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Bellingham · BEL-CP-2025 · Pages 84-95

Parks and Recreation

The Parks and Recreation chapter guides the development, maintenance, and stewardship of Bellingham's extensive park and trail system over the next 20 years, emphasizing equitable access, inclusive services, and sustainability. It establishes goals for acquiring new parkland in underserved areas, conserving natural features, enhancing recreational programming, and maintaining an interconnected trail network. The chapter also emphasizes building partnerships with community organizations, adjacent jurisdictions, and tribal nations to enhance recreational opportunities for all residents.

Parks & Recreation Social Environment Governance

“Only 1 of 42 Parks and Recreation policies (2%) include a concrete, measurable commitment.” Real Record SAY vs DO analysis · Bellingham Comprehensive Plan

About this analysis

Real Record applies the SAY vs DO accountability framework to every chapter of every Washington comprehensive plan we publish. Each policy in the chapter is read individually and scored into one of four buckets:

  • Measurable — the policy names a specific target, deadline, dollar amount, or action that can be verified later.
  • Strong — binding action language (“shall,” “will adopt,” “require”) without a measurable threshold.
  • Aspirational — encouraging or supportive language (“encourage,” “support,” “consider”) with no enforcement.
  • Monitor only — policies that commit to tracking or reporting but not to action.

The accountability score shown in the sidebar is the share of policies in the chapter that landed in the “Measurable” bucket. A score of 0–19 (red) indicates most policies use aspirational language without concrete accountability; 20–49 (orange) is mixed; 50 or higher (green) means the chapter is dominated by measurable commitments.

The underlying text comes from the official adopted comprehensive plan published by the Bellingham planning department. Scoring is performed by Real Record analysts using a structured rubric; the raw policy text and bucket assignments are archived in the Real Record civic data warehouse.

Read the full methodology, sources, and rubric at Real Record · About.

What the Plan Promises
Formal targets adopted in the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan.
All residents within one-half mile safe route of a developed park and trail (PR-1)
Goals (7 total)
  • PR-A: Equitable Facilities and Services – Provide high-quality park facilities and services that are accessible, inclusive and distributed equitably across Bellingham
  • PR-B: Well-Designed Environments – Create environments to support wellness and a sense of safety, connect people and nature and provide a sense of place
  • PR-C: Conservation and Resilience – Conserve nature and enhance climate resilience within the park system
  • PR-D: Recreational Opportunities – Develop innovative and diverse programs, services and strategies for improving recreational opportunities
  • PR-E: Interconnected Parks and Trails – Utilize trails to interconnect the city's parks and open spaces
  • PR-F: Effective and Sustainable System – Operate and maintain parks, trails and facilities effectively and sustainably
  • PR-G: Partnerships and Collaboration – Cultivate strong partnerships and community collaboration to enhance recreational opportunities
Stronger Policy Language (21 policies in this chapter)
  • PR-1: Provide a system of parks, trails and open space so that all residents live within one-half mile safe route of a developed park and trail.
  • PR-17: Manage urban forests and street trees for human wellness and safety, to provide shade, improve wildlife habitat, sequester greenhouse gases and mitigate fire hazards.
  • PR-31: Establish clear maintenance standards for park assets and evaluate and report progress towards meeting standards and improving conditions.
  • PR-35: Steward and protect the park system from invasive species, illegal activity and repair and restore damage where needed.
Show all 21 stronger policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 17 stronger policies are catalogued in the Real Record civic data warehouse and indexed by policy number against the adopted plan text. See how policies are scored →
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (20 policies in this chapter)
  • PR-4: Provide recreational programs and cultural events that celebrate the diversity of the community.
  • PR-28: Explore trail surface alternatives that balance the natural character of Bellingham's trail system with accessibility requirements and sustainable development practices.
  • PR-33: Explore options to improve enforcement of park rules while ensuring all park users feel welcome.
  • PR-39: Explore partnerships that expand services or leverage support for specific projects.
Show all 20 aspirational / monitoring policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 16 policies in this bucket use language like “encourage,” “support,” “consider,” or “monitor” — phrasing that does not create an enforceable commitment. See how policies are scored →

SAY vs DISCUSS: Did this come up in meetings?

Real Record has not yet indexed any Bellingham briefings tagged to this chapter’s topics. Browse all Bellingham council and planning briefings to see related discussions in context.

View Bellingham Briefings →

SAY vs DO: Where the Money Goes

Departments related to Parks and Recreation in Bellingham — what the city actually funds, year over year.

Budget analysis for this chapter is in progress. Real Record has mapped 3 Bellingham departments to this chapter, but the FY2006 / FY2025 line-item totals are not yet loaded into our civic data warehouse. In the meantime, browse the city-wide budget comparison on the index page.