Parks & Trails Council Of Minnesota

WE EXIST TO ACQUIRE, PROTECT AND ENHANCE CRITICAL LAND FOR THE PUBLIC'S USE AND BENEFIT.

LAND PROTECTION: PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA (P&TC) PARTNERS WITH STATE, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL AGENCIES ACROSS MINNESOTA TO ASSIST IN THE ACQUISITION OF CRITICAL LANDS FOR PARKS AND TRAILS. KEY TO THIS PROGRAM IS A REVOLVING FUND KNOWN AS THE SAMUEL H. MORGAN LAND FUND, WHICH HAS GROWN TO MORE THAN $5.1 MILLION WITH GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM SUPPORTERS. THIS FUND, PAIRED WITH STAFF RESOURCES AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC GOOD, ENABLES US TO ACT QUICKLY IN BUYING LAND BEFORE AN OPPORTUNITY IS LOST.IN 2021, P&TC SAVED 121 ACRES OF CRITICAL LAND VALUED AT $1.3 MILLION FOR MINNESOTA'S PARKS AND TRAILS, INCLUDING 61 ACRES AT THE GOODHUE PIONEER STATE TRAIL'S CURRENT TERMINUS IN HAY CREEK THAT WILL FILL A GAP IN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP ALLOWING THE TRAIL TO EXTEND ANOTHER 5 MILES TOWARD GOODHUE; AND 60 ACRES OF A FORMER FARM ALONG WILLIAM O'BRIEN STATE PARK'S WESTERN BORDER THAT INCLUDES A BLUFF, FOREST AND AN AREA TO BE RESTORED TO NATIVE GRASSLANDS. THE LAND PURCHASED AT WILLIAM O'BRIEN STATE PARK WAS ALSO CRITICAL FOR THE PLANNED GATEWAY STATE TRAIL FROM THE CITY OF SCANDIA EXTENDING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE PARK. IN ADDITION, P&TC CLOSED OUT 2021 HOLDING 220 ACRES IN TRUST FOR PUBLIC PARKS AND TRAILS, INCLUDING: 18 ACRES THAT WILL EXTEND THE SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF THE GREAT RIVER RIDGE STATE TRAIL 1.5 MILES TO HWY. 14 NEAR EYOTA, MN; 40 ACRES THAT WILL DOUBLE THE SIZE OF CHECKERBOARD REGIONAL PARK IN CHISAGO COUNTY; 25 ACRES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BAPTISM RIVER ON THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF TETTEGOUCHE STATE PARK; 22 ACRES ON BOTH SIDES OF PIKE CREEK WHERE IT EMPTIES INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT CHARLES LINDBERGH STATE PARK; AND A SIGNED PURCHASE CONTRACT FOR 24.5 ACRES OF A FORMER BOY SCOUT CAMP AT LAKE SHETEK STATE PARK. YOU CAN TOUR SOME OF P&TC'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE "LAND PROTECTION" SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.PARKSANDTRAILS.ORG AND IN THE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT.

RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY: PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA (P&TC) VALUES DECISIONS INFORMED BY THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE AND DATA. P&TC'S INDEPENDENT RESEARCH COMPLEMENTS THE WORK OF OUR PUBLIC PARTNERS AND TOGETHER BRINGS CLARITY AND CONFIDENCE TO OUR PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY. P&TC STRIVES TO BE AN INDEPENDENT, HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT VOICE FOR PARKS AND TRAILS AT THE STATE CAPITOL WHERE CRITICAL DECISIONS ARE MADE. IN 2021, PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL WAS CONTRACTED BY THE GREATER MINNESOTA REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS COMMISSION TO CONDUCT TRAIL COUNTS AND VISITOR SURVEYS AT THREE MOUNTAIN BIKE DESTINATIONS: THE DULUTH TRAVERSE, DETROIT MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA AND THE COOK COUNTY MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAIL SYSTEM. THE WORK CULMINATED IN THREE COMPREHENSIVE REPORTS THAT PROVIDE TRAIL TRAFFIC NUMBERS, VISITOR DEMOGRAPHICS, USER TRAIL EXPERIENCE SUMMARIES, TRAIL TOURISM INFORMATION, TRAIL USER CHARACTERISTICS, AND DETAILS ON HOW PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THE VARIOUS TRAIL SYSTEMS. P&TC ALSO COLLABORATED WITH THE MINNESOTA DNR TO CONDUCT WINTER TRAIL COUNTS AT GREAT RIVER BLUFFS STATE PARK TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF SKI TRAIL GROOMING ON SKIING AT THE PARK. FINALLY, AS THE GO TO SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ALL THINGS PARKS AND TRAILS, P&TC DEVELOPS, MAINTAINS AND UPDATES SEVERAL FACT SHEETS THAT ARE USED BY DECISION MAKERS AND ARE ACCESSIBLE IN THE "RESEARCH AND REPORTS" SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.PARKSANDTRAILS.ORG. A SUMMARY OF P&TC'S LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE ADVOCACY SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA'S WORK RELIES ON THE SUPPORT OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO USE AND APPRECIATE PARKS AND TRAILS. P&TC WORKS TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE THIS COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE, PROTECT AND ENHANCE THESE PLACES IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. OUR MAGNEY CIRCLE MEMBERS TOURED OUR 2020 LAND PROJECT FOR CHARLES LINDBERGH STATE PARK WITH PRESENTATIONS FROM NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS AND AN AREA HISTORIAN; OUR ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST HAD HUNDREDS OF SUBMISSIONS SHOWCASING THE BEAUTY OF MINNESOTA'S PARKS AND TRAILS; OUR SCAVENGER HUNT ENGAGED MORE THAN 900 PEOPLE AT 69 STATE PARKS AND FIVE LOCAL PARKS; AND THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS CONNECTED WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES THROUGH P&TC'S REGULAR NEWSLETTERS, EMAILS, MINNESOTA TRAILS MAGAZINE CONTENT, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES. IN ADDITION, P&TC HAS MORE THAN 50 VOLUNTEER "FRIENDS" GROUP PARTNERS THAT WE SUPPORT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, INCLUDING FISCAL SPONSORSHIP SERVICES, AN EVER-EXPANDING RESOURCE LIBRARY, LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR EVENTS, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES, EXPANDED PUBLICITY THROUGH OUR WEB AND PRINT COMMUNICATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS THAT HELP BUILD SKILLS. IN 2021, P&TC AWARDED $7,500 IN GRANTS TO TEN FRIENDS GROUP PARTNERS WORKING ON HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS AT BLUE MOUNDS, CAMDEN, LAKE LOUISE, LAKE SHETEK, MAPLEWOOD AND WHITEWATER STATE PARKS AS WELL AS CHESTER WOODS PARK, THE GATEWAY STATE TRAIL AND THE SWEDISH IMMIGRANT TRAIL. THE RESTORATION PROJECTS INVOLVED 845 VOLUNTEER HOURS, RESULTED IN 57 TREES AND SHRUBS AND 195 FORBS PLANTED. ALSO IN 2021, P&TC AWARDED $7,500 IN GRANTS TO FRIENDS GROUP PARTNERS WHO COLLABORATED TO PLAN, DESIGN AND BUILD NATURE PLAY AREAS AT BLUE MOUNDS, TETTEGOUCHE AND ZIPPEL BAY STATE PARKS. FINALLY, P&TC HOSTED EIGHT WEBINARS TO BUILD FRIENDS GROUP CAPACITY. YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE WORK WE DO WITH FRIENDS GROUPS BY VISITING THE "FRIENDS GROUPS" SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.PARKSANDTRAILS.ORG.