All News

November 30, 2015

Nonprofit Status

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota's federal tax ID number is 41-1450303. Our current Form 990 is available at Candid (formerly Guidestar).
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November 16, 2015

We made the goal

Thank you to everyone who donated on the Give to the Max Day on Nov. 12, 2015. We made our goal of $15,000 in individual giving that was matched by a group of generous donors. In total, with the match, we raised $31,125.  

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November 12, 2015

We’re 2/3 the way to our Give the Max Day goal

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting Parks & Trails Council during this year's Give to the Max Day. The day's not over yet and we're getting so close to reaching our goal of $15,000. We can do it! If you haven't given yet, please ...
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October 29, 2015

New Website Launched!

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota launched a new website. The new site offers much of the same great content from our previous site, with updated design that breathes with beautiful photos of the places we work to protect: Minnesota parks and trails. The new site also …

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July 22, 2015

New Interactive Map for Cannon Valley Trail

The Cannon Valley Trail has a new interactive map showing trail features such as access points, parking, restrooms, water stations and wheel pass pay stations. When zooming in to the various features there is an option for viewing a photo of that area. This is …

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July 17, 2015

Lake Bemidji State Park opens first-of-its kind group camp

Looking for a place for your next family reunion? There’s a new option that opened this summer at Lake Bemidji State Park. The Lavinia Group Camp can accommodate up to 50 people.   The site, which rents for $200/night is designed for both tent camping …

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July 8, 2015
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Trail monitors wanted

Bicyclists wanting to help make riding state trails enjoyable can now join a trail-monitoring program that’s as easy as riding a bike.
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Vic Olson trail monitoring
July 7, 2015
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Land Project Update: Adding pristine land to county gem

About one hour north of the Twin Cities, the Isanti County park of Anderson lies in a richly diverse environment that draws in throngs of migratory birds. This park, which was created only eight years ago, underwent an intensive transformation to be restored from a …

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June 13, 2015
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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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June 13, 2015

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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June 13, 2015

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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June 1, 2015

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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Picnic Shelter at Anderson
May 22, 2015

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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February 3, 2015
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2015 Annual Dinner

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at Town & Country Club 300 Mississippi River Blvd N, St. Paul, MN 55104 5:30 PM  Social Hour with cash bar & Silent Auction & Raffle 6:30 PM  Dinner & Program

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December 16, 2014
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DNR announces park and trail grant opportunities

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces grant funding opportunities for park and trail projects across Minnesota. Applications are now being accepted for the following grant programs: outdoor recreation, regional trail, local trail connections and federal recreational trails. These grants help local governments throughout the …

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