Greater Parks & Trails Connections Monthly Newsletter December 2016

Legislative Session Approaches – Reach Out To Important Dates Your Legislators Now We are working hard in preparation for the committee rosters for the 2017 session. Below GMPT Board Meeting 2017 legislative session, which begins January is a list of the chairs and vice-chairs of the main Friday, January 20 3. This session we plan to focus on three key committees that oversee the issues we work on: 1 p.m. priorities: Stearns Co. Parks Dept. • Senate Environment & Natural Resources 1802 County Road 137 • Preserving the 40/40/20 split of the Policy and Legacy Finance: Chair Sen. Waite Park, MN Legacy parks & trails funding and Carrie Ruud (R-Breezy Point), Vice-chair Legislative Action Day supporting the Greater Minnesota Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne) Wednesday, February 8 Regional Parks and Trails Commission’s • Senate Environment & Natural Resources 9:30 a.m. (GMRPTC) funding recommendations. Finance: Chair Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen Flaherty & Hood, P.A. • Pushing back on any attempts to create (R-Alexandria), Vice-chair Sen. Ruud 525 Park St., Suite 470 unfair obstacles to developing parks and • House Legacy Funding Division: Chair St. Paul, MN trails. Rep. (R-Fairmont), Vice- • Advocating for more money for local chair Rep. (R-Grand Rapids parks and trails grant programs. • House Environment & Natural Resources Policy and Finance: Chair Rep. Dan Legislative work is a team sport and we need Fabian (R-Roseau), Vice-chair Rep. Josh Board of Directors your help as we move forward. Earlier this Heintzeman (R-Nissawa) 2017 month, we issued a challenge to our members • House Subcommittee on Mining, Forestry to reach out to your legislators at least once & Tourism: Chair Rep. Chair - Marcia Larson before the legislative session starts. It’s not too (R-Ghent), Vice-chair Rep. [email protected] late! Even sending an email is a great way to (R-Aitkin) start to build a relationship. Learn more about Vice Chair - Ted Suss reaching out to your legislators here. You can see the full House committee list here [email protected] and the Senate committee list here. The House and Senate recently unveiled their Secretary/Communications - Brad Harrington Congratulations to Legacy Funding Designees The GMRPTC has announced its FY2018 • Cook County Mountain Bike Trails, Treasurer - Tom Salkowski Legacy Fund grant awards. Congratulations District 1 [email protected] to these projects, which represent project • Robbins Island Regional Park, District 3 funding totaling $8,298,810: Past Chair - Laird Mork The awards represent 35% of all funding • Lake Wobegon Trail, District 4 requests received by GMRPTC for FY2018. District 1 - Bob Manzoline [email protected] • Moorhead River Corridor, District 3 • Detroit Mountain, District 3 The must now approve District 2 - Joe Amundson • Cascade Lake Park, District 6 the Commission’s recommendations during [email protected] • Mesabi Trail, District 1 the upcoming legislative session. • Tioga Recreation Area, District 2 District 3 - Dan Coughlin For more information on these projects and [email protected] • Milford Mine Trail, District 2 • Memorial Park, District 3 the GMRPTC, visit gmrptcommission.org. District 4 - Peter Theismann • Dakota Rail Trail, District 5 [email protected] • Lake Brophy Park, District 3 District 5 - Jacqueline Knips GMPT Legislative Action Day to be held Feb. 8 District 6 - Mike Nigbur Please note that the date for the 2017 GMPT event will occur at the Flaherty & Hood offices [email protected] Legislative Action Day has been shifted to in St. Paul beginning at 9:30 a.m. The cost is Wednesday, February 8, 2017 (it had previously $20, which covers lunch and materials. To been scheduled for January 25, 2017). The register, please fill out this online form.

See next page for more! Happy New Year from GMRPTC! Apply Now for DNR Grants Below is a message from Renee Mattson, to finish. We listened to your input and believe The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced Executive Director of the Greater Minnesota the changes reflect many of the suggestions grant funding opportunities for Regional Parks and Trails Commission that were made. park and trail projects across (GMRPTC). She can be reached at renee. Minnesota. Applications are now [email protected]. The Commission’s recommendations for being accepted for the following FY2018 funding awards may be found on our grant programs: As we welcome 2017, we at GMRPTC take website here. • Outdoor Recreation Grant a quick breath and reflect on the busy and Program productive year that was 2016. There were 25 applications submitted, for a • Federal Recreational Trail total of $23,582,369 in requests and $8,298,810 Program The launch of the new Master Plan Portal available to award; 35.19% of the total • Regional Trail Grant Program in the Data Management System was a big requested. The Commission recommended 12 • Local Trail Connections Grant step for the Commission and an important projects for funding. Next steps: Program planning tool that is available to all entities These grants help local who need an alternative to draft a Master Plan • Legislative approval of recommendations governments throughout the at a reasonable cost. While the rollout was • Fully executed grant contract with the state create partnerships with not as smooth as we had hoped, it will be a Minnesota DNR the DNR to fund projects ranging valuable resource after some tweaks. We are • Funds released after the start of fiscal from local parks, regional trails year 2018 (July 1, 2017) to trail connections. Eligibility deep in a process to dramatically improve requirements, deadlines, and not only the Master Plan Portal, but the other details can be found on the Application and Funding Portals as well. Look Thank you to Greater Minnesota Parks and DNR website at mndnr.gov or the for the launch of Portal 2.0 in early February. Trails for your leadership and work on behalf program links above. This is the first of three phases to rework and of all parks and trails in Greater Minnesota! refine the process for our applicants, from start Funding Available for Environmental Projects The Legislative-Citizen Commission onother public benefits. Greater MN Parks Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has issued & Trails is now more its Request for Proposal (RFP) for funding For additional information about the than 90 members from Minnesota’s Environment and Natural LCCMR’s proposal and funding process, strong! Resources Trust Fund beginning July 1, 2018. please see the attached documents or visit Approximately $50 million is expected to be lccmr.leg.mn. Proposals are due May 15, 2017. available for projects that provide ecological and

Featured Park or Trail of the Month: Robbins Island Regional Park

Robbins Island Regional Park is a 120-acre park system, located in the City of Willmar, which serves as the primary regional center for a large area of West Central Minnesota.

Robbins Island is located right off business 71, a four-lane parkway that allows easy access for locals and visiting guests. The park is readily accessible to the Glacial Lakes State Trail and Willmar’s extensive trail network.

With its natural beauty and amenities, Robbins Island is like no other park in the region, with its mature hardwood forest Photo by Sully Kosmas over rolling hills. The park’s unique setting between two lakes, Willmar (636 acres) & Foot Lakes (544 acres), offers some of the best shoreline fishing opportunities in the state. Robbins Island acts as a trailhead allowing trail users to explore Willmar as well as adjacent towns including Spicer, New London into Paynesville 30 miles away. Accessible by pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle routes, Robbins Island is easy to get to for not only the 20,000+ residents of Willmar but also the 45,000 residents of Kandiyohi County and the entire state of Minnesota.

For more information on Robbins Island Park, contact Willmar Community Education & Recreation. Photo provided by City of Willmar

Newsletter design by Flaherty & Hood, P.A. for Greater Minnesota Parks & Trails, 2016.