Comments Needed on Taconite State Trail Plan by Jan. 6
The draft plan for the Taconite State Trail suggests OHVs may be permitted through two state parks. We urge members to share their desire to keep state parks as places where the sounds of nature dominate and natural resources are protected.
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Helping right a wrong for Lake Superior
Few outcomes are more satisfying than when a big-time polluter is caught in its tracks. This summer, one such polluter was brought to justice by the U.S Attorney’s Office when a whistleblower reported a ship was illegally dumping dirty bilge water into the Great Lakes. Part of the punishment included a $200,000 criminal sanction against the company that will be used to protect Lake Superior and its watershed. This fall, Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, along with three other environmental nonprofits were awarded grants from this settlement.
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Our Friends Group program expands
We're happy to announce the expansion of our Friends Group program with the creation of the staff position of Friends Group Coordinator. We welcome Jen Lasar to this role that will be dedicated to fostering and enhancing the efforts of the many volunteer-based groups working on behalf of Minnesota's parks and trails.
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Building the Sugar Shack
For years the Friends of Maplewood have been fundraising and coordinating logistics to build a sugar shack for the growing maple syrup interpretive program.
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Say no to motorized off-highway vehicles in state parks
One of the decisions that lawmakers are considering is whether or not we should open up our state parks to off-highway motor vehicles also known as OHVs (that includes ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and 4x4s).
Interview with Debbie Kippen, winner of 2016 photo contest
Debbie Kippen spends a lot of time in Minnesota state parks; she is just one park visit away from having hiked every one. And she says each one is special. In August, Kippen was awarded the first place honor in our photo contest. We chatted ...
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Mill Towns State Trail Segment Opens
Like a puzzle, the newest segment of the Mill Towns State Trail involved many pieces fitting together—just so—to complete the picture. Talks began in 2010 between the DNR, three private landowners, two counties, managers of a dam and a highway. This year, with the commitment of trail proponents, the pieces came together to make a great addition to the state trail system.
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Assessing the condition of Minnesota’s trails, one mile at a time
Have you ever been riding along one of Minnesota’s beautiful bicycle trails when, thud, a jarring bump shakes your entire frame? Well, you’re not alone. Staff, board members and volunteers from Parks & Trails Council have been spending the summer out on the trails, feeling—and recording—these bumps ourselves.
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2016 Fall Newsletter
Inside this issue:
The E.D. on OHVs
125 years timeline of Minnesota State Parks
Assessing trail conditions
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Getting more people into the woods
In the three years that Nerstrand Big Woods State Park has made friends with a group of committed volunteers, the park has seen skyrocketing visitor numbers. It could be coincidence, good weather, or part of the system-wide trend, but the park manager says the friends …
Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission announces 2016 designations
For more information visit the GMRPTC website
DNR acquires six miles for Mill Towns State Trail
MnDNR News Release - The Department of Natural Resources has acquired nearly 6 miles of railroad property for the Mill Towns State Trail between Faribault and Dundas in Rice County.
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Citizen advisory committee appointed to explore future of Fort Ridgely State Park
DNR News Release - The Department of Natural Resources has appointed 15 people to a citizen advisory committee that will make recommendations about how to expand statewide interest in Fort Ridgely State Park near Fairfax in southern Minnesota after its golf course closes on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day.
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In Memory of Mike Tegeder
It is with great sadness that we share that our past president, Mike Tegeder, 67, died in the early morning of July 9. He leaves a legacy of dedication and preservation of Minnesota’s parks and trails, among his many accomplishments. He was diagnosed with cancer in February.
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Major blowdown spurs plans for a new future at St. Croix State Park
This spring planners began the process to create a master plan for St. Croix, which is the largest state park in Minnesota. Having been created before the master plan was a requirement, this will actually be the first plan for the park. This plan will be significant for another reason too. The DNR recently designated St. Croix as a “destination” park and lead planner Jade Templin explained that this “gives us our first chance to incorporate the new idea of a destination park into a plan and more fully develop what it means.”
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