News – Page 43 – Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota

June 4, 2014

Our park continues to grow

A $3.8 million, 164-acre acquisition successfully closed on June 5, 2014, bringing the park total to 721 acres. The purchase was made possible with $2.2 million in grant funding and additional match funding from Wright County and the City of Monticello.

June 1, 2014

Looking ahead to the seventh generation

By Mike Tegeder, president
A teaching of the Great Law of Peace of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy) mandates that chiefs consider the impact of their decisions on the seventh generation yet to come. As the Parks & Trails Council gratefully celebrates 60 years of “acquiring, protecting and enhancing critical land for the public’s use and benefit,” this principle can guide us in our essential work. As we rightfully have much to celebrate, it is also good to look ahead 60 years and beyond to the seventh generation.

May 30, 2014

2014 Bonding Recap

As soon the 2014 legislative session closed at the end of May, parks and trails supporters began celebrating. On May 20, Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law the largest capital investment package for parks and trails since 2008, plus a bill that increased several agency …

March 18, 2014

David Minge

Your Honorable Park and Trail Lover

March 1, 2014

Parks & Trails Council is turning 60

By Mike Tegeder, president
There can always be a bright side. This winter’s cold weather has limited my cross-country skiing a bit but it has freed up some reading time. Most recently I have enjoyed reading “Stillwater,” a novel by Mankato-based writer Nicole Helget. I was intrigued by the book’s dedication:

November 1, 2013

Parks are hands-on classrooms

By Mike Tegeder, president
In August, with other Parks & Trails Council members, I attended the rededication ceremony for the visitor center at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. The last time I visited this park was in the mid 1980s, shortly after the state purchased the cave from a private landowner who could no longer afford the maintenance.

October 1, 2013

Persistence in fulfilling the vision for a trail in southwestern Minnesota

Fast forward 46 years and you may be surprised to see that only 11 miles of the 110-mile trail corridor for the Casey Jones is paved and another 9.5 miles is natural surfaced. “You could look at it as not much done over 40 years, or you could look at it as a lifetime’s work,” explained Bruce Johnson, a board member for the Friends of Casey Jones Trail.

Casey Jones State Trail sign for Currie Loop

October 1, 2013

Making friends

The Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park officially formed in September of this year. A driving force behind the creation of the new friends group was Emily Nesvold, a P&TCM board member and Northfield resident. “I saw the need for this group back in …

June 1, 2013

Spurred to action to action by a threat

As is often the case with the formation of Friends Groups, it took the threat of development to spur organized action. For Minneopa, that threat was the National Guard, who had proposed building a firing range along the western border of the park. When local activist, Brand Frentz got word of the proposed firing range he realized

March 19, 2013

Mary Lee Dayton

Legacy Builder

January 8, 2013

Done deal for iconic addition to State Trail system

Supporters of Mill Towns State Trail celebrate last-minute County decision On December 18, a critical decision was made during a Goodhue County Commissioner’s meeting that sealed the deal for an iconic addition to our state trail system. The decision was followed by a celebration among …

December 1, 2012

Maple syrup brings friends together

The pancake breakfast just never goes out of style and, for the Friends of Wild River State Park, it’s a great annual fundraiser. The event drew about 75 people and raised nearly $1,700 for the group in 2012. Kacie Carlson, a naturalist at the park, said that …

October 1, 2012

Active friends for an active trail

The 200 members of the Gateway-Brown’s Creek Trail Association make up one of the most active Friends groups in the state, for good reason: The trail itself is the most heavily used trail in Minnesota. “We have volunteers that do everything from cleaning up the trail to lobbying for our share of bonding money with the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota,” said John Oldendorf, president of the trail association and a board member of the Parks & Trails Council. This association has worked hard to expand the trail. They credit their success with expansion to getting to know people and communities along the potential trail.

August 26, 2012

Bringing new people to an outdoor recreation gem

Friends of Maplewood State Park has about 100 members, with another 30 on an advisory committee. The group publishes a quarterly newsletter and has helped add to the amenities of the park over the last 15 years. In 2008, the group built the Josh Hanson Memorial Picnic Shelter, in honor of the son of long-time park ranger Bob Hanson, a project that cost $130,000.

April 23, 2012

Planting 100 new trees at Sibley

This is a test post to see what it looks like to have multiple grant projects.