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Home , Crosby Farm, Midtown Greenway, Mississippi River Trail

U.S. Department of the Interior

Community Assistance Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program

Minnesota News

View of a Crow Wing River from Camp Ripley. Credit: NPS 2019 PROJECTS The National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program supports nonprofit organizations, community groups, tribes, and local, state, and federal government agencies. We help partners work together to create parks, develop trails and green- ways, protect rivers and natural areas, and increase access to recreation opportunities. We help to engage a wide range of community partners throughout the planning process to ensure a project’s success! The RTCA program in offers a wide range of services that can be tailored to meet the needs of an individual project. The NPS staff members are trained facilitators who encourage project leaders to build collaborative partnerships among govern- mental and non-governmental stakeholders. We help communi- ties and groups define their vision, goals, and objectives; analyze issues and opportunities; and develop strategic action plans and time lines for projects. We do not provide financial assistance CURRENT PROJECTS but can help to identify and secure sources of funding for project 1. Brainerd Trail Network implementation. 2. Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape Recreation and Find out more about how the National Park Service is supporting Cultural Resources projects in Minnesota on the next page. 3. Cannon River Corridor Enhancement 4. Crane Lake Visitors Center, Gateway to Voyageurs National Park 5. Hidden Falls - Regional Park Master Plan 6. Stephen Farm Master Plan Implementation 7. Midtown Trail: Enhanced Connections & Wayfinding 8. River Park Redevelopment and Community Connections 9. National Loon Center

Picnic shelter at Crosslake Recreation Area. Credit: NPS Current Projects

1. Brainer d Network Project Partner: City of Brainerd Project Goal Fill a gap in trail connectivity to, and along, two miles of the Mississippi River by building hard surface trails from existing state Wilderness Inquiry providing canoe rides at Public Lands Day 2018. Credit: NPS and local trails, in order to increase 7. Trail: access to the river and fill in the 4. Crane Lake Visitors Center, Enhanced Connections & hard surface trail network. Gateway to Voyageurs National Park Wayfinding Project Partner: Township of Crane Project Partner: Park 2. Camp Ripley Sentinel Lake and Recreation Board Landscape Recreation and Project Goal Cultural Resources Project Goal Project Partner: Camp Ripley Develop a partnership among Establish a creative, coordinated Sentinel Landscape Partners the Township of Crane Lake, the wayfinding system that helps National Park Service and other community members and visitors Project Goal government and non-profit locate the Midtown Greenway Develop recreational facilities partners to plan for and develop Trail, and directs them to parks, within the Camp Ripley Sentinel a visitor center and campground, bikeways, the Lake St. business Landscape area around Camp and assist in development of a corridor and the Mississippi River Ripley, including the Camp Ripley public boat launch site. corridor. Veterans’ State Trail, and obtain a National Water Trail designation 8. River Park Redevelopment for part of the Mississippi River. 5. Hidden Falls - Crosby Farm Regional Park Master Plan and Community 3. Cannon River Corridor Project Partner: City of St. Paul Connections Enhancement Project Partner: City of Brooklyn Project Goal Park Project Partner: City of Northfield Create a master plan for Hidden Project Goal Project Goal Falls - Crosby Farm Regional Park, a well-established City Redevelop River Park as a nature- Improve access to and maximize of St. Paul park along the based park, with updated and new recreational amenities along the Mississippi River that is in need of facilities that meets current and Cannon River corridor, protect and updating, renovation, and habitat future needs, treats stormwater, enhance the river corridor ecology, restoration. restores the riverfront, and connect trails to the river corridor, connects the Brooklyn Park increase participation in outdoor community to the Mississippi River. recreation, and bolster economic 6. Stephen Farm Master Plan development. Implementation Project Partner: City of Dayton 9. National Loon Center Project Partner: National Loon Project Goal Center Foundation Improve access to and use of the Project Goal Mississippi River by developing a new City park on a recently Develop a National Loon Center acquired 14 acre property, which building on Army Corps of includes new trails, restored Engineers property at Crosslake habitat, boat docks and launch, Dam, complete natural habitat fishing pier, event space, historic restoration, and develop park restoration, and memorial. improvements to increase functionality of the recreational Former horse barn and silo on Stephen Farm. Credit: NPS site and campground. Recent Successes Lake Vermilion Trail Receives NPS/RTCA Partner Award 2018 was an eventful year for the Lake Vermilion Trail. The Lake Vermilion Trail Joint Powers Board, the new entity that will develop, own and manage the planned 40 mile, paved trail in northern St. Louis County, MN, had its first meeting in February 2018. This new Board is essentially a new local government with one purpose: the Trail. This may be the largest trail-related Joint Powers Board in the country. Five Townships, two Cities and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa’s Tribal Government joined together to build the trail in order to provide a recreational opportunity for local residents, and to increase the area’s attractiveness for tourists. The trail has already generated excitement among both trail providers and trail users in the state due to its location near one of Minnesota’s largest lakes, and through beautifully scenic boreal forests that are now mostly inaccessible. In March, the Board submitted its first application for trail development funds from the State’s Legislative & Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources. In April the Board adopted their Master Plan for the trail, after holding three public meetings in the communi- ties within the trail corridor. In July, the Greater Minnesota Regional Park and Trail Commission awarded the Trail with the “regional trail” designation. This allows the Board the opportunity to apply for State Legacy funding for trail development. In July, the Board submitted an application for Legacy funding to develop the first 4.6 miles of trail. In the meantime the Board has been setting itself up as a new government entity, increasing public awareness of the project, and raising funds. National Park Service, Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program staff Holly Larson has assisted the project over the last three years, helping with monthly meeting facilitation, development of the Joint Powers Agreement, trail planning, organizational development, master plan development, community engagement and grantwriting. Due to its exemplary partnership work in co- ordinating a large project with eight government entities, in September the National Park Service’s Midwest Region RTCA Program presented the Board with a Partner Award. This award has only been given to a select few of the RTCA program’s partners through- out the Midwest Region. Although RTCA wrapped up their official involvement in the Lake Vermilion Trail project in September, the Joint Powers Board has the capacity and dedication to see the project through. It is well on its way to having the first segment of trail on the ground within the next few years.

National Loon Center Planned in Crosslake The National Loon Center Foundation of Crosslake, Minnesota is well on its way to developing a signature interpretation and re- search center focused on the Common Loon, Minnesota’s State Bird. In 2017 - 2018, the Foundation engaged a broad array of part- ners and community members, completed a scope and scale analysis for the building, created a marketing and feasibility study and a business plan, and have received preliminary approval on a $4 million State grant for development of the Center. The Foundation is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to secure a long term lease to build the center on the Corps’ Crosslake Recreation Area. The site location on Cross Lake is part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, where dozens of loons nest each year, and hundreds annually congregate during their migration. Plans include interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits, public docks, shoreline restora- tion, and boat tours. Fundraising and design work continue in 2019, preparing for a 2021 opening.

We’re Here For You Could your project benefit from NPS Staff Assistance? Contact us to find out.

Holly Larson 651-293-8444 [email protected]

Find more information about the program and application process, visit www.nps.gov/rtca Cross Lake shoreline at Crosslake Recreation Area, Army Corps of Engineers. Credit: NPS