 505-5372 19PROPOSAL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN Top: Communications materials for Move Forward Together Vermont Right: Primary statistics from the Vermont Recreation User Survey The homepage of the Move Forward Together Vermont StoryMap 14CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS DARRINGTON SAUK RIVER PARK CONCEPT DESIGN TOWN OF DARRINGTON, WASHINGTON This multi-party, collaborative planning process was funded by the Wilderness Society with the goal of developing a concept plan that would support a Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant application for the Town of Darrington that could fund the detailed design, permitting, and construction of river access features desired by the community. The Town of Darrington boasts an amazing natural amenity directly adjacent to its borders, the Sauk Wild & Scenic River; however, there were no safe methods to access the Sauk River from the Town’s center. As a result CRO Planning & Design was hired to develop a community-oriented, shovel-ready concept plan that outlined solutions in developing a safe, accessible, and close to home river-based recreation. This plan served as a development guide through inventorying surrounding recreational assets and their conditions, identifying top priorities for providing enjoyable river access opportunities within town, outlining implementation timelines and estimated costs, and detailing partnership opportunities. Our work for the Sauk River Concept Design Project was focused on providing equitable local access to a community’s river with a plan for accessible trails and new river access points. The project involved: • Performing a robust series of public engagement activities with stakeholders and residents • Engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration with local governments, non-profits, businesses, and key stakeholders • Identifying wayfinding and interpretive signage needs • Supporting river and riparian educational opportunities • Incorporating river and habitat conservation into inclusive, accessible design • Carrying out a series of on-site floodway and spatial analyses within the Project Area • Performing accessibility analyses of future trails and river access points • Producing preliminary trail maps and recreation asset designs with considerations to flooding and other water-based hazards FIRM EXPERIENCE 15CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS 16 FIRM BACKGROUND PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS CITY OF BOZEMAN CRO PLANNING & DESIGN Drew Pollak-Bruce, CPRP Founder & Principal Drew@CROplanning.com 303.859.2370 CRO Planning & Design is a consulting firm focused on three core areas: Communities, Recreation, and Open Space. We help municipalities, counties, regions, state agencies, federal land managers, nonprofits, and private sector clients navigate complex projects on public lands across North America. We are proven experts in delivering multi-party and comprehensive recreation planning processes, allowing our clients to move forward with confidence in managing critical natural and recreational assets. We excel in community visioning and collaborative stakeholder engagement processes for outdoor recreation, conservation, tourism, and outdoor economy projects. We are a small and passionate inter-disciplinary team of planning and design professionals who provide custom-tailored recreation planning services and are recognized as a small business by the US Small Business Administration. We complete between 10 and 20 projects per year, depending on each project’s client-directed timeline. Based in Burlington, Vermont, and Seattle, Washington, CRO Planning & Design brings unparalleled experience with parks and recreation planning and design that helps our clients navigate the delicate balance between recreational access, tourism, economic development, quality of life, and the protection of the natural environments and cultural resources that inspire people to visit these incredible public landscapes. We are trusted community advisors who have completed dozens of parks and recreation projects across the United States, from working in the Southeast with clients like Tennessee State Parks and the State of Alabama, to the West Coast with clients like the Olympic Peninsula Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (National, State Park, county, and municipal outdoor rec and tourism managers), to our New England mountains with clients like the Town of Williston in Vermont, the New Hampshire Office of Outdoor Recreation, and the Appalachian Mountain Club in Maine. CRO Founder & Principal, Drew Pollak- Bruce, has personally completed over 100 outdoor recreation planning projects over his career, and each member of the CRO team has direct experience with comprehensive recreation planning. This makes us perfectly positioned to provide the City of Bozeman with the following services for its Parks & Recreation Department: • Community engagement • StoryMap creation • Open house events, including engagement poster board & sticker dot exercise design • Parks & recreation master planning • System-wide comprehensive planning • Park and trail design workshops • Focus groups • Online survey development and distribution • ADA & adaptive improvements for parks & trails • Trail planning & design • GIS services & map creation • Wayfinding sign design • Parks & recreation program and event analyses • Economic impact studies We will not use Generative AI in fulfillment of the services if awarded a contract. 17CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS PARKS & RECREATION PLANNING EXPERTS Holistic Approach & Solutions Community-Led Processes & Outcomes CRO Planning & Design helps municipalities, counties, regions, state agencies, federal land managers, non-profits, and private sector clients navigate complex projects on public lands across North America. We are proven experts in delivering citywide, multi-party, and comprehensive recreation planning and design processes. We excel in community visioning & collaborative stakeholder engagement processes for trail, outdoor economy, and parks & recreation projects. We believe in holistic systems thinking and thrive in projects that embrace the linkages between outdoor recreation and economic development, land conservation, and natural systems. We employ a comprehensive ‘landscape management approach in all our work to help ensure the best outcomes are achieved for both human recreators and all the other precious species, resources, and values present in our parks and public lands. We recognize the often-deep connections between communities and their recreational assets, and don’t cut off our thinking at the park boundaries. We are equally adept at discussing tourism opportunities and the downtown economics of outdoor recreation as we are discussing detailed trail design and recreation programming in the field. We ensure all our plans align with the goals and values of the communities we work with. Our team has worked on outdoor recreation contracts for over one-third of the US state governments, each of the US federal land management agencies, and dozens of rural communities & regions throughout North America. Rural Communities, State Governments, & Federal Agencies 18CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS 19CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS KEY PERSONNEL STAFF EXPERIENCE CRO PLANNING & DESIGN Drew Pollak- Bruce, CPRP Founder & Principal Principal in Charge Drew has extensive experience in trails, open space, and recreation planning and a background in land use and multi-modal transportation planning, public policy, outdoor economy, community development, and public participation. Over his 20-year career in outdoor recreation, Drew has supervised a diverse portfolio of over 50 outdoor economy, outdoor recreation, and trail plans including statewide trail design guidebooks, projects for State Offices of Outdoor Recreation, regional & state park master plans, and statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plans. Drew serves on the board of the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, who put on the National Outdoor Recreation Conference, and is the Vice Chair of the VT Recreation & Parks Association. Abigail Johnson Recreation Researcher & Designer Abigail studied quantitative social science and human-centered design at Dartmouth College and brings experience creating data visualizations and web platforms that make information about the outdoors more accessible to people. Before joining CRO, Abigail used her background to support adaptive and accessible recreation efforts at the U.S. National Park Service and at Mid Sweden University’s European Tourism Research Institute (ETOUR). Carolyn Lawrence Recreation Planner Carolyn’s diverse experiences directing national-caliber trail nonprofits like the Stowe Trails Partnership; considering ecology and caring for biodiversity as a Master Naturalist; conducting outdoor recreation stakeholder engagement throughout the United States; advocating for recreation with state and federal legislators; and completing systemwide trails master plans in complex urban environments offers a unique perspective to this project. Mistaya Smith Recreation Planner Mistaya empowers rural communities to use local assets as a tool for bolstering economic and community development, while deepening the place-based connections of residents and visitors alike. With a background in rural planning and geospatial research, and a Master in City Planning degree from MIT, Mistaya brings a whole systems-thinking approach to outdoor recreation planning. 20 FIRM WORKLOAD & CLAIMS PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS CITY OF BOZEMAN FIRM WORKLOAD & CLAIMS WORKLOAD We anticipate working on 15 projects around the USA within the next twelve months. This workload is standard for our firm and allows capacity for additional projects with the City of Bozeman, all to be met within future project time and budget requirements, as defined by the City. CLAIMS CRO Planning & Design has no active claims against it and at no time in the last ten years has CRO Planning & Design been assessed and paid liquidated damages after completion of a project under a contract with a public owner. 21CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS 22 REFERENCES PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS CITY OF BOZEMAN REFERENCES 1) BIKEFILL, BOZEMAN’S COMMUNITY BIKE PARKReference: Matt Parsons | Gallatin Valley Land Trust Trails Director | matt@gvlt.org | 406.587.8404 2) BOULDER PARKS, RECREATION ACTIVITY, & VISITORUSE FRAMEWORK Reference: Charlotte O’Donnell| Parks Planner | odonnellc@bouldercolorado.gov | 720.564.2034 3) WILLISTON RECREATION & PARKS MASTER PLAN Reference: Todd Goodwin | Williston Director of Recreation & Parks | tgoodwin@ willistonvt.org | 802.876.1160 4) ESSEX KEYSTONE TRAIL & CONNECTIVITY MASTER PLAN Reference: Kent Johnson | Essex Town Planner | kjohnson@essex.org | 802.878.1343 5) HARRIMAN STATE PARK TRAIL SYSTEM MANAGEMENTPLANReference: Jess Brumfield | Park Manager | jess.brumfield@idpr.idaho.gov | 208.558.7368 23CITY OF BOZEMAN PARKS & RECREATION ALL TRADES QUALIFICATIONS