ALL CT F 2016 (O ) Special Places PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA NEWSLETTER iller es M Charl Cedar Waxwing at Lyndale Park © Inside this issue THE E.D. ON OHVS ...............................PG 2 125 YEARS TIMELINE ...........................PG 3 ASSESSING TRAIL CONDITIONS ..........PG 4 REGIONAL PARKS DESIGNATED ..........PG 5 SUPPORTER HIGHLIGHT ......................PG 6 MASTER PLANNING UPDATES .............PG 7 IN MEMORIAM: MIKE TEGEDER .........PG 8 MAGNEY MINGLE RECAP ..................PG 10 MEET A FRIEND: NERSTRAND............PG 11 Mill Towns State Trail’s new bridge spans the Cannon River near Lake Byllesby Dam Land Project Update Mill Towns State Trail Segment Opens Like a puzzle, the newest segment of ensure such an excellent trail project the Mill Towns State Trail involved doesn’t fall apart,” says Brett Feldman, many pieces fitting together—just so— P&TC’s executive director. to complete the picture. Talks began in 2010 between the DNR, three private The official grand opening, for this landowners, two counties, managers of roughly two mile segment, is expected a dam and a highway. This year, with next spring. But already people are the commitment of trail proponents, biking, walking and fishing along the the pieces came together to make a new corridor. A key feature drawing great addition to the state trail system. a lot of attention is the bridge over Mark your calendar for the the Cannon River near Byllesby Dam. biggest giving day of the Parks & Trails Council became one On either side lay regional parks, one year. We’ll have a matching piece of the puzzle starting in 2011 managed by Goodhue County the challenge grant to make the when a key land acquisition along the other by Dakota County but both route was about to be lost. “Our land named Lake Byllesby Regional Park. most of your support. program proves its mettle in situations The bridge creates the first direct con- like these when we can step up to Mill Towns State Trail | pg. 8 Acquiring, protecting and enhancing critical land for the public’s use & benefit From the Executive Director Say no to motorized off-highway vehicles in state parks Minnesota’s The Minnesota Outdoor Recreation We have shared our interpretation of changing seasons Act of 1975 is clear that state parks the law and the disparities in equity make our state and are not meant to accommodate every between user groups with legislative its rich natural re- kind of recreational use and in fact leadership and the DNR Commis- sources one of the the only permissible uses are those sioner. We have also encouraged them most fascinating that do not cause material disturbance to review the DNR’s 2012 Minne- places on earth. As to the natural features of parks. sota State Parks visitor survey, which a Parks & Trails shows there is very little support for Council member That doesn’t mean that OHV us- providing opportunities for off-road you know that one of the best ways ers shouldn’t have a place to engage motorized vehicles in state parks. to experience Minnesota in all of its in their outdoor recreational activ- stunning natural glory is by visiting a ity. They should, and they do. The 5 We are concerned that despite all this, state park —something more than 9 percent of Minnesotans who own our lawmakers will rewrite the law million people did in 2015 alone. OHVs, currently have more than and bring OHVs into our parks. 4 million acres of public land on As a Parks & Trails Council mem- which they can ride. Compare that to I’m letting you know this now be- ber you also know that protecting the 232,000 acres of state parkland cause now there is an opportunity to these natural places where we all love open to the 30 percent of Minneso- take a preemptive stand that could to hike, fish, camp, bike, or simply tans who visit them. That’s 17 times have more impact than waiting to observe nature is a full time job that more land for a fraction of the users. respond after legislation is introduced. requires constant vigilance. Our Clearly the issue is not about OHV parks may be protected in law, but users being underrepresented in the Please take a moment right now to law is open to interpretation and that recreational opportunities being contact Gov. Dayton, Lt. Gov. Smith interpretation can change just like the provided. Yet, their use can materially and DNR Commissioner Landwehr seasons. So as fall turns to winter, leg- disrupt the opportunities of state park to tell them that you oppose opening islators will convene at the Capitol to users seeking a nature experience, if state parks to OHVs. Our collective make decisions that will impact you allowed into these special places. voices can prevail in keeping state and our parks as early as this spring. parks as the special places they are. I Minnesota state parks protect and hope we can count on you. Genera- One of the decisions that lawmakers preserve 285 rare species, 900 ar- tions who came before us and gen- are considering is whether or not we cheological sites and 80 types of erations that will come after us are should open up our state parks to off- important plant communities. They counting on you too. highway motor vehicles also known are also places that park users visit to as OHVs (that includes ATVs, off- enjoy the sounds and smells of nature Visit our website at highway motorcycles and 4x4s). as well as to experience silence and www.parksandtrails.org to see how to quiet. contact these leaders and learn more We are opposed to this idea. about this issue. Thank you to our business sponsors Minnesota TRAILS A Parks & Trails Journal / MnTrails.com www.mntrails.com page 2 Fall 2016 125 Years of MINNESOTA STATE PARKS Key events that helped create the legacy of parks and trails in Minnesota Start 1925 Here The local volunteer groups that had managed Minnesota’s 10 state parks 1933 ➳ are replaced with paid state workers President Franklin Roosevelt persuades from the Department of Conservation. Congress to establish the CIVILIAN 1891 By 1935, the parks become further CONSERVATION CORPS, which st professionalized with the creation of undertook massive projects to enhance Minnesota creates its state park: 1 the Division of State Parks. state parks. Itasca, earning Minnesota the distinction of having the second-oldest state park in the nation. It was created by a margin of one vote. Nature Trail 1954 Parks & Trails Council 1940s Here come the naturalists! Banning State Park’ of Minnesota is born. 1953 The era of free entry ends as the State Parks begin to incorporate newly passed State Park Permit “enjoyable education” into the park experience. 1960 Act requires a permit on any vehicle Then Parks Director writes, “this type of Parks & Trails Council successfully advocates for an entering the parks, then costing recreation is a departure from the generally updated State Parks and Recreation Study. Results accepted and prevailing practices of emphasizing prompt the passage of the 1963 bill creating 9 new state $1/YEAR. the purely amusement types.” parks: Banning, Glacial Lakes, Lake Louise, Maplewood, Great River Bluffs, Rice Lake, Sakatah Lake, Soudan Underground Mine, and Upper Sioux Agency. 1975 1988 Outdoor Recreation Act Minnesota voters approve mandates each park have a the Environment and Natural management plan and that they Resources Trust Fund. Lottery money goes to helping 1967 be open for public review. parks and trails and other environment projects. Hello Trails! Minnesota Legislature authorizes the first state trail: Casey Jones State Trail. 2008 Minnesota voters approve the Legacy Amend- ment which increased sales tax by 0.375% La Salle Lake State Rec Area until 2035 for water, outdoor heritage, arts, Today and parks and trails. The related plan has a Minnesota State Parks experience goal of establishing 5 new state parks and record attendance! 2011 connecting 10 state parks to state trails by La Salle Lake State Rec Area added as the newest 2035 among other goals. park unit. It’s the 2nd since Legacy passed--Lake Vermilion was added in 2010. Fall 2016 page 3 Parks & Trails Research Update Assessing the condition of Minnesota’s trails, one mile at a time Have you ever been riding along one users with a detailed, mile-by-mile data on trail pavement conditions. of Minnesota’s beautiful bicycle trails snapshot of trail conditions across the when, thud, a jarring bump shakes entire state. This will be the first time Data collection started over the sum- your entire frame? Well, you’re not such information is publicly available, mer and is planned to go through alone. Staff, board members and vol- and will be vital for understanding October. To date, we’ve completed unteers from Parks & Trails Council how much work is needed to get all of 430 miles of the roughly 600 miles in have been spending the summer out Minnesota’s trails in good shape. the state system. That amounts to over on the trails, feeling—and recording— 1,200 photographs and over 330,000 these bumps ourselves. We’re collecting three types of infor- data points logged on our iPhones. mation: First, we’re taking the “old As Minnesota’s bicycle trails age, trail fashioned” approach of giving every In the coming month, we’ll crunch maintenance has become a hot-but- mile a subjective rating between poor these numbers and pinpoint the ton issue at the legislature. So much and excellent based on our experience locations in most need of repair. This so that perhaps no other issue is more from riding it.