Advocacy News

May 30, 2018

Sibley: land acquisition

Incorporate 16 acres of land within Sibley State Park that Parks & Trails Council purchased in 2017 and worked with Sibley State Park Improvement Association to restore.

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Three men putting trash in dumpster
May 30, 2018

Swedish Immigrant: trail extension

Connect trail to Interstate State Park by extending it with a 0.5-mile segment that includes a 180-foot bridge and trailhead

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Paddleboat and fall foliage
May 30, 2018

Frontenac: boundary expansion

Expand the statutory boundary of Frontenac State Park to include the land Parks & Trails Council acquired for the park.

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May 30, 2018

State Parks: forest restoration

Restore 255 acres of forested native plant communities in several state parks.

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May 30, 2018

State Parks: accessibility enhancements

Design and construction of improvements to bring the facilities within state parks and recreation areas to the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

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Accessible picnic table at Jay Cooke. Deborah Rose/MnDNR
May 30, 2018

Goodhue Pioneer: land acquisition

Acquire approximately 60 acres located along the legislatively authorized Goodhue-Pioneer State Trail.

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A biker heads towards the setting sun
May 30, 2018

Lake Vermilion: park development

For development including the Lake Lodge Visitor Center, the campground, renewable energy facilities, and reconstruction of the mine shaft.

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Campers settling in at new campground at Lake Vermilion
May 30, 2018

Gateway State Trail: Tunnel Crossing

Improve user safety by constructing a tunnel for the trail to cross under Hadley Ave, which is challenging to cross because the street exceeds 8,000 vehicles per day.

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Bicyclists riding at underpass
May 18, 2018

Legislative Briefing for May 14-18

Last week we issued yet another call-to-action for our supporters to tell lawmakers that all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) don’t belong in Minnesota State Parks. Your voices were heard! On Monday of this week, the conference committee tasked with reconciling the Omnibus Supplemental Budget Bill (HF 4099 / SF 3656) decided against a controversial provision that would have allowed ATVs to use the campground and access routes at Hayes Lake State Park.

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MN Capitol dome
May 18, 2018

Op-Ed in Duluth News Tribune: Speak up on bill to open state parks to ATVs

On May 15 the Duluth News Tribune published an opinion written by Steve Thorne who is is a former deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and a past president of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota. We fully concur with Thorne’s …

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May 11, 2018

Legislative Briefing for May 7-11

With just over a week left until adjournment, lawmakers are racing to complete a long list of legislative priorities, including a tax bill, a bonding bill, a supplemental budget, and numerous policy changes. A number of key pieces of legislation affecting parks and trails continue …

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April 23, 2018

Legislative Briefing

The 2018 legislative session continues to creep towards its conclusion. Last week marked the third and final committee deadline, and all the major policy and finance committees have now released, amended and passed their omnibus bills. Those bills now have only one or two more stops …

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Minnesota State Capitol
April 17, 2018

Preston-Forestville: trail extension

A trail extension connecting Preston to Carimona.

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Preston to Forestville State Trail scenery
April 9, 2018

Legislative Briefing for April 9

Following a weeklong break, legislators returned to the capitol today and got back to work on what’s turning out to be one of the busiest legislative sessions in recent memory. Legislators still have a flurry of issues to work through, ranging from bonding and taxes …

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Minnesota State Capitol
March 27, 2018

ATV bill has new number and moved to new committee

In an uncommon move, the bill that would allow all-terrain vehicles into two state parks, which we have strongly opposed, has been replaced with a new bill number. The language remains the same, but it is now bill HF4211. We continue to be opposed to …

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