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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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