Advocacy News

Friends help secure major funding for trail extension

Overall, this was a good year for parks and trails, but especially so for the Mill Towns Trail, which saw an incredible $8.19 million investment from the 2023 bonding bill. The Friends of Mill Towns State Trail were instrumental in making it happen. Over the …

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Group of 11 people standing on an outdoor plaza

2023 LEGISLATIVE RECAP

Significant victories for parks & trails The 2023 Legislative Session began Jan. 3 and adjourned May 22, 2023. It resulted in the largest parks and trails investment package in state history. Numerous trails received funding for extensions, and we avoided an onerous permit fee increase. …

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Minnesota State Capitol Dome

Testifying for Trail Maintenance at Minnesota Capitol

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to testify at the Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee this week. Andrew Oftedal, P&TC’s research and policy manager, presented our State of the Trails Report, which categorized the condition of every mile of trail. Our analysis shows …

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Conference room with two people at table presenting to semi-circular table of legislators.
May 25, 2022

Lawmakers stall on bonding bill, special session debated

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned on Monday, May 23rd without an agreement to pass a number of major supplemental finance bills, a tax bill, or a bonding bill. While House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, and Governor Tim Walz struck a deal the ...
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Minnesota State Capitol
February 14, 2022

Priorities for 2022 legislative session

Letter from Parks & Trails Council President. If we've learned anything during the pandemic it is how important parks and trails are to all of our lives. And while the explosion in their use has been especially pronounced over the past two years, the truth of the matter is that growth in visitation is well evidenced over the past decade.
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clouds
February 10, 2022

2022 Legislative Monitoring: Community-driven trail projects

We support volunteer friends groups to advocate for trail projects in their communities. The table below highlights key actions that have been taken on this priority issue during the 2022 Legislative Session. We will work to update this table throughout the session. Casey Jones State ...
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man bicycling on fresh pavement
February 10, 2022

2022 Legislative Monitoring: BIPOC Programs

We encourage legislative efforts to develop new programs that welcome more BIPOC communities into parks and trails. The table below highlights key actions that have been taken on this priority issue during the 2022 Legislative Session. We will work to update this table throughout the ...
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February 10, 2022

2022 Legislative Monitoring: No OHVs in state parks

We oppose all efforts to introduce or expand the use of motorized, off-highway vehicles in state parks and alongside state trails. The table below highlights key actions that have been taken on this priority issue during the 2022 Legislative Session. We will work to update ...
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February 10, 2022

2022 Legislative Monitoring: Capital Improvement Projects

We support funding the agencies' requests for capital improvement projects at state and regional parks and trails. The table below highlights key actions that have been taken on this priority issue during the 2022 Legislative Session. We will work to update this table throughout the ...
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Minnesota State Capitol Dome
August 18, 2021

ATVs transforming Minnesota outdoors

Earlier this year, the Star Tribune reported on the rise in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and other off-high- way vehicles (OHV) use in Minnesota. According to the article, "Minnesota ATV registrations grew to 323,956 machines last year, a 36% increase from 15 years ago."
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July 30, 2021

Despite early concerns, strong outcome for parks and trails

It took a special session of the Minnesota Legislature to keep Minnesota’ s financial affairs in order, but a new two-year $52 billion state budget was passed in late June and went into effect on July 1. Despite a tumultuous session, a government shutdown was avoided, state parks remained open and most of the policy items P&TC worked to secure as part of our legislative agenda fared well.
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Minnesota State Capitol
March 10, 2021

House Legislative committee hears our case for state trail rehab

On Tuesday, our staff presented at the House Capital Investment Committee to share our State of the Trails report.
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Parks & Trails Council's Research Bike
February 1, 2021

2021 Legislative Session underway

State park fee increases proposed in governor's budget Lawmakers convened the 2021 legislative session in early January in what will be one of the more unusual yet consequential sessions in recent memory. Legislators have a short but complex list of tasks: battling the ongoing COVID-19 ...
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October 29, 2020

Portion of Lake Vermilion State Park opens to OHVs

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) advocates have been pushing to open up state parks to ATVs for years, and in 2020 their focus was on Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in northeast Minnesota.
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Entrance sign to park
October 29, 2020

Bonding bill passes, key parks and trails projects funded

Minnesota's Legislative Session was unprecedented, which is to say, it fit perfectly into the year 2020. For most of the year, the much anticipated bonding bill was stalled. It didn't get passed in regular session (Feb - May), nor in the June, July, August, or September special sessions. Then, finally, in October, during the fifth special session, the House and Senate passed a massive, $1.9 billion bonding bill, which was signed by Gov. Walz on Oct. 22. The bill funds a wide variety of items from roads, affordable housing, and college buildings to parks and trails projects.
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Minnesota State Capitol