Botetourt County this week began offering an online service that residents can use to register for parks and recreation programs.

At www.botetourt.org/recreation, residents can access a link to view, register and pay for classes, trips and other services offered by the county's Parks and Recreation Department.

The service is available through Active Network Inc.

"Our department needed a solution to make our services more accessible to the community," said Pete Peters, assistant director of the Botetourt County Parks and Recreation Department in a news release. "The decision to offer an online program was very community driven. With our large, widespread population, visiting the office only during business hours to register for programs and reserve facilities was often challenging for our customers."

Roanoke County already has a similar online service.

Botetourt County's online service is expected to reduce the department's paperwork required to process registrations.

Also new for residents is the option of paying with a credit card, both online and in person.

Using the online service, residents can search for activities and facilities, view details, schedules and availability, and register for trips and classes or reserve venues. An e-mail confirming enrollment in a program or reservation of a facility will be sent following an online transaction.

"The online services not only benefit the community through quicker and increased service options, they also benefit the department through improved efficiencies," Peters stated.

The parks and recreation department will no longer be hand-writing registration forms and receipts. Those services will now be automated.

Registration for youth teams and leagues will continue to be processed through the existing network of individual booster clubs. Information on youth teams and leagues, including schedules and registration dates, will be available on the county's online registration site.

For more information, access the Web site or call the parks and recreation department at 473-8326.