Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "A regional parks and open space plan recently published by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) reflects area plans to spend more than $9 million on open space lands in the next five years. The plan, which extendeds through 1985, envisions a three-county network of parks, greenways and other open spaces to accomplish a variety of aims. Recreation, esthetics, historical preservation, conservation, food control, pollution control and safety are among these aims. A system of "greenways," bands of landscaped open space paralleling major highways in the metropolitan area, is proposed with several of these goals in mind. The ACOG plan document notes that one state study shows "driving for pleasure is the No. 1 recreational activity in the state, based on number of participants."......The plan suggests the greenways be developed as an integral part of the metropolitan area highway plan contained in the Oklahoma City Regional Transportation Study (OCARTS). The open space plan notes that the coupling of highway development with open space provisions is in line with "current trends toward a multiple use concept by many governmental agencies. Potential greenways recommended in the open space plan include such OCARTS plan routes as the freeway loop around Oklahoma City, parts of the West Bypass in Oklahoma City, SH 9 across Cleveland County, the U. S. 81 bypass around El Reno and others......The ACOG plan propuses hiking and biking trails along strips of open space marking the route of the famous Chisholm Trail, used in early cattle drives, across Canadian County and many persons going to the 1849 California gold rush, in Canadian and Cleveland Counties.........At present, the Oklahoma City metroplitan area has 15,915 acres of recreational park land, with 13,515 acres of its developed. The park land included 716 acres in neighborhood parks (633 acres developed), 2,378 acres in community parks (1,753 developed) and 12,821 acres in regional parks (11,129 developed. The park land includes 716 acres in neighborhood parks (633 acres developed, 2,378 acres in community parks (1,753 developed) and 12,821 acres in regional parks *11,129 developed)."
Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
