News – Page 35 – Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota

May 24, 2017

17th Annual Bike Ride Planned

Annual Gitchi-Gami Trail Association North Shore Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, August 19, 2017, on the spectacular Gitchi-Gami State Trail and connecting roads.

May 19, 2017

Legislative Update: Uncertainty remains as the end of session draws near

The end of the legislative session is only three days away, and important pieces of legislation that will impact Minnesota’s parks and trails are still up-in-the-air. Lawmakers have spent most of the week going back-and-forth on what the overall size of the state budget should …

May 16, 2017

Mill Towns State Trail Segment Grand Opening Celebration at Lake Byllesby

Saturday, June 3 from 2-5 pm at Lake Byllesby Regional Park in Goodhue County (Google Map) We’ve been looking forward to this day for five years, since we began partnering to acquire a key parcel for the trail, and now it’s here! Come celebrate the opening of the …

May 15, 2017

Stalemate in budget and bonding for state parks and trails

We've reached the end of a contentious week at the Minnesota State Capitol. Budget negotiations between Gov. Dayton and legislative leaders have reached a stalemate, and will be suspended over the weekend as lawmakers celebrate Mother's Day and the state fishing opener. Negotiations are expected to resume early next week.

May 11, 2017

Noise pollution invading protected areas, new report shows

The great outdoors is becoming a lot less peaceful. Noise pollution from humans has doubled sound levels in more than half of all protected areas in the United States—from local nature reserves to national parks—and it has made some places 10 times louder, according to a new study. And the cacophony isn’t just bad for animals using natural sounds to hunt and forage—it could also be detrimental to human health.

May 5, 2017

Parks & Trails Legislative News

After a flurry of activity, lawmakers are entering the final stages of the legislative process. The House and Senate presented their budget proposals to Gov. Dayton earlier this week, and now the three sides are working towards agreement on overall spending goals for each area …

April 22, 2017

Legislative Action Alert – Tell Lawmakers to Support Parks and Trails Funding

Lawmakers returned to the Minnesota Capitol this week after their Easter and Passover break and now have a full agenda of work to complete before the constitutional adjournment deadline of May 22. Most policy and finance bills have been passed and are in conference committees to compare the House and Senate version of each bill. Gov. Dayton is also involved in the process as all sides are working to reach an agreement on the final budget.

March 27, 2017

Willard Munger State Trail to be reconstructed near Duluth

MnDNR News Release -- A 5-mile section of the Willard Munger State Trail, between Grand Avenue and Becks Road in West Duluth, will be closed for an extensive construction project from mid-April through August, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

March 8, 2017

North Country Trail Needs Congress to act to continue development in Minnesota

The longest National Scenic Trail in the country–the North Country Trail (NCT)–runs right through Minnesota on its way from New York to North Dakota; but there’s a snag in completing it that only Congress can fix. In 1982 a route was planned that would bring the trail through 70 miles …

March 8, 2017

Rep. Alice Hausman

Representing a bright future for parks and trails

March 2, 2017

DNR highlights new parks and trails offerings for 2017

New offerings come after record number of visitors utilize state’s parks and trails system in 2016; DNR seeks moderate fee increases to support increased demand for parks and trails maintenance and services. A variety of new experiences await visitors to Minnesota state parks and trails in 2017. For example, you can:

February 24, 2017

Volunteer naturalists with a passion for Whitewater

Since re-forming the Friends of Whitewater State Park a few years ago, this group of volunteers have found many ways to put their knowledge and appreciation for the park’s natural resources to use.

February 9, 2017

Trail Fee Requirement

Bill would make it a misdemeanor to hike or bike on state-sponsored trails without paying a fee. Bill Numbers: HF 929 House Authors: Gruenhagen Senate Authors: NA Update: House File introduced on 2/9/17 and referred to Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance. Back to Bill Tracker