Author: Lisa Filter
2015 Summer Newsletter
Inside this issue: Our Land Project Update: Addition to Anderson Park in Isanti County 2015 Legislative Session Recap Trail monitors wanted Brown's Creek State Trail opens and more Download Newsletter PDF
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Recapping the 2015 Legislative Session
Parks & Trails Council entered the 2015 session with a set of ambitious goals as outlined in our legislative agenda. Those priorities, and how they played out during session, are detailed below. Parks & Trails Council Priority: > Restore and expand General Fund for Minnesota ...
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Mississippi Blufflands: Trail Authorized
This bill authorizes the establishment of a new state trail originating at the Cannon Valley Trail in Red Wing, MN and extending southeasterly along the Mississippi River through Frontenac State Park and ending in Lake City, MN. Additionally, the bill appropriates
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Legacy Funds Appropriated
This bill appropriates revenues from the Legacy Amendment that voters approved in 2008. The bill appropriates $89 million for parks and trails for FY 2016 -17.
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Budget Bill
This omnibus appropriations bill allocated $48.6 million in general funds for operations and maintenance of Minnesota State Parks and Trails. This is a 23% increase from FY 2014-15. Additionally, the omnibus bill includes many policy/technical provisions affecting Minnesota’s parks and trails.
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Harmony-Preston Valley: Trail Extension
This bill authorizes the DNR to extend the Preston-Harmony State Trail to the Iowa border, with a connection to Niagara Cave.
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Grand Opening of Brown’s Creek State Trail
Saturday, June 6 from 9am - 1pm is the grand opening of the Brown's Creek State Trail. The celebration will include five naturalist stations along the trail with activities to learn about the natural resources. The ribbon cutting will begin at 10am at the Stillwater trailhead and will include speaches, kids activities and music.
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Working together to preserve a natural gem
Anderson Park in Isanti County is an almost perfect example of what can be accomplished when a family, a government body and a group of willing and active volunteers come together.
In 2007, the Anderson family began talking to Isanti County about selling their 174-acre farm to the county. Lee Kingsbury and some of her neighbors heard about the possible sale and knew that if they wanted to have a voice in what happened with the beautiful natural area, they needed to form a Friends Group.
Two community meetings later, the group had lots of ideas, a few donations, volunteers for a planning committee and plenty of enthusiasm—and literal muscle—to make things happen.
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Regional parks: meaningful to state’s outdoor recreation
By Mike Tegeder, president
Parks & Trails Council is very much identified with our great system of Minnesota State Parks. Indeed, a major undertaking in P&TC’s early years was the innovative effort to raise private funds to acquire land for a new state park, which we now know as Afton State Park. A reading of Roy Meyer’s “Everyone’s Country Estate: A History of Minnesota’s State Parks” testifies to our essential involvement with many of the great state parks we now enjoy.
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Parks & Trails Council is very much identified with our great system of Minnesota State Parks. Indeed, a major undertaking in P&TC’s early years was the innovative effort to raise private funds to acquire land for a new state park, which we now know as Afton State Park. A reading of Roy Meyer’s “Everyone’s Country Estate: A History of Minnesota’s State Parks” testifies to our essential involvement with many of the great state parks we now enjoy.
Parks and trails budget will be decided in special session
Over the Memorial Day weekend Gov. Dayton vetoed the omnibus agriculture, environment and natural resources bill, which includes the operating budget for Minnesota’s parks and trails. The governor also vetoed the omnibus jobs and energy bill and education bill, and the legislature has yet to pass a bill appropriating the Legacy Funds, all of which sets up a full workload for a special session.
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Friends bring programs to this wooded wonder
The Friends of Lake Maria was officially organized in 1996, but their actual work began in 1992. That’s when the inaugural “March for the Parks” event began to raise money for programming at Lake Maria State Park.
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Lottery Proceeds Allocated
This bill appropriated $46 million from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for projects across Minnesota. The following portion of this bill was appropriated to parks and trails projects:
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2015 Legislative session ends, questions remain
As the Legislature adjourned the 2015 session last night, we are still left wondering what the end result of this session will be. While some business is finished, other key items were left pending and Governor Dayton indicated today that he will call a special …
Budget bills near final week
We're finally nearing the (hopeful) end of the 2015 legislative session; Legislators have until Monday, May 18 to pass a budget or else they will have to be called back for a special session. As legislators sit down to work towards a budget compromise, now is ...
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Parks and trails budget taking shape at the capitol
This week, the environmental finance committees in both the House and Senate released budget bills that will fund Minnesota’s state parks and trails for the next two years. We are happy to report both recognize the importance of our state parks and trails and have …