Parks & Trails Council saves Mississippi River shoreline, links Paul Bunyan Trail to Crow Wing State Park

(ST. PAUL, MN) - When Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota Executive Director Dorian Grilley makes a New Year's resolution, he does everything in his power to keep it. That is why Minnesotans had reason to rejoice when Grilley headed into 2006 resolving that his organization would acquire one-third of a mile of privately owned Mississippi River shoreline and transfer ownership to Crow Wing State Park. Today, with the stroke of a pen, Grilley and the Parks & Trails Council made good on his resolution and secured the final link connecting Crow Wing State Park to the popular 110-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail.

"It is especially satisfying to know that the Mississippi River frontage we've helped preserve will provide endless hours of enjoyment to both current and future generations," said Grilley. "By essentially connecting Lake Bemidji State Park to Crow Wing State Park 110 miles away, we have taken one more giant step toward realizing our vision of creating interconnected systems of parks and trails throughout Minnesota."

Today's land transfer culminates nearly five years of work in which 3.13 miles of scenic Mississippi riverfront was added to Crow Wing State Park. More importantly, the riverfront additions expand the park by 552 acres and give trail planners a number of options to incorporate spectacular Mississippi River vistas and rolling bluffs into what will soon be the Paul Bunyan Trail's breathtaking new southernmost segment.

Located at the confluence of the Crow Wing and Mississippi rivers, Crow Wing State Park is a mix of woodlands, oak savannas and prairies that serve as a haven for wildlife. The park contains remnants of a frontier town and a section of the historic Woods Trail that was once part of the Red River Ox Cart Trail system that connected the City of St. Paul to Red River Valley settlements.

According to Terry McGaughey, the Parks & Trails Council's project manager for the acquisition and a leading authority on the trail's history and development, it is only fitting that the final connection between Crow Wing State Park and the Paul Bunyan Trail consists of Mississippi River frontage.

"The signature of the Paul Bunyan Trail is its woods and its waters," McGaughey said. "The 110-mile trail passes nine rivers and streams and the shorelines of 21 lakes."

"I think the mighty Mississippi riverfront is going to be the busiest section of an already popular trail because of its spectacular scenery and its proximity to emerging neighborhoods in Baxter that have easy access to the trail," McGaughey added.

Eighth District U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, an avid bicyclist who frequently rides the Paul Bunyan Trail, was among the first to praise the Parks & Trails Council for its steadfast commitment to protecting and expanding Minnesota's parks and trails. "Once again the Parks & Trails Council has saved a place with great significance," Rep. Oberstar said. "From the extraordinary Mississippi River views, to the old growth red pines and mixed hardwood forests, to the glorious native prairies, this vital trail connection will produce lasting memories for the ages."

The Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota is no stranger to Crow Wing State Park. The grassroots membership organization came to the rescue in 1993 when it learned that Crow Wing Island and an 80-acre peninsula at the confluence of the Crow Wing and Mississippi rivers in the heart of Crow Wing State Park was being subdivided and sold for residential development by a private landowner. Knowing the impending development would forever remove a significant historical, natural and cultural section of the park, Parks & Trails Council representatives moved swiftly to acquire the land so it could be forever preserved as part of the park. Today, thanks to the Parks & Trails Council's efforts, the land is still available to park visitors who can discover the rich history of Crow Wing State Park and the fur posts and Ojibwe villages that once occupied Crow Wing Island.

About the project partners
Since 2002, when the Legislature authorized the latest Crow Wing State Park expansion, the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota has worked with several conservation partners to acquire 552 acres and 3.13 miles of Mississippi River shoreline for the park. Those partners include: The Conservation Fund, the Paul Bunyan Trail Association, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Department of Defense Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program.

About the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota
The Parks & Trails Council is a grassroots membership organization that has worked vigorously for more than 50 years to protect and expand Minnesota's most special places by acquiring critical land for incorporation into the state's park and trail systems. Fueled by charitable contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations, the Parks & Trails Council has been instrumental in adding more than 8,700 acres of land valued at $11.75 million to key areas within the state's vast network of parks and trails. The 3,300-member-strong organization has become the state's most powerful voice for parks and trails thanks to its working relationships with grassroots community groups, legislators and local governments from throughout the state.