July 6, 2020

KY Recreation & Park Society Re-Opening Recommendations

In the late May, the Kentucky Recreation and Parks Society submitted a comprehensive plan to Governor Andy Beshear that lays out a timeline for resuming an array of sporting, exercise and other parks activities across the commonwealth.

“A KRPS-led task force spent weeks writing this plan, and I think we have come up with an excellent set of science-based recommendations that will allow our parks and recreation departments to mostly if not fully re-open in a way that protects patrons and employees alike,” KRPS Executive Director Terri Wilkerson said.

“In short, we’re applying the Healthy-At-Home approach to our ballfields, our swimming pools, our gyms and our playgrounds. We have the same goal as everyone: To get back to some sense of normalcy as quickly and as safely as possible.

Other information was gathered from such well-respected organizations as the National Recreation and Park Association, the CDC, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, the United States Tennis Association and the governing bodies for other major sports. Re-opening plans were also compiled from other states’ parks departments and their KRPS counterparts.

"As always, we will do the best we can with the resources we have, but the hope is that our budgets will rebound quickly. We must not forget that our departments contribute nearly $1 billion to the economy each year and provide countless memories while promoting a healthy lifestyle," Wilkerson said.

View the KRPS documents and recommendations: 

For more information, contact:
Terri Wilkerson, KRPS Executive Director
859-619-1723