Help Parks & Trails Win $10,000!

Midwest Mountaineering grant can secure needed trail land

Help the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota secure land for a connection between Lake Byllesby Regional Park and Goodhue County Park. A $10,000 grant from Midwest Mountaineering can help give the Parks & Trails Council the chance to secure land for one of our top trail projects: completing a critical link between Lake Byllesby Regional Park in Dakota County to Goodhue County Park and along the Cannon River, known as the Mill Towns State Trail Project.

But to win the grant, the Parks & Trails Council must get the most votes in Midwest Mountaineering’s online Wildlands Acquisition Voting Contest, which has three outdoor conservation organizations competing for the $10,000. It's a race against time. Votes will only be counted if they come in before noon Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011.

We need your vote for the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wildlandvoting. If the Parks & Trails Council wins the most votes, the $10,000 will be used to help secure a critical 80-acre parcel on the eastern shore of Lake Byllesby—including a 1,500-foot canoe portage and 3.75 acres of trail heading east along the southern shore of the Cannon River.

This acquisition will provide multiple, year-round outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, walking, jogging and rollerblading. The trail setting is ideal, close to the river where trail users can enjoy the beauty and geography of the area and see a host of wildlife in their natural setting. The regional and county parks offer a campground, beaches, picnic shelters and access to other key trail systems.

Please vote today—and encourage your friends to do the same. Voting closes at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. Special thanks to our friends at Midwest Mountaineering for giving the Parks & Trails Council the opportunity to compete for this important $10,000 grant.
Mill Town State Trail