Parks, Trees and Recreation Board – City of Red Lodge, Montana

The Mission of the Red Lodge Parks, Trees and Recreation Board is to protect, enhance, and maintain parks, facilities, natural resources, open space, trails, trees, and plants by developing and executing the Parks Plan, Trails Plan and Urban Forestry Plan.

Vision: In the future, the City of Red Lodge will be providing a geographically distributed and well maintained portfolio of Parks, Trails, and Open Spaces that serve a wide range of interests, ages, and abilities proportional to the current and future population. Parks will draw visitors and stimulate the economy. There will be scheduled and organized events, activities, and tournaments. There will also be an expanding, connected network of trails, heavily used by the community and visitors and a diverse and healthy urban forest. There will be public awareness of the park and tree assets and their uses through active promotion. Operationally, there will be a continuity of adequate funding to support the vision and goals, a well understood methodology for executing plans, and perhaps a dedicated parks and recreational staff.

Virtual Meetings

Due to the ongoing public health crisis, the Parks, Trees, and Recreation Board will be holding meetings virtually to enable social distancing, and limit possibilities for transmission of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Information to join Parks Board meetings remotely will be posted here in the days prior to the meeting.

America Walks Grant

The Beartooth Recreational Trails Association (BRTA), in association with the Red Lodge Parks Board, successfully applied for an America Walks grant to pay for a wayfinding map at Coal Miners Park! Check out the map, installed August 2020, below:

Annual Reports & Planning Documents

Parks Board Annual Report, 2019
Parks Board Annual Report, 2018
Parks Board Annual Report, 2017
Parks Board Annual Report, 2016
Parks Board Annual Report, 2015

Parks and Recreation District

A Parks and Recreation district is being considered for Red Lodge and the surrounding area. See the links below for more information:

Parks and Recreation District
Parks and Rec District – Pool
Parks and Rec District – Maintenance
Parks and Rec District – Cost
Parks and Rec District – New Projects

Board Membership and Authority

The Red Lodge Parks Board meets every 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm in the City Council Chambers of the City Hall.

The Red Lodge Parks Board is a mostly volunteer board consisting of seven members: six are local citizens and one is a member of the City Council. All members are appointed by the mayor with City Council approval. The Board is supported by and works with the City Planning Staff and the Public Works Department. For contact information, please view Parks Board Contact List.

Rue Freeman – Acting Chair Current Term Expires December 2021

Rob Weamer – Council Representative Current Term Expires December 2020

Courtney Long – Secretary Current Term Expires December 2022

Kevin Bonk – Current Term Expires December 2020

Bryan Romeijn – Current Term Expires December 2022

Tootsie Schrowe – Current Term Expires TBD

BOARD ROLES The Board fulfills three major roles to include parks planning, parks maintenance and urban forestry. Parks Board Authority: Ordinance 918, Parks, Trees and Recreation Board, defines the Parks Board membership and responsibilities. The Parks Board Bylaws are included here.