Friends Groups
Bringing new people to an outdoor recreation gem
Friends of Maplewood State Park has about 100 members, with another 30 on an advisory committee. The group publishes a quarterly newsletter and has helped add to the amenities of the park over the last 15 years. In 2008, the group built the Josh Hanson Memorial Picnic Shelter, in honor of the son of long-time park ranger Bob Hanson, a project that cost $130,000.
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Friends help shape the park’s management plan
The last park plan for Sibley State Park, the 2,059-acre state park in Kandiyohi County, was put together in the 1970s. Work on an updated plan began in October, when an open house was held to gain public input.
“We’re excited it’s going to happen because the current plan is out of date,” said Ron Erpelding, chair of the Sibley State Park Improvement Association [SSPIA]. “This will give park users and other folks who have an interest in the park, to be a part of this process.”
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New Organization with Big Plans
Scandia, 25 miles northeast of St. Paul, is a relatively new city—incorporated in January 2007—with an even newer Friends organization. Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails elected its first board of directors just this past January. “I happened to be on the city’s park and ...
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