Fall 2015 (October) SpecialPARKS & TRAILS COUN CPlacesIL OF MINNESOTA NEWSLETTER lson n Ne ry Ala Mille Lacs Kathio State Park © Ga Inside this issue President: 125 years of parks......PG 2 Trail building updates.................PG 4 2015 designations of regional parks and trails..........PG 5 Bison at Minneopa......................PG 5 Photo contest winners................PG 6 BIKE MINNESOTA! recap..............PG 7 Hiking the SHT............................PG 8 Friends of Luce Line West............PG 11 Dave Lais from the Sibley State Park Improvement Association driving a tractor while helping to clean up the P&TC Research News tons of trash on the land P&TC recently acquired for Sibley State Park. Right: Natural, rolling grasslands cover Spearheading first the majority of the land acquired. statewide trail count P&TC Land Project Update If you were out on a state trail re- cently, you may have seen a smil- Massive cleanup for Sibley State Park ing face “count” you as you went by. When Parks & Trails Council of land from agricultural production That’s because during September, Minnesota acquired the 154 acres of and instead manage it for conserva- over 50 volunteers helped Parks & privately owned land at the southwest tion benefits. As such, the majority Trails Council count the number of corner of Sibley State Park in De- of the land is primed to effortlessly bicyclists, walkers, joggers, and skaters cember 2014, we did so knowing it and seamlessly blend into Sibley State using Minnesota’s state-authorized presented a tremendous opportunity Park where staff are well versed in trails. In total, over 200 hours were for the park, but also a tremendous prairie restoration. spent counting users at 26 differ- responsibility: turning an unsanc- ent trail locations across the state tioned landfill into parkland. However, one corner of the land (see map on pg.3). Additionally, was far from pristine. Here, a former the Arrowhead Regional Develop- The majority of the 154 acres are farmstead was surrounded by 123 ment Commission and University of pristine grasslands that have been tons of trash that included 588 tires, Minnesota installed two automatic enrolled in the federal Conservation leaking appliances, hazardous wastes counters along the Gitchi Gami trail Reserve Program (CRP). This volun- like farm herbicide, and crumbling for the summer season. tary program reimburses farmers who boats to name a few. Count | pg 6 set aside environmentally sensitive Cleanup | pg 3 Acquiring, protecting and enhancing critical land for the public’s use & benefit From the President Getting ready to celebrate 125 years of Minnesota State Parks By Mike Tegeder, president The DNR’s webpage for Itasca Park And the early history of the park is has an interesting note on the origin even more amazing with the contri- The year 2016 will be a of the park: “In the late 1800s, Jacob bution of one young woman to the year to remember. No, V. Brower, historian, anthropologist park’s surviving its first years. In 1903, I am not a forecaster, I and land surveyor, came to the park Mary Gibbs, the 24-year-old daugh- have no idea how the region to settle the dispute of the ac- ter of the park superintendent, was Vikings will do their first tual location of the Mississippi Head- appointed by the governor to succeed year in the new stadium waters. Brower saw this region being her father who unexpectedly died. or where the stock market will be on quickly transformed by logging, and She soon had to face down loggers Dec. 31, 2016, and I wish I knew how was determined to protect some of who put up a dam and were flooding the elections will turn out. But liter- the pine forests for future generations. the park. It is a great story and one to ally, 2016 will be a year to remember It was Brower’s tireless efforts to save be remembered too. and celebrate two great milestones in the remaining pine forest surrounding Minnesota history: The 125th anni- Lake Itasca that led the state legisla- Over the past 125 years there are versary of Minnesota State Parks and ture to establish Itasca as a Minnesota many other examples of such vision the 50th anniversary of Minnesota State Park on April 20, 1891, by a and courage. The year 2016 will be State Trails. margin of only one vote. Through his a good time to share these inspiring conservation work and the continu- stories and to renew our commitment The first state park and the beginning ing efforts of others throughout the to join in this great legacy. of our great state park tradition was decades, the splendor of Itasca had Lake Itasca. The word Itasca itself is been maintained.” The parks had a 75-year head start, made up from two Latin words, ver- but the trails are now spreading out itas ca-put or “true head,” and refers One visionary citizen and one wise throughout our beloved state, and to the lake being the headwaters of legislator made all the difference. This with our efforts will be there just as the Mississippi River. But it is also is something that we should all re- vital 125 years in the future. the true head or foundation for all the member this coming year. Each of us parks to follow. can all make a difference for genera- tions to come. We are a proud member of the Minnesota Environmental Fund, a workplace giv- ing option comprised of 22 environmental nonprofits working to protect, conserve and restore Minnesota’s environment. Visit the website to see if you can donate through your workplace or to find out how to add your workplace to the program. www.mnenvirofund.org Thank you to our business sponsors Minnesota TRAILS A Parks & Trails Journal / MnTrails.com www.mntrails.com page 2 Fall 2015 Sibley State Park Series of photos from the 154 acres P&TC recently acquired for Sibley State Park from left: Rolling grasslands, native prairie wildflower called Prairie Smoke, volunteer cleaning up some of the tons of debris; volunteers picnicking after long day's work; leaning shed; mallards in the pond. Cleanup made significant donations to help continue to hold this land in trust Continued from page 1 cover some of the costs of the clean- as we work with the DNR to secure up. funding to incorporate it into Sibley Cleaning up that amount of debris State Park. was no easy task, but the volunteers "The commitment and generosity of from the Sibley State Park Improve- these volunteers who gave so much of Meanwhile we are working to move a ment Association (SSPIA) were their time, labor and funds to trans- trail project along that will connect a undeterred in pitching in to get it form this land has been instrumental 5-mile spur of the Glacial Lakes State done. All summer, volunteers have to this project and a true inspiration," Trail into Sibley State Park via this been cleaning up this land, putting in said Brett Feldman, Parks & Trails land—a key vision for how this land a staggering 529 hours of work. Council's executive director. was intended to be used. In total, the SSPIA organized 29 In addition to the volunteers, profes- Plans are underway by the DNR clean-up days with 2-10 volunteers sional excavation crews were brought but the timeline is undetermined. per day, plus another three days of in to operate heavy machinery for Once complete, this spur of the work by Community Service Work- bulldozing, crushing and disposing Glacial Lakes Trail will come off the ers (a program for misdemeanor jail of large waste. Other players involved main trail at New London then run inmates), plus another 45 days where an asbestos abatement inspector, the through the heart of downtown, pass- Dave Lais, who is the secretary-trea- PCA, DNR, local fire departments, ing two schools before winding into surer for SSPIA, worked solo doing the Kandiyohi County environmental Sibley through this newly cleaned up hands-on clean up or coordinating services director, county commission- land with its rolling prairie. the effort from home. ers. The long days of work for the volun- Today, this land is unrecognizable teers often ended with a group picnic from its former state. All the trash and refreshments. "This has really and dilapidated buildings are gone. been a fun project and team effort to The only remaining clues of the work on," said Lais. "Our encourage- bedraggled past are patches of bare ment came from seeing this badly soil where buildings used to be. It will blighted farmstead take on a more take some time for the native prairie natural and picturesque appearance, seeds we planted here to take root sort of like making a silk purse out of and restore the land—an effort that is Bicyclists on the Glacial Lakes State Trail where it a sow’s ear." certainly worth a little patience. connects into New London. This is where the new 5-mile spur will begin on its route to connect to our And to top it off, the SSPIA also Now, Parks & Trails Council will recently acquired land for Sibley State Park. Fall 2015 page 3 Swedish Trail Building Updates Immigrant Trail Swedish Immigrant Trail breaks ground on new segment The Swedish Immigrant Trail is a shores, through regional trail owned and managed by quiet pastures Chisago County, where parks direc- (including one with bison) and tor Laird Mork has been overseeing wetlands, into the quaint downtowns the project. This new segment will be of Chisago City, LindstrÖm, Shafer, located between Tern Ave.