2026 Legislative Recap

Parks and trails receive funding from bonding and the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Several policy issues debated but mostly unpassed.
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The Minnesota Legislature wrapped up its 2026 session late Sunday night. The session opened amid big debates about the federal immigration surge, fraud prevention, and gun control, and closed with a last-minute deal covering infrastructure projects, a new Office of Inspector General, hospital finances, and tax relief.

It was another year of legislating in one of the most closely divided legislatures in state history. With a two-year budget already in place, every legislator facing reelection this November, and an outgoing governor, there was little pressure to act boldly or quickly. Even so, parks and trails had a session worth recapping.

Park and Trail Funding

In the final hours of session, lawmakers passed a $1.2 billion bonding bill (HF 719). Though the bill focused primarily on water infrastructure and road projects, it also included several important parks and trails projects. Other funding came from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Trail Rehab

We’re thrilled that our State of the Trails research and advocacy helped secure $2 million for state trail rehabilitation. While this amount won’t fully rehabilitate all the priority trail segments identified in our research — including the Casey Jones, Munger, and Gateway State Trails — it give the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) a foothold to begin critical repairs and helps reestablish trail maintenance as a legislative priority.

Trail Extensions

The bonding bill also included:

  • $2 million to extend the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail in Brainerd (we recently completed a land acquisition project at the other end of this trail.
  • $2 million towards extending to the Root River State Trail from Preston toward Carimona.
Paved trail lined with autumn trees and a wooden fence, featuring a "Cuyuna Lakes State Trail" sign on the right, inviting you to explore the scenic state trail.

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund

Beyond bonding, lawmakers passed an annual appropriation for the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, which is primarily funded by the Minnesota State Lottery. This year’s bill (HF 3426 / SF 3857) directed $102 million across 108 projects. Key parks and trails investments included a new entrance bridge at Tettegouche State Park, development of the Glacial Lakes, Minnesota River, and Minnesota Valley State Trails, land acquisition for the Metropolitan Regional Parks system, park and trail grant programs, and numerous local parks and trails.

Park and Trail Policy

Lawmakers debated many park and trail policy issues but ultimately passed few.

Park Boundary Adjustments

One minor change was made to state park boundaries. A roughly 20-acre parcel of Mille Lacs Kathio State Park will be sold to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to facilitate the expansion of a cemetery site, while land will be added to Frontenac (32 acres) and Great River Bluffs (20 acres) state parks.

State Park Permits

For years we have advocated for changes to the state park permitting system to make it simpler, more affordable, and better funded.

Early in session, House and Senate committees heard a DNR report recommending that permits be sold during the vehicle registration process. While we wholeheartedly support that mechanism, we have significant concerns about several details in the proposal.

Ultimately, the legislature chose not to move forward with the report, giving us more time to refine the details and ensure Minnesota’s state parks benefit from any changes to their entrance permit system.

Four park permit stickers from 1958, 1957, 2015, and 2017

Other policy issues

Other parks and trails issues debated but not passed this session:

  • Foraging: The Senate considered legislation to codify personal-use foraging on many state lands in Minnesota, including harvesting edible mushrooms, berries, nuts, and other plants, while allowing the DNR to limit or restrict foraging to protect natural resources. (SF 4737)
  • State Capitol Memorial: The House worked on legislation to honor former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were assassinated last June, by designating the state capitol complex as a state park in their memory. The legislation would have created a task force to study the proposal. (HF 3643)
  • ATVs: The Senate considered legislation to tighten oversight and environmental review requirements for new ATV and off-highway vehicle trails, and to limit off-highway vehicle use in northern Minnesota to designated trails. (SF 1245)
  • E-bikes and e-motos: The House and Senate debated several bills related to e-bikes and “e-motos” that would have expanded safety and enforcement requirements, including helmet requirements for riders under 18, clarification that higher-powered “e-motos” are legally treated as motorcycles or motorized bicycles rather than e-bikes, equipment and electrical safety standards, and authority for local governments to set and enforce e-bike speed limits in business districts. (SF 3236, HF 3785 / SF 4186, and SF 3280).

 

While none of these initiatives became law this year, many are likely to return next session.