newsletter winter (january) 2015

8/9/2019 Newsletter Winter (January) 2015

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Winter 2015 ( January)page 2

I write this a few daysbefore the start of the leg-islative session. We all havethoughts and hopes over

what is in prospect for ourstats parks and trails. isbegins with the head of theDNR, Tom Landwhr, whoin a recent interview withth Star Tribuns Dn-nis Andrson said, ...our

budgets for parks and trails are a con-cern... We share that concern and others.

Tis issue of the newsletter presents ourlegislative agenda and it is a good timeto get informed about the issues and thegreat possibilities before us.

Parks & Trails Council (P&TC) mm-bers come from across the state and fromall our legislative districts. We can joinour voices and efforts to make a differ-

ence with our elected representatives.Jo Bagnoli and Sarah Psick continuto serve us as consultants at the Capital.Our legislative committee has refined ourpriorities under the guidance of outgoingcommitt chair, Mark Larson. Frindsgroups are making connections with theirlocal rprsntativs. Andrw Oftdal,our policy and research specialist, hasassembled some very important data. Weare ready.

Our Day on th Hill coms arly this

year, Tursday, Feb. 5, and it will be greatto have a good turnout. It is a wonderfulday to make connections with our ownlgislators. Mak sur you ar also signd

up for our emailed action updates. Ourstaff are there to help us make our case.

And th P&TC sta continus th dailyefforts to enhance our parks and trails

with ongoing work on land purchases,supporting friends groups, and creativestrategies such as the permanent ease-mnt for a portion of th SupriorHiking Trail which is highlightd in thisnewsletter.

From the President

Te states budget for parks and trails a concern

Event Update

Labor Day Bike MN 2015 announcements

We are excited to announce that ourannual BIKe MNwith Parks &rails Council event will be based atGlndalough Stat Park in northwstrnMinn., ovr Labor Day wknd in 2015.

is will b th lvnth yar Parks &rails Council has coordinated the 3-daybike event. Each year has been based ata different state park and often with thehelp of a local Friends Group. In 2015 we

will be helped out by the volunteers fromBattl Lak, Minn., who hlpd stablishthe new Glendalough rail that connectsthe park with the city.

A signicant dvlopmnt for th rid in2015 is an added fundraising component.Riders will not only enjoy the camarade-rie of fellow bike riders, the well-plannedroutes, interesting program stops and

good food, but they will help raise criticalfunds to acquir land and advocat forMinnsotas parks and trails.

Wr xcitd to nhanc th maningand impact of this vnt for Minnsotasspecial places, said executive directorBrett Feldman.

Details about the event registration willbe made available soon with registra-tion opning in April. Our MagnyCircle members will have the fundraising

rquirmnt waivd in rcognition of thtremendous support they already provideto help us achieve our mission.

Riders on the 2014 Bike MN with Parks & Trails

Friends Group News

New Grant Guide

Do you have agreat park ortrail project thatneeds money tomake happen?

Luckily, thrare many grantopportunitiesavailable. In2014 alon, ovr$7 million weregranted for park or trail projects.But finding them can be a time-consum-ing work.

at is why Parks & Trails Council isintroducing our rst dition of Grantsfor your Park or Trail.

Tis guide outlines each grant programand leads interested applicants in theright direction for more information. Teguide will be updated annually to reflectthe evolving world of grant funding; thefirst major deadline of 2015 is at the endof February. Te guide is available fordownload at www.parksandtrails.org.


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Winter 2015 ( January) page 3

Parks & rails Council of Minne-sota is proud to announce that Peggy

Prowe has been selected as the 2015Reuel Harmon Award recipient. Teaward will be presented at the Parks& rails Council s Annual Dinneron Mar. 24, 2015.

Pggy Prows nam is virtually synony-mous with th Mill Towns Stat Trail. Inhr homtown of Northld, Minn., thyeven named a bridge along the trail in herhonor.

All hr orts to crat th Mill TownsStat Trail bgan mor than 20 yars ago,

whil sh was srving on th NorthldCity Council. Te way she describes it it

was just a logical idea to connect two al-rady xisting trails: th Sakatah SingingHills Stat Trail and th Cannon VallyRegional rail.

Tere have been many challenges alongthe way. Trough it all, she has main-tained an unflagging determination.

oday, after 20 years of sustained effort,

th Mill Towns Stat Trail consists of amagrbut gratly apprciatdthrmiles of paved trail, two trailheads, twotunnels, and 1.5 bridges.

When you mention this progress toPggy, sh just laughs undtrrd andadds, but w hav lots of plans in th

works.

Sh is tnacious, gntl, intllignt, andtells it like it is but knows how not toond, says fllow advocat and Parks& rails Council board member EmilyNsvold.

Ms. Prow has a distinct ability to rallyothers toward the trail. In the early 1990sshe helped organize volunteers into agroup calld th Frinds of th Mill

Towns Stat Trail. Togthr thy hlpraise funds and meet with legislators andplannrs from th DNR.

It started out with letters to the editor

and other organizing efforts, and hasblossomed into a community-wide effort.Its all bcaus of Pggy, says Mg Ot-ten, the current president of the Friendsof Mill Towns Stat Trail. Withouther this whole effort would have fizzledout. Tis is a woman who believes in thebenefits of the trail with every fiber of herbeing and through her strength of per-sonality she gets people to be part of it.

each yar Ms. Prow rounds up a groupof voluntrs to attnd Parks & Trails

Councils Day on th Hill whr thyvisit with state legislators.

As long as I hav known Pggy, whichis a fair amount of time, she has beenorganizing citizens or leading the way onthe city council for bike trails or hik-ing trails, said Rp. David Bly (DFL,Northld).

Sh also has larnd to kp a clos yon project details so that when legisla-tive action is needed, she helps educatelegislators on what they need to do

to move it forward. Tis past year sheworkd with Parks & Trails Council stato gt a $476,300 appropriation for thMill Towns Stat Trail to acquir landand develop the trail from Faribault toDundas, Minn.

Ms. Prow says sh is motivatd by hrlove of the outdoors and a desire to helpothers get out and enjoy nature. Tisthm has run through hr whol lif. Asa young adult she led wilderness canoetrips and was a camp counselor. Ten af-tr arning a Mastrs Dgr in Physicaleducation in 1965, sh wnt on to tachand coach at Carlton Collg in North-ld. Sh srvd on th board of Parks& rails Council from 2002-2008 and iscurrently on our legislative committee.

Today, whn shs not busy advocating,fundraising and planning for th Mill

Towns Stat Trail, sh co-organizswkly bik rids for sniors in North-ld. Its all about hlping popl stay

activ outdoors, Ms. Prow says.

rail Builder Profile

Recognizing 20 years of tenacious advocacy

Peggy Prowe near the Mill Towns State Trail bridge named in her honor in Northfield, Minn.

ABOUTTHE

REUELHARMONAWARD

Te award, started in 1995, is an an-nual recognition of exemplary serviceon bhalf of Minnsotas parks andtrails. It is namd for Rul Harmon

(1904-1994), on of our foundingmembers. During his remarkable ten-ur, Harmon providd bold, stratgicleadership and he inspired others tofollow his lead. You can see a list ofprevious recipients at:

www.ParksAndTrails.org


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In Dcmbr, th DNR Division ofParks and Trails rlasd a draft systmplan, which has been in the works since

spring 2013. Most signicantly, th 56-page plan adds differentiation among ourstats parks and trails by placing thminto investment categories.

Nw catgoris for stat parks andrecreation areas:

Destination Core

Classic Gateway Advntur

RusticNw catgoris for stat trail sgmnts:

Destination Core

Division-Ld Partnr-Ld

Tese categories will help users un-drstand th uniqu xprinc thateach park and trail offers. But more

importantly, they provide direction toDNR sta on whr and how to invstresources, with a focus on Destinationunits.

One area that will not be subject tothese investment categories is in resourcemanagement. Te plan recognizes theprimacy of protecting the natural andcultural resources and will prioritizethese efforts based on impact.

Work on this plan was prompted by the

Minnsota Lgislatur in 2012, whichdirctd th DNR to submit a rporton new funding options and investmentcritria. As a rsult, an ad hoc committof 19 mmbrs, including Parks & TrailsCouncil (P&TC) board mmbr, MarkLarson, was formd and rcommndd

th DNR mov toward a dirntiatdsystem.

W apprciat th thoughtfulnss ofthis plan and the opportunities we hadto provide feedback on earlier versions,

said Brtt Fldman, P&TC xcutiv di-rctor. Going forward w hop to workclosely with Friends Groups to make themost of those partner-led opportunitiesthat were identified.

DNR Update

Draft system plan differentiates parks and trails

Draft System Plan for the DNR Parks and Trails is

available at dnr.state.mn.us/input/mgmtplans/

strategic_plan/system_plan.html

Te 2015 legislative session commencedon Jan. 6 with a cast of nw and familiarfaces. Gov. Dayton was elected for a sec-ond trm last Novmbr, whil Rpubli-cans won a 10 sat majority in th Hous.

DFL rmains th majority party inthe state senate, which was not up forreelection last fall.

THEBUDGET

Te main topic for the legislature in the2015 session will be the passage of abiennial budget. Unlike past budget ses-sions, 2015 began with essentially a firmnancial bas: unmploymnt in Min-nesota is below five percent, the economyis growing, state revenues are stable andsafety net expenditures are declining. Temost recent economic forecast, released

in December, projected an approximately$1 billion surplus for the state in the nextbiennium. Tis is the largest surplus since2007.

Using this forecast, Gov. Dayton mustsubmit his budget proposal to the legis-lature by Jan. 27. Ten the legislature willbegin to work on their budget. Te stateeconomic forecast will be updated in earlyMarch bfor th Govrnor and lgisla-

ture develop a final budget for passage.

Te biennial budget will include an ap-propriation for th DNR to oprat andmaintain state parks and trails from July2015 to Jun 2017. Parks & Trails Coun-cil is advocating an appropriation of $62million dollars. For details, see our 2015Lgislativ Agnda on pags 5-8.

OTHERISSUES

In addition to passing a biennial budget,a number of other issues are expected todominate political discussions in 2015.

ransportation infrastructure, and howto pay for it, is a priority for both parties.Gov. Dayton emphasized education inhis inauguration addrss. And th nwRpublican majority in th Hous has x-pressed a desire to focus more on Greater

Minnsota issus, including mining, localgovernment aid, water and pesticide regu-lations, motorized trails, and economicdevelopment policy.

By law, the legislative session must endon or bfor May 18.

Legislative News

What to expect in the 2015 Legislative Session


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Working to acquir, protct and nhanc critical land for th publics us and bnt.

2015 LEGISLAIVE AGENDA BUDGE SESSION

In preparation for each session of the Minnesota Legislature, Parks & rails Councilworks with leaders of Minnesotas park and trail systems to review priorities. We alsopartner with friends groups, chambers of commerce and other community groups toensure local voices are incorporated into our efforts of cultivating world-class parks andtrails that contribute to the health, economy and quality of life of all Minnesotans.

2015 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Parks & Trails Councils

2015 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Restore and expand General Funds forMinnesotas state parks and trails

Create a stunning park and trail legacy

for future generations

Reinvest in Minnesotas state park and trails

aging infrastructure

Continue building Minnesotas parks and trails

through the Environment & Natural Resources

Trust Fund

Strengthen policies that protect and enhance

Minnesotas parks and trails

Minnsotas parks and trails prsrv th bst naturalwonders our state has to offer: The headwatersof th nations gratst rivr and its conflunc withth Minnsota Rivr 500 mils downstram; th onc-sprawling prairies; the sprinkling of lakes across the north

woods; the rolling bluffs of the southeast and the ruggednorth shor of Suprior. All ths placs ar prsrvd inour parks and trails and made open for all to enjoy.

As Minnsotas prminnt public placs, Minnsotasparks and trails rely on public support to accommodatethe millions upon millions of people who use them every

year. Our parks and trails are today amongst the best inthe country thanks to the foresight and investment ofpast lgislators. Minnsotans ar counting on th 89thLgislatur to continu this tradition.

Th Parks & Trails Council of Minnsota, as part of itsmission, advocates for these special places to have thersourcs thy nd to acquir land, dvlop nw op-portunities, and operate on a day-to-day basis. Our latestlegislative agenda lays out a set of practical proposals that

will srv ths nds for Minnsotas parks and trails in2015 and beyond.


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For th rst tim in narly a dcad, Minnsota isentering a budget year with a projected General Fundsurplus. With a projected billion dollars in the bank, now isth tim for th Minnsota Lgislatur to giv stat parksand trails the investment they have long deserved.

Gnral Fund is Minnsotas main chcking account.Every year, roughly $20 billion dollars - mostly from in-come and sales taxes - is deposited into the General Fund;

currently only $20 million of it goes towards state parksand trails. ats 11 cnts out of vry $100, or roughlyfour dollars from ach Minnsotan. s Gnral Fundsare the dollars that keep our special places open and main-taind daily. In 2014, Gnral Funds accountd for half ofstat parks and trails opration and maintnanc budgt.

Over the last 15 years, however, the state parks and trailsGeneral Fund appropriation was hit hard by economicrcssion in 2004 and again in 2010-2012. Fundingrecovered a little last biennium, but not enough to offsetlosss. As a prcntag of Minnsotas ovrall GnralFund spending, state parks and trails today receive roughlyhalf what thy rcivd through th 1990s. Manwhil, thstate park and trail system has increased in size, is hostingmore visitors than ever before, and costs increase every year.

As a rsult of yars of tight budgts, many nds xistacross th stat park and trail systm. So much so thatemergency funds were needed each of the last two biennia:

90-9

192

-93

94-95

96-97

98-9

900

-01

02-0

304

-05

06-07

08-0

910

-11

12-1

314

-15

$49$57 $54 $54

$60 $62 $62

$45$48

$51$45

$34$40

$62

Base General Fund Appropriations to State Parks & Trails(Dollars in millions, adjusted for inflation)

16-17

THE NEEDS FOR FISCAL YEARS 20162017:

$39.6M General Fund base +4M Permanently replace 1-time stop gaps

+8M Restore visitor services, park seasons, and building upkeep

+ 4M Routine trail maintenance

+4M Operate new units including Lake Vermilion & Browns Creek

+2M Keep pace with the rising cost of supplies and equipment

$62 MILLION GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION


$3.6 million was raidd from th environmnt & NaturalResources rust Fund in 2012-13, and $2 million supple-mental funds were needed last year to keep our state parksafloat. But even with those temporary measures, jobs havegone undone: hours and seasons have been shortened, trailand building maintenance has been deferred, and new parkunits have not been fully staffed.

Parks & Trails Council has idntid a ndd Gnral

Fund appropriation of $62 million for th 2016-17 bin-nium. is gur includs th $39.6 million bas appropri-ation state parks and trails received last biennium, plus anadditional $22 million to restore park hours and operatingseasons, staff new park units, keep pace with inflationarycosts, and permanently replace the temporary budget stopgaps used the past two budgets. Included in this recom-mndation is $4 million for incrasd trail maintnanc,

which has been one of the hardest hit areas of the budget.Even though there are twice as any paved state bicycletrails as 15 yars ago, th DNR hasnt rcivd additionalfunds to care for them.

A $62 million Gnral Fund appropriation is in lin withhistorical appropriations to state parks and trails, and couldbe achieved at minimal cost to the state budget as a whole.If only two xtra dollars for ach Minnsotan was spnt onstat parks and trails, th abov nds would b mt. atsth pric of just on cup of co. And thats a pric Min-nesota can currently afford.

Priority:Restore and expand General Funds for operations andmaintenance in Minnesotas state parks and trails

APPROPRIATE $62 MILLION FRO M THE GENERAL FU ND TO STATE PARKS AND TRAILS

INCLUDE FUNDS D ESIGNATED TO INCREASE MAI NTENANCE ON S TATE TRAILS


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$35 million

State Park O&M

Budget (2014)

$372 million

State Park Visitor

Economic Effect (2012)

EVERY $1SPENT ON

STATE PARKS AND TRAILSSUPPORTS OVER $10IN

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.

Parks & Trails are a small investment, with a huge return for Minnesota...

Only four dollars per Minnesotan, from the General Fund, are spent on state

parks and trails every year.Thats the price of two cups of coffee.

Just one more cupwould be enough to operate and maintaindestination-quality parks and trails.

...Making our state a better, healthier place to live, work, and play:

Property values can

increase 15% by having

parks or trails nearby

Habitat protection for over 280

endangered, threatened, special

concern, and rare species

Nearly 20% of summer

tourists in Minnesota visit a

state or national park.

Every $1 spent on trails

saves an estimated $3

in health costs

State parks host nearly

9 million recreation

visits every year

Priority:Create a stunning Legacy for future generations

Greate

rM

inne

sota M

etrop

olita

nP

arks

&

Trails

DepartmentofN

atu

ra

lRe

sources

h Clan Watr, Land and Lgacy Amndmnt,which Minnsota votrs ovrwhlmingly passd in2008, is an opportunity to create a stunning legacy thatfuture generations will look back on as forever transform-ing Minnsotas parks and trails. Lgacy Amndmntraised the sales tax three-eights of 1 percent and dedicated14.25% of th nw rvnu to park and trail projcts. Con-

stitutionally, these funds must supplement not substitutethe traditional funds parks and trails receive.

In ordr for Lgacy Funds to b truly transformativ, thymust b allocatd quitably across Minnsotas park andtrail systms. A 2012 work group rachd a consnsusrcommndation that Lgacy Funds b dividd 40%-40%-20% btwn th Minnsota Dpartmnt of NaturalRsourcs, th Mtropolitan Council, and th Gratr

ALLOCATE LEGACY FUNDS EQUITABLY ACROSS MINNESOTASTHREE MAJOR PARK & TRAIL SYSTEMS

ACCELERATE HIGHPRIORITY ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENTPROJECTS

CREATE TRAIL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN WHERE MINNESOTANSLIVE, WORK, STU DY, AND PLAY

Minnsota Rgional Parks and Trails Commission for s-cal yars 2014-2019. is allocation formula hlps nsurLgacy Funds impact all cornrs of Minnsota in an qui-table and balanced manner.

DNRs 25-Yar Parks and Trails Lgacy Plan st a goalof acquiring and dvloping v nw stat parks and 600

mils of stat trails btwn 2009 and 2034. With 19 yarslft until th Lgacy Amndmnt is st to xpir, thr isstill time to accomplish these ambitious goals. But to date,only 9% of Lgacy Funds for stat parks and trails havbn usd for acquisition, and only 20% has bn usd onnw dvlopmnt. Acclrating th us of Lgacy Fundsfor these purposes, and creating key trail connections toconnct mor popl to Minnsotas grat outdoors, shouldbe priorities for the legislature moving forward.


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Priority:Reinvest in Minnesotas state parks and trails aginginfrastructure

INCLUDE STATE PARK AND TRAIL ASSET PRE SERVATION,REHABILITATION, AND RENEWAL IN ANY 2015 BONDING PACKAGES

PRIORITIZE PROJECTS THAT THREATEN VISITOR SAFETY SUCHAS UNEVEN TRAILS, DETERIORATED BRIDGES AND SANITATIONFACILITIES IN STATE PARK CAMPGROUNDS

CREATE A CAPITAL INVESTMENT P LAN THAT DETAILS ANDPRIORITIZES SYSTEM NEEDS

Minnsotas stat park and trail systm will turn 125 yars

old in 2016. And as th nations scond oldst statpark system, our parks and trails are starting to show their age.Many of th facilitis managd by th Division of Parks and

Trails were built in the 1930s and are lacking major upgrades.Th Dpartmnt of Natural Rsourcs stimats that rha-bilitation needs across state parks, state trails, and water accesspoints are close to $50 million annually.

Whil 2015 is not a bonding yar, Parks & Trails Council isanticipating that the legislature will debate and pass a small

Weeds taking root along the Heartland State Trail in Northwestern Minnesota.

125

YEARSMinnsotas stat parks and trails ar prparingto clbrat thir 125th birthday in 2016, andthey are starting to show their age. Te systemincluds 76 stat parks and rcration aras, 25stat trails, 1,600 buildings, 332 mils of roads,1,300 miles of state trails., 355 fishing piers, and1,496 watr accss points. Many of ths facilitiswr built in th 1930s. Now is th tim to spructhem up before the 125th birthday celebration.

Taking care of an Aging

State Park & Trail System

bonding package that focuses on emergency needs and otherurgnt, tim-snsitiv projcts. A full array of stat park andtrail projects meet those criteria and should be included inany 2015 bonding package. For example, nearly 100 miles ofstate bicycle trails are in poor condition and create hazardousconditions for users, many state park facilities lack modernplumping, and historic structures across the park system are inurgent need of renewal. Funding these projects now is crucialfor putting our state parks and trails on full display for their125th clbration in 2016.

In ordr to fund th rhabilitation nds of Minnsotas statparks and trails in an fficint mannr, Parks & Trails Coun-cil is continuing to work with th Dpartmnt of NaturalResources to create a capital investment plan that details andprioritizs th systms nds on a rgular basis. Such a plan

would prioritiz asst prsr vation, dvlopmnt, and acqui-sition needs across the system and serve as a road-map fordcision makrs to mak wis invstmnts in Minnsotas statparks and trails.

Broken bridge trestle along the Willard

Munger State Trail (Minnesota DNR)

Historic Seppman Mill in Minneopa State

Park is in need of repairs (Randy Wood)


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Metro Regional Park System

Land Acquisition$1,000,000

PARK & TRAIL PROJECTS RECOMMENDED BY LCCMR:Th environmnt and Natural Rsourcs Trust Fund(eNRTF) rcivs rvnus from th Minnsota StatLottry to fund projcts that nhanc Minnsotas air, watr,land, fish, wildlif, and othr natural rsourcs. Th Lgisla-tiv-Citizn Commission on Natural Rsourcs (LCCMR) isan advisory body that makes recommendations to the legisla-tur on how th eNRTF funds should b spnt ach yar.

For 2015, LCCMR rcommndd 65 projcts totalling $45.8

million including ovr $4 million for parks and trails. Histori-cally, th eNRTF also providd funds to grant programs forlocal park and trails projects, but has not done so since 2011.Parks & Trails Council urgs th lgislatur to fund th parkand trail initiativs rcommndd by LCCMR, and to rstoreNRTF funds for local grant programs should funds bcomavailable in 2015 or future years.


Priority:Continue building Minnesotas parks and trails through theEnvironment & Natural Resources Trust Fund

Priority:Strengthen policies that protect and enhance Minnesotasparks and trails

ENV I RONMEN TAND NATURAL RESOURCES

TRUST FUND

State Park and Trail Land

Acquisition$1,500,000

Mesabi Regional Trail

Development$1,000,000

Bison Reintroduction in

Minneopa State Park $600,000

FUND THE PARK & TRAIL INITIATIVES RECOMMENDED BY LCCMR

RESTORE ENRTF FUNDS FOR LOCAL PARK AND TRAIL GRANTS

GREATER MINNESOTA REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS COMMISSION

Parks & Trails Council supports an appropriation for thGratr Minnsota Rgional Parks and Trails Commis-sion to support a staff person and office space to carryout th Commissions work, which is ssntial for makingplanning and funding dcisions in Gratr Minnsotas

regional park and trail system.

STATE TRAIL EXPENDIT URE REPORTING

Parks & Trails Council is ncouraging th DNR to rportoperation and maintenance expenditures on state trails.

Tracking state trail budget trends has become moredifficult following a division merger in fiscal year 2010.Reporting expenditures would increase transparency, il-lustrate needs, and better inform stakeholders.

STRATEGIC LAND ASSET MANAGEMENT

Parks & Trails Council is monitoring th DNRs StratgicLand Asst Managmnt (SLAM) program to nsurdecisions are made transparently and that park and traillands rmain in th public trust. SLAM is an nw programto improv Minnsotas portfolio of public land assts

through comprehensively planning for and implementingacquisitions, sals, and xchangs.

CITIZEN VOLUNTEERING

Parks & Trails Council will continu to work with thDNR to idntify and implmnt solutions that support

voluntr groups contributions to stat park and trailprojects.

Parks & Trails Council continually rviws, analyzs, and updats policy positions on issus that affct Minnsotas parks and trailshritag. Som of ths issus span multipl lgislativ sssions, and may or may not rquir lgislation to achiv rsults. In 2015,we are working with our partners on the following policies that protect and enhance parks and trails across the state.


10/12


A land asmnt is an agrmnt inwhich a landowner grants someoneelse the right to use land for a specificpurpose. Tis right can be purchased ordonated and once executed it is tied to

the property, so even if the land is sold,the easement remains in place.

Creating the SH 1986-1990

Suprior Hiking Trail Association(SHTA) was formd in 1986 to takon the task of creating the trail. Teirtoolbox consisted of a grassroots cadreof volunteers with financial supportfrom members along with state grants.

Anothr vital tool in thir box was thplthora of public land along th NorthShormuch of it thanks to Parks &

rails Council co-founder, Judge C. R.Magny, who was an amazing advocatfor the creation of parks.

SHTA was abl to us th ntworkof public land within seven state parksand som forsts, to bring quick progrssto the trail. Te hardest part came next:

figuring out how to cross over the tractsof privately owned lands.

way Rudi Hargshimr, formrprsidnt of th SHTA, dscribs it, thy

went out and had friendly conversa-tions with many private landowners thatturned into handshake agreements. By1990, just four years into the effort, half

the trail had been completed. Comparedwith many state trail projects, that isrecord speed.

Te down side to the friendly conversa-tions is that as time chugs on, handshakescan bcom a distant mmory. Man-

while new situations evolve, ownershipchanges hands or people simply have achange of heart.

Why we stepped in

Tis seemed to be the case with the landthat P&TC cam to own in 1995. Svral

yars prior, in 1991, th SHTA talkdwith the landowners and received writ-ten permission for the trail to cross intoa small section of their land along theDvils Rivr just north of Grand Marais.

But by 1994 this arrangmnt was injopardy. SHTA rcivd a not withinstructions to return the land to its pre-trail condition. Te owners were getting

ready to put the land on the market.

And thats whn Parks & Trails Coun-cil stepped in to save the day, says GayleCoyer, the current executive director ofth Suprior Hiking Trail Association.

On the one hand this project was easy forP&TC bcaus, at 40 acrs, it is rlativlysmall compared with other land projects

wv workd on. On th othr hand itrprsntd a dpartur from P&TCsland protection model, which is to holdonto land only long enough for a publicagency to secure funding and authorityto acquir itanywhr from a monthto a few years. Tis project, however,

would rquir P&TC to own th land inperpetuity.

W know how critical this land is for thSuprior Hiking Trail; its a uniqu situ-

ation that deserves an extraordinary useof our Land Fund, says Brtt Fldman,xcutiv dirctor of P&TC.

Whil P&TC continus to hold this landfor th SHT, w ar dlightd to hlpushr in th SHTAs orts to bring th

whol trail onto rmr groundmta-phoricallyby granting a prmannt

easement. Tis ensures that the trail hasa legally binding right to use this land inprptuity. Happy hiking!

Superior Hiking railcontinued from page 1

View of Devils Track River along the property Parks &Trails Council owns for the Superior Hiking Trail.

Hike to this Landrs asy accss to this part ofthe trail via a 5-mile, out-and-backhike from a parking lot north ofGrand Marais along Co. Rd. 58.

Youll hik along th dg of thdpst canyon in Minnsota andsee Devil rack River far below.

Getting TereFrom Hwy. 61 milpost 113.8,turn onto Co. Rd. 58 and drive 0.8miles to the parking lot on the leftside of the road.

Superior Hiking rail contd p. 11

Parks & Trails

Council

40-Acre Parcel

Superior

Hiking Trail

Parks & Trails Councils 40-acre

parcel on the Superior Hiking Trail

inset below

Grand Marais


11/12


Our friend and long-time supporter,Kith Fstr did on Dc. 1, 2014 sur-rounded by family and friends in hospice.H had just turnd 72.

Keith will be remembered as a generousand kind man who believed in the maximpay it forward. Kith was an incrdibladvocat for th Parks & Trails Council

of Minnsota and a prson who lovd toexperience the outdoors with gusto.

Kith srvd on th Parks & Trails Coun-cil Board from 2011-2014 and P&TCsLand Committ from 2009-2014. Hand his wif Louis wr xturs on thannual Bik MN with Parks & TrailsCouncilso much so that over the past

six years Keith was responsible for scout-ing, shaping and mapping th vnt sroutes.

Lik many of us at P&TC, bik ridingbrought Keith great joy. For him it wasmore than just a personal pursuit--bikingbrought his family together and fosteredfrindships. A rit of passag for ach of

his sons was a 400-mil trip from thirhom in th Twin Citis to Omaha, Nb.to visit their grandmother.

We are grateful that he was inspiredto share his love of parks and trails bysupporting th work of Parks & TrailsCouncil in creating and enhancing thesespcial placs across Minnsota.

In Memoriam

Keith Fester, 72, was a trail rider to the end

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota is a proud

member of the Minnesota Environmental Fund,

a workplace giving option comprised of 23

environmental nonprofits working to protect,

conserve and restore Minnesotas environment.

WWW.MNENVIROFUND.ORG

Working with th DNR to add land toand enhance our parks and trails is oftennot as straightforward as expected. Onefamily is learning that the hard way. Foreleven years they have been trying todonate their land to create a parking lotalong th Glacial Laks Stat Trail. Itnally looks lik it s going to happn.

Tracy and Ricky Clarks hom abuts thtrail nar Nw London, Minn. Part oftheir land included an empty lot wheretrail users have long pulled in to parkand unload biks. Sing th nd, thydecided to donate the land for a trailhead.

Te idea actually originated with theirson Ryan. H intndd it to b his eaglScout projct, motivatd by th mmoryof his friend who was killed in 1999 whenhit by a car while bicycling on the road.

Ryan kept the grassy lot mowed forpeople to use while trying to get the landdonatd. According to Tracy, hr son con-tinued to push for this project even while

h was srving in Afghanistan. It manta lot to him, says racy.

In 2010 Ryan did in Afghanistan. atswhen racy and Ricky Clark assumedth mantl for complting th projct. Ithas been much harder than I thought it

would be, says racy. But their determi-nation has finally paid off. On Oct. 17,2014, a dat that marks four yars sincRyans funral, thr was a ground brak-ing for the site. Te Clarks expect theDNR will hav th sit pavd and curbdby Spt. 2015.

Tis site is about a mile north of the pro-

posd 5-mil trail spur into Sibly StatPark that Parks & Trails Council hasbn involvd with (s articl in SpcialPlacs Fall 2014 dition).

Te Clarks are now working to raise$25,000 for three flagpoles, a bench witha military footston and a story plaquabout Ryan and his friend who inspiredthe project.

Parks & Trails Council mad a small do-nation. W wantd to show our supportfor this family, knowing how challengingit can be for individuals unaccustomed tonavigating this system to complete a landprojct for a park or trail, said P&TCexecutive director Brett Feldman.

Te Clarks have set up a fund at theUnitd Minnsota Bank, 105 Cntral Av.e., Nw London, MN 56273.

State rail Project

Familys 11-year effort to donate land for state trail finally happening


12/12

Spcial Placs ispublished three times a year by the

Parks & Trails Council of MinnsotaLisa Filtr, ditor

Parks & rails Council of MN275 E. 4th St., Suite #250St. Paul, MN 55101-1626(651) 726-2457 or (800) 944-0707www.parksandtrails.org

Non-Prot Org

U.S. Postag

PAID

Twin Citis, MN

Prmit #4936

B D

Executive CommitteeMik Tgdr, Prsidnt

Juli Gugin, Vic Prsidnt

Robert O. Erickson, reasurer

Timothy eschwilr, Scrtary

Andrw Brantingham

Mark Larson

Tom Pavy

DirectorsDorothy Andrson

Richard Dick Brainrd

Kathy Connelly

Gary Connett

Ann Fluckigr

Vrnica Jaralambids

Bruce Johnson

Paul Karazija

emily Nsvold

John Oldendorf

Tom StoaKellie Webster

Honorary DirectorsRollis Bishop

Sn. David Durnbrgr

Tomas . Dwight

Martin Kllogg

David Ming

Mik Prichard

Ptr Sd

S CJoe Bagnoli

Government Relations Consultant

Vicki Dunlop

Database Administrator

Brett Feldman

Executive Director

Lisa Filtr

External Relations Director

Bth HynsDatabase Administrator

Andrw Oftdal

Research & Policy Specialist

Sarah Psick

Government Relations Consultant

Stv Young

Land Acquisition Consultant

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newsletter winter (january) 2015

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