ACTION ALERT – Contact your legislators and the Environment & Natural Resources Finance Committee chairs today!

The two pieces of legislation that the GMPT is advocating for inclusion in the larger omnibus bill are:

• HF 868/SF 999, which seeks to provide $450,000 per year in general fund money for the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks & Trails Commission. By using general fund money to support the work of the Commission, it would free up more of Greater Minnesota’s share of Legacy funding to be used on parks and trails projects.
• HF 835/SF 654, which would provide $1 million in general fund money for the Local Trail Connections and the Outdoor Recreation grant programs. These programs play an essential role in providing matching funds for Greater Minnesota parks and trails projects that are not eligible for Legacy funding.

Please contact:

• Your local representative and senator. Use the Who Represents Me? website to find their contact information.
• Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, chair of the Senate Environment & Natural Resources Finance Committee, at 651-297-8063 or sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn
• Rep. Rick Hansen, chair House Environment & Natural Resources Finance Committee, at 651-296-6828 or rep.rick.hansen@house.mn

Your message:

• Ask them to support HF 868/SF 999 to pay for the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks & Trails Commission expenses out of the general fund so that more of Greater Minnesota’s Legacy funds can be spent on projects that benefit our communities and the entire state.
• Ask them to support HF 835/SF 654, which would provide general fund money for local parks and trails grant programs that provide essential matching funds for parks and trails projects that are not eligible for Legacy grants.
• Mention that regional and local parks and trails are vital to economic development and building healthy communities.
• Give examples of how these types of grant programs could benefit your community.
• For Sen. Ingebrigtsen and Rep. Hansen, ask them to include both funding requests in their omnibus finance bills.
• Also ask your local legislators to reach out to Rep. Hansen and Sen. Ingebrigtsen to encourage them to include these requests in the omnibus finance bill.