Pass a resolution to help encourage lawmakers to support funding for local parks and trails

We need your help to encourage the Governor and Legislature to include money for local parks and trails grant programs in the 2020 bonding bill. A resolution from your city council or county commission is a great way to start generating that support.

This sample resolution seeks support for $4 million in bonding money for the local parks and trails programs created by Minnesota Statute 85.019. This includes the Outdoor Recreation Grant Program and Local/Regional Trail Connections Grant Program.

GMPT has been lobbying hard for these grant programs over the last several years. We were able to restore general fund money for the first time in several decades and have helped the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) acquire Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) money from the Legislative-Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources. Our efforts helped secure $4 million in general fund and ENRTF money for the programs in the last year alone. We’re proud of these successes, but the programs continue to be oversubscribed and demand far exceeds supply. Therefore, we’re seeking bonding money.

The sample resolution has slots where you will need to fill in the name of your city or county and a blank at the bottom for your legislators’ names. In addition, if you have received one of these grants in the past, please make use of the optional clause (it’s the fifth whereas clause) to describe how it has benefited your community. In the sixth clause, you can explain how your community could benefit from a grant in the future. You can describe a specific project you hope to get a grant for, or speak more generally about what you hope to do in the future.

After your local government has passed the resolution, please send a copy to:

• Governor Tim Walz, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 130, Paul, MN 55155-1611
• Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 130, Paul, MN 55155-1611
• DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, 500 Lafayette Rd, Box 37, St. Paul, MN 55155-4037, Strommen@state.mn.us
• Your senator(s) and state representative(s). (Visit leg.mn/iMaps/districts/ to see who represents you.)
• Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, melissa.hortman@house.mn (she prefers electronic communications)
• Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, 3113 Minnesota Senate Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
• House Capital Investment Chair Rep. Mary Murphy, 343 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155 mary.murphy@house.mn
• Senate Capital Investment Chair Sen. David Senjem, 3401 Minnesota Senate Building, St. Paul, MN 55155, david.senjem@senate.mn
• House Environment Finance Chair Rep. Rick Hansen, 407 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155, rick.hansen@house.mn
• Senate Environment Finance Chair Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, 3207 Minnesota Senate Building, St. Paul, MN 55155, bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn

*If there is no email listed, this person only uses a mail form on their website to accept electronic messages. If both email and street addresses are listed, you can use either (or both).

In addition to the officials listed above, please send electronic or hard copies of the resolution to:

• Katie Hatt (Governor’s lead staff person on bonding), 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 130, Paul, MN 55155-1611, katie.hatt@state.mn.us
• GMPT lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel, 525 Park Street, Suite 470, St. Paul, MN 55103, eawefel@flaherty-hood.com

And, after you’ve completed the resolution, start thinking about applying for a grant. The DNR opens up these programs in January.