Mission

The Mission of the Portage Park District is to conserve our natural and cultural heritage for the benefit and well-being of Portage County Citizens.

Goals

Conservation
Preserving and restoring places with ecological, historic and scenic values

Education
Developing mission-related education programs for schools and the communities

Recreation
Offering opportunities and facilities for such pastimes as wildlife watching, biking, hiking, picnicking and canoeing

Community Partnerships
Cooperating with townships, villages, cities, schools and organizations in planning, conservation and park development.

Vision Statement

The Portage Park District strives to be known throughout Portage County and Northeast Ohio as a leader in conservation of natural resources and a major contributor to local communities’ quality of life. We work towards being a well-respected partner to local communities in promoting and developing new parks and trails and providing recreation and education programs for all citizens. Through open communication, collaboration and respect, we can balance the various needs in our community to ensure a healthy environment without compromising economic development.

The Park District conserves high quality natural areas including stream and river corridors, mature forests and old fields, much of which is available for passive recreation uses. In addition, through its innovative and creative education programs and partnerships that can reach every school district and community, we can help raise the consciousness for the need for natural resource conservation and stewardship. We strive to be a leader in promoting sustainability, modeling energy, water and materials conservation practices as well as demonstrating ecosystem restoration. We support a cooperative and collaborative approach to land use and development that can result in the conservation of rural character, water quality and wildlife habitat.

The Park District plays a major role in the creation of a regional parks and trails system that can contribute millions of dollars to the local economy through tourism and new business stimulation. We strive to keep the parks, trails and facilities that we operate clean, safe and well-maintained. We seek to conserve areas of local cultural and historic importance.