Regional park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Metropark redirects here. For other uses, see Metropark (disambiguation).
Regional park is a term used for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of local government.
[edit] Regional parks by country
[edit] New Zealand
- Main article: Regional parks of New Zealand
In New Zealand regional parks are administered by regional councils rather than the Department of Conservation or territorial authorities.
[edit] United States
In the United States a regional park is sometimes referred to as a Metropolitan Park (Metropark). The terms "region" and "metropolitan" have no precise meaning in US local government. Regional parks are administered by a regional park board rather than the National Park Service, a state, county or other unit of local government. A special authority can be set up, under the joint jurisdiction of two or more government bodies or as an independent park district to administer parks. Individual parks may or may not cross governmental boundaries. The park district holds the authority to manage and raise taxes to cover costs. This is similar to district libraries or fire protection districts. In Ohio, under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1545, metro parks such as the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks can have their own sworn police forces (rangers).
Other examples of Regional Parks are the East Bay Regional Park District in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, California; Huron-Clinton Metroparks in southeast Michigan; and the Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota.
