PARKS AND TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA
275 EAST 4TH STREET NO 250, ST PAUL, MN 55101 www.parksandtrails.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA EXISTS TO ACQUIRE, PROTECT AND ENHANCE CRITICAL LANDS FOR THE PUBLIC'S USE AND BENEFIT.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: OUR WORK RELIES ON THE SUPPORT OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO USE AND APPRECIATE PARKS AND TRAILS. WE WORK TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE THIS COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE, PROTECT AND ENHANCE THESE PLACES IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. OUR DAY ON THE HILL BROUGHT TOGETHER SUPPORTERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE TO THE CAPITOL ON MARCH 27 TO ADVOCATE FOR KEY PARKS AND TRAILS ISSUES; OUR MAGNEY CIRCLE MEMBERS TOURED OUR 2019 LAND PROJECT FOR TETTEGOUCHE STATE PARK WITH GEOLOGY PROFESSOR, DR. TOM FITZ; OUR ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST HAD HUNDREDS OF SUBMISSIONS SHOWCASING THE BEAUTY OF MINNESOTA'S PARKS AND TRAILS; AND THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS CONNECT WITH OUR ISSUES WITH OUR REGULAR NEWSLETTERS, EMAILS, MINNESOTA TRAILS MAGAZINE CONTENT, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. IN ADDITION, THE PARKS & TRAIL COUNCIL 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, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES, EXPANDED PUBLICITY THROUGH OUR WEB AND PRINT COMMUNICATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS THAT HELP BUILD SKILLS. IN 2019, PARKS &TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA ADMINISTERED TWO GRANT PROGRAMS. WE AWARDED $25,000 IN GRANTS TO FRIENDS GROUP PARTNERS WORKING ON HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS AT BLUE MOUNDS, LAKE BEMIDJI, MINNEOPA, SIBLEY, TETTEGOUCHE, WHITEWATER AND ZIPPEL BAY STATE PARKS. THE RESTORATION PROJECTS INVOLVED NEARLY 500 VOLUNTEER HOURS, RESULTED IN 237 TREES AND SHRUBS PLANTED AND PROTECTED 11 FOREST ACRES FROM OVERGRAZING. WE ALSO AWARDED $2,500 IN GRANTS TO FRIENDS GROUP PARTNERS WHO COORDINATED FIELD TRIPS THAT BROUGHT YOUTH TO EXPERIENCE THE GITCHI-GAMI STATE TRAIL, LAKE MARIA STATE PARK AND WILD RIVER STATE PARKMANY FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND OUTDOOR EDUCATION GRANTS RESULTED IN FOUR FIELD TRIPS, 222 YOUTH ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND 73 INDIVIDUALS VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME AND SKILLS TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS.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.

RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY: ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES AT PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA IS THAT DECISIONS ARE MADE USING THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE AND DATA. OUR INDEPENDENT RESEARCH COMPLEMENTS THE WORK OF OUR PUBLIC PARTNERS AND TOGETHER BRINGS CLARITY AND CONFIDENCE TO OUR PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IN ADDITION TO CONDUCTING, PROMOTING AND REVIEWING RESEARCH ON TOPICS RELATED TO CONSERVATION AND OUTDOOR RECREATION, THE PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL STRIVES TO BE A FACILITATOR OF PARK AND TRAIL-RELATED RESEARCH BY ENSURING TIMELY DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION TO POLICY MAKERS, OUR MEMBERSHIP AND THE PUBLIC. IN JULY 2019 THE PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL PUBLISHED A ONE-OF-A-KIND STATE OF THE TRAILS REPORT. THIS REPORT ANALYZES DATA FROM ALL 22 PAVED STATE TRAILS IN MINNESOTA TO ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE PAVEMENT AND PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KEEPING MINNESOTA STATE TRAILS IN GOOD CONDITION GOING FORWARD. THE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE THE IMPETUS FOR A STATE TRAIL REHABILITATION BILL THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE 2020 LEGISLATURE. FINALLY, AS THE GO TO SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON ALL THINGS PARKS AND TRAILS, WE DEVELOP, MAINTAIN AND UPDATE 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 OUR LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE ADVOCACY SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE.

LAND PROTECTION: STEPPING UP TO BUY CRITICAL LAND TO BECOME PART OF MINNESOTA'S PARKS AND TRAILS IS ESSENTIAL TO REALIZING PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA'S VISION OF AN INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM OF PARKS AND TRAILS THAT PROVIDE ALL MINNESOTANS WITH OUTSTANDING OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES WHILE PRESERVING THE NATURAL DIVERSITY OF OUR STATE. OUR SAMUEL H. MORGAN LAND ACQUISITION FUND, A REVOLVING LOAN FUND CURRENTLY VALUED AT $4.8 MILLION, HAS BEEN CENTRAL TO OUR EFFECTIVENESS, ALLOWING US TO MOVE QUICKLY TO PURCHASE STRATEGICALLY SELECTED LANDS WHEN THEY ARE UP FOR SALE AND HOLDING THEM IN TRUST UNTIL A PUBLIC AGENCY CAN ASSUME OWNERSHIP. IN 2019, WE SAVED 25 ACRES OF CRITICAL LAND FOR MINNESOTA'S PARKS AND TRAILS, INCLUDING A HEAVILY WOODED PROPERTY STRADDLING BOTH SIDES OF THE BAPTISM RIVER A SCENIC RIVER STREWN WITH BOULDERS AND LINED WITH TALL CONIFERS ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN BORDER OF TETTEGOUCHE STATE PARK. IN ADDITION, WE CLOSED OUT 2019 HOLDING 283 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 HIGHWAY 14 NEAR EYOTA, MN; 20 ACRES REPRESENTING THE FINAL PRIVATE LAND WITHIN THE STATUTORY BOUNDARIES OF TEMPERANCE RIVER STATE PARK; 16 ACRES ALONG THE NORTHERN BORDER OF SIBLEY STATE PARK THAT WILL ENSURE THE ENTIRETY OF LAKE 21 WILL BE PUBLICLY OWNED AND FREE OF DEVELOPMENT; AND 159 ACRES OF SPECTACULAR PRAIRIE AND BLUFFLAND VIEWS EXTENDING FRONTENAC STATE PARK SOUTHWEST TO PLEASANT VALLEY CREEK. YOU CAN TOUR SOME OF PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE "LAND PROTECTION" SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.PARKSANDTRAILS.ORG AND IN THE 2019 ANNUAL REPORT.

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