Grant Guide

Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission

Greater Minnesota Regional Legacy Grants

Overview

This program, administered by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC), intends to assist in acquisition, restoration, development, and engagement in regionally significant parks and trails.

Application & Review Process

Deadline: July 31, 2024

An online application should be submitted to the GMRPTC. It is then evaluated on the project’s alignment with the Four Legacy strategic directions.

Funding Amount

$20,000 – $1,500,000

There is no minimum or maximum request amount. A local match is not required, but projects with a match will receive special consideration. This grant program is funded by the Parks & Trails Fund that was created through the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment, which increased sales tax in 2008.

Eligibility

Projects

Land acquisition; recreation facilities (water access, campgrounds, picnic shelters, nature playgrounds, etc.); support facilities (restrooms, benches, etc.); natural resource restoration; connecting people to the outdoors.

tools icon orange Infrastructure

grass icon orange Land/Resource

people icon orange People/Engagement

Applicants

Local units of government (i.e. cities, counties, townships).

columns icon orange Government Entity

Land Type & Geography

The park or trail where the project takes place needs to have already been designated as regionally significant by GMRPTC. See the GMRPTC website for more details on this process. Only parks or trails outside of the Twin Cities, seven-county metropolitan area are eligible for this designation.

region icon orange Regional

orange tree Parks

orange trail icon Trails

Statistics & Examples

Funding History

YearFunds Awarded# ProjectsAverage Award
FY20$8,639,25811$785,387
FY198,809,87513$667,682
FY18$7,747,81012$645,651
FY17$8,445,17512$703,765
FY16$8,046,55013$618,965

FY20 Project Distribution

Past Award Examples

AmountRecipientProject
$27,000Redwood CountyUpgrade electrical service to 16 RV sites at Plum Creek Park.
$88,875Goodhue CountyComprehensive trail signage and vault toilet installation on the Cannon Valley Trail.
$150,000City of Granite FallsDevelop Memorial Park, including main picnic area, kayak launch, group camp, etc.
$1,076,410City of RochesterConstruct new 18-hole disc golf course and 2k of ski trails equipped with snow-making at Gamehaven Park.
$2,297,699Wright CountyBuild 68-unit campground, camper cabins, and supporting infrastructure.

The information about this grant was last updated on 12/23/2019. Be sure to contact the granting organization directly to verify details.