ACTION ALERT – Urge the LCCMR to support more money for local parks and trails!

The Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails is excited that eight out of the 22 recipients of the recently announced FY2020 Outdoor Recreation Grants are GMPT members. Members such as Austin, Aitkin, Sherburne County and others received grants to improve ADA access, develop observation decks, redevelop facilities and undertake other activities to improve their local parks. A primary reason that more of our members are receiving these grants, as well as local trail connections grants, is the work that GMPT and its members have put into increasing the funds available for these programs. That’s why we need your help TODAY  to encourage the Legislative-Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) to recommend additional funding for local parks and trails.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has requested $3 million for the Outdoor Recreation (Local Parks), Natural and Scenic Area, and Local Trail Connections grant programs from the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and will present this request to the LCCMR on June 26. If the LCCMR supports the request, it will then make a recommendation to be considered by Legislature in 2020.

Many of our members have benefited from these DNR grant programs, but the demand for funding far exceeds the amount available. We need your help to get more money into these programs!

Please contact LCCMR members!

Please take a few moments to contact LCCMR members and ask them to support LCCMR Project 264-G, Grants for Local Parks, Trails and Natural Areas.

• You can find the list of LCCMR members to contact here.
• If you want to email the entire group at once, you can do so by clicking on this link, which will open up an email addressed to all of the members.

Your message (but feel free to put into your own words):

• Please support $3 million in funding for LCCMR Project 264-G, the Local Parks, Trails & Natural Area Grants Program, when allocating money from the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund.
• Local parks and trails are the foundation of outdoor recreation in Minnesota and are often the first exposure Minnesotans have to the outdoors.
• Parks and trails promote economic development in communities as well as healthy lifestyles.
• These DNR grant programs provide matching funds to cities and counties across the state that aren’t covered by Legacy funding. It is the only state grant program available for many projects in Greater Minnesota.
• Demand greatly exceeds supply for these important programs.
• [Provide specific examples of how these programs have benefited or could benefit your community by mentioning past funding you have received or a project you’d like to propose]

Questions? If you have any questions, please contact GMPT lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel  eawefel@flaherty-hood.com.