Special Places. Inside this issue. 3 rd Annual Photo Contest! Acquiring, protecting and enhancing critical land for the public's use & benefit

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1 SUMMER 2017 (JULY) Special Places PARKS & TRAILS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA NEWSLETTER Big Bog State Rec Area by Jennifer Myers Inside this issue LETTER FROM BRETT... PG 2 TRAIL COUNTERS GO UP... PG 3 LEGISLATIVE RECAP...PG 4-5 NOISE... PG 6 ST. CROIX SP PLAN... PG 6 MILL TOWNS TRAIL OPENS... PG 7 DR. DOROTHY ANDERSON... PG 8 FRONTENAC & FRIENDS... PG 11 3 rd Annual Photo Contest! Enter thru Aug. 20, CATEGORIES $300 in prizes for 1st - 3rd places See all the entries & submit your photos at Atop bluff Parks & Trails Council acquired for Frontenac with lakelet leading into Lake Pepin. Land Project Update Adding a new view to Frontenac State Park At the entrance to Frontenac State Park lays acres of land that has been a farm, a (unsanctioned) landfill and an explosion reenactment testing grounds. Yet, its scenic vistas and proximity to the state park foreshadowed other uses. In May the fate of this land was sealed as Parks & Trails Council purchased it to become part of the park. If you ve ever visited the park you ve glimpsed this land, which is along Highway 2, just north of the bridge crossing the Pleasant Valley Lakelet and Creek. But to see the full extent of this land s natural beauty, you would need to climb its bluff, which looks out in the opposite direction from park s famous Lake Pepin overlooks. From atop the newly acquired, peaceful bluff you will see the meandering waters of the lakelet and creek that wrap around the southern end of the park and flow into Lake Pepin. This view (photo above) is what captured the attention of Parks & Trails Council s then president Mike Tegeder as he visited with members of the Frontenac State Park Association Frontenac State Park pg. 9 Acquiring, protecting and enhancing critical land for the public's use & benefit

2 From the Executive Director Long-term vision in a short-term world By Brett Feldman While the report card for all things conservation and the environment may not have been one you want to take home to mom and dad this legislative session, Minnesota s parks and trails didn t fare too badly overall. Motorized recreation is still prohibited in state parks for now, several key park and trail projects were funded, and the state park operating budget is sufficient enough that we won t see immediate service cuts or staffing reductions, albeit the Legislature cut $3 million in General Fund support from the previous year and backfilled that cut with a 40 percent increase in park entrance fees to make ends meet in 2018 and We continue to be pleased that legislators of all stripes see parks and trails as important state assets even though we don t believe that raising fees 40 percent in a single year is a sustainable way to keep parks operating or accessible to all Minnesotans as was intended when voters overwhelmingly passed the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment nine years ago. (See page 4-5 for a full legislative recap). So, as we do whenever skies are even the slightest bit gray: we look for silver linings. Here at Parks & Trails that means we focus on how well we are fulfilling our mission of acquiring, protecting and enhancing critical land for the public s use and benefit. With this as our measure, we are proud to share our report card with you. As a 63-year-old nonprofit that has a longterm vision for Minnesota s parks and trails, we are proud that we have been able to serve as a counter balance for some of the short-term thinking that has recently dominated the political landscape when it comes to adding land to our parks and trails. Thanks to our $5 million Samuel H. Morgan Land Fund we have been able to step up when lawmakers don t have the capacity and/or will to do so. In the past year we have acquired key lands that will one day be part of Frontenac State Park (See story on page 1), Sibley State Park, and we are in the midst of adding land to another park that we hope to tell you about soon. As always, parks and trails are a team sport requiring us all to do our part. Thanks to you our members we have continued our proud record of accomplishment in a world defined by short-term thinking. My words to you for this summer and fall: Go out and enjoy all that you have helped protect for present and future generations... until we call on you again. We are a proud member of the Minnesota Environmental Fund, a workplace giving option comprised of 21 environmental nonprofits working to protect, conserve and restore Minnesota s environment. Visit the website to see if you can donate through your workplace or to find out how to add your workplace to the program. Thank you to our business sponsors Minnesota TRAILS A Parks & Trails Journal / MnTrails.com page 2 July 2017

3 Research Update Making Minnesota s trails count, one person at a time In 2015, Parks & Trails Council initiated a program to collect data on how many people use Minnesota State Trails. That study was just the start, however, and we re excited to announce we are expanding the program in 2017 with the addition of automated trail counting equipment. We ve purchased two sets of trail counters, and through a partnership with the DNR, we are installing them at select locations. Our trail counters are portable, can differentiate between pedestrians and bicyclists, and count trail users 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The use of automatic trail counting equipment will help us overcome several limitations of our 2015 study. Foremost, the automatic trail counters, because they can count continuously for weeks at a time, will enable us to calculate significantly more accurate estimates than did our 2015 manual counts. The automatic counters will also allow us to study how trail use varies daily and hourly. Once all the data is analyzed, it will assist trail managers in planning and policy decisions, and will guide our discussions with legislators about why trails are worth the investment. Since we don t have the resources (or the time) to count every mile of trail in a single summer, we re focusing our efforts this year on the following state trails: Paul Bunyan in the north, Gateway and Brown s Creek in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area, and Root River and Harmony-Preston in the southeast. We ve selected sampling locations along each trail, and we will be installing our counters at each one for a week or two at a time. We ll move on to additional trails in future years to ensure all of Minnesota s state trails are accounted for. Eventually, we ll be able to return to the same sites on a regular cycle to measure long-term trends in trail use. We started collecting data in mid- May and will have the counters in the field until early October. We ll keep everyone updated on our progress and let you know when to expect the final results. What kind of data are we collecting? We re using automatic trail counting equipment to collect hourly traffic counts at selected trail locations across Minnesota. Our data will tell us how many pedestrians and bicyclists use trails each hour, and will allow use to calculate estimates of monthly and annual traffic. Total Daily Traffic on Sunday, May 14 = 1,440 Hourly Traffic: 150 Between 2pm and 3pm, our equipment registered 183 bicyclists and 42 pedestrians :00 am 12:00 pm 6:00 pm Example data from Brown s Creek State Trail near Manning Avenue Our trail counting equipment on the Root River State Trail near Rushford, MN. July 2017 page 3

4 Legislative Session Recap Session ends with mixed bag for parks and trails The 2017 legislative session was a back-and-forth affair. Gov. Dayton vetoed the first round of budget bills sent to his desk, a Special Session was required to avoid a government shutdown, and as of this writing, a legal dispute on legislature funding remains unresolved. Still, a number of key bills were passed that impact - for better and for worse - Minnesota s parks and trails. Operating Budget: Entering the legislative session, P&TC advocated that lawmakers use a small fraction of the $1.6 billion budget surplus to increase spending on parks and trails. Unfortunately, legislators did the opposite, and cut General Fund spending on state parks and trails from $27.4 million per year to $24.4 million per year. Legislators argued the cut was necessary to fund other state programs and pay for a number of tax cuts. In order to backfill the General Fund cut, legislators agreed to increase the cost of state park entrance fees. Under the new law, permits will cost $35 annually or $7 daily (a 40% increase). P&TC believes it s counterproductive to raise user fees while concurrently cutting General Funds. We also fear a 40% increase is excessive, and will discourage many people, especially lower-income Minnesotans, from visiting state parks. Further, the fee increase will not fully offset the General Fund cut; to make ends meet, the DNR will have to use a small reserve account and rely on an agency-wide operating adjustment that Gov. Dayton secured in last-minute negotiations. In the short term, the DNR says the new budget should be sufficient to avoid service cutbacks. That s the good news. But long-term, the new budget increases the risk of deficits. Bonding Bill: Lawmakers passed a large, $988 million bonding bill after a similar bill fell apart during the final moments of the 2016 legislative session. The bonding bill (HF 5) funded over $38 million park and trail improvements, including $15 million for preserving DNR infrastructure, $5 million for the Metropolitan Regional Park system, and $18 million for 8 specific park and trail projects (see map on next page). While the list of funded projects is impressive, the 2017 bonding bill is actually the smallest park and trail bonding appropriation since 2004, and many important projects across the state still need crucial funding. P&TC will continue working hard with local volunteers and legislators to get those projects funded. Steve Cook, board member of the P&TC and co-chair of our Legislative Committee, testifies before the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee on the importance of funding parks and trails. Dedicated Funding: In addition to the budget and bonding bills, Minnesota s parks and trails rely on two dedicated funding accounts: the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund, which voters approved in 2008, and the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), which is funded by the State Lottery. The Parks and Trails Legacy Fund is used to take care of existing facilities, expand programming that connects people to the outdoors, and develop new park and trail opportunities. Legacy Funds, which generate approximately $45 million per year, are split between DNR state parks and trails, Metropolitan Regional Parks and Trails, and Greater Minnesota regional parks and trails. The ENRTF bill included just over $9 million for park and trail projects (see map on next page), including funding for state park and trail land acquisition and development, restoration of pollinator habitat in state parks, continued development of the Mesabi Regional Trail, and a new visitor center in Crane Lake for Voyageurs National Park. OHVs in State Parks: Minnesota s state parks are facing external pressure from the off-highway vehicle lobby to allow motorized recreation (such as ATVs) in state parks. P&TC has been working hard to counter that threat, and we are pleased to report lawmakers didn t alter the existing prohibition during the 2017 session. The threat hasn t gone away, however, and P&TC will continue working hard to ensure state parks remain quiet, natural places. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contact their legislators and attend committee hearings at the Capitol this year. We couldn t do our advocacy work without you! page 4 July 2017

5 The 2017 Legislative Session: Ups & Downs for Parks and Trails PARKS AND TRAILS OPERATING BUDGET: What Changed this Legislative Session? Lawmakers passed a two-year state budget that includes funding for operating and maintaining Minnesota s state parks and trails. While the budget came up short of what we were advocating for, the good news is that the DNR should have sufficient resources to keep state parks and trails open and operating at current levels. The new budget cut public support for parks and trails, however, and risks long-term budget stability. Despite a $1.6 billion state surplus, lawmakers cut general fund spending on state parks and trails to $24.4 per year. That s a $3 million reduction each of the next two years. The Roller-Coaster History of General Fund Spending on State Parks and Trails In FY 2009, State Parks and Trails received $27.2 million general funds for operations and maintenance. General fund spending on parks and trails has always ebbed and flowed, but this year was different. Traditionally, spending increases in good economic years and decreases in bad. But the legislature s decision this year was not based on economic conditions. Rather, it was a deliberate choice to reduce public support for parks and trails and replace it with increased user fees. Under the new budget, which has been signed into law, Minnesota State Parks will cost $7 per day, or $35 per year. (Dollars adjusted for inflation) General fund spending on State Parks and Trails finally returned to 2009 levels in FY In the short-term, the DNR should be able to maintain current levels of operations using a mixture of existing reserves and the revenue from fee increases. That s the good news. But longterm this is an unsustainable model. During the Great Recession, general fund spending on State Parks and Trails dipped to $17.7 million in FY What it will cost next time you visit a Minnesota State Park? $ $35 per year $7 per day $25 $35 $28 $30 Free Standard price of annual state park permit in neighboring states Voyageurs NP Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground SP Gitchi-Gami Trail Parks and Trails Capital Budget: Mesabi Regional Trail Heartland Trail Cuyuna Recreation Area Maplewood SP Camp Ripley Veterans Trail William O Brien SP Sibley SP & Glacial Lakes Trail Lawmakers didn t pass a bonding bill in 2016 but made up for it in 2017 by passing a bonding bill that funds $38.5 million worth of park and trail projects. We re very pleased with the projects funded in the 2017 bonding bill (see map on left). But many more projects are awaiting funding, and this year s bonding bill is the smallest investment parks and trails have received since the 2004 bonding cycle. Bonding will be one of our top priorities next session. Historical Bonding Appropriations for parks and Trails Metropolitan Regional Parks $78 M Minneopa SP Casey Jones Trail Above: A sampling of the parks and trails that will receive funding from the State Bonding Bill and the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund. The Legacy Fund and local grant programs will fund many additional projects not identified above. July 2017 Park and trail projects included in 2017 bonding bill $61 M Mill Towns Trail $41 M 2000 $33 M $36 M $45 M (by two-year cycle) 10 $54 M $64 M $38.5 M page 5

6 Park management issue Most parks in the U.S. suffering from noise Listen!... What do you hear? According to a May 5 report in the magazine Science, chances are high that even if you re in a park, what you re hearing is human-created sounds and they re muffling out the natural ones. Researchers measured noise levels at 500 sites across the U.S. They found that 63% of parks and other protected areas are significantly affected by human-caused noises, indicated by at least a doubling of the amount of sound present. Those areas designated as Wilderness fared better with only 12% suffering significantly from human-caused noise. However, considering that motorized equipment and vehicles are almost entirely banned within these areas, the ability to manage that noise would seem to rest outside the boundaries. The study identified most park noises as coming from vehicles and the din of extractive industries like logging and oil drilling. Other research has shown that such noises cause stress in both humans and wildlife. Birds for example rely on their songs to communicate vital, lifesustaining messages. Normally such songs would be heard for 100 meters, but with a ten-fold increase in noise (a level present in 21% of protected areas) that song travels a mere 10 meters. People seek out parks as refuges from the stresses of urban life. And while sounds often register below the conscious level of our experience, they nonetheless have significant impact on health and behavior. Several National Parks have instituted practices to reduce noise such as operating visitor shuttles to reduce traffic, although those shuttles themselves can be a significant source of noise. And in Minnesota, state parks prohibit motorized vehicles like ATV. As our understanding of the extent and impact of noise increases, we can begin to think more creatively about solutions. DNR planning update St. Croix State Park plan open for public review Over the past year the DNR has been working on creating a management plan for St. Croix State Park. The draft plan is accepting comments from the public through July 7. In total the plan has 65 recommendations covering topics from natural and cultural resources, interpretive services, recreational use and visitors services, park boundary and park operations. A few recommendations include the following ideas: Renovate the campground to allow larger RVs and increase privacy screening between sites. Add more trails for a variety of non-motorized use. Continue native plant restoration. Research rare species within the park and manage accordingly. Use DNR s Operational Order 131 Climate Adaptation and Mitigation on Natural Resource Mgmnt. Add a nature play area for youth. View the full plan at mn.us/input/mgmtplans/parks/ st_croix.html Comments on the draft can be sent to jade.templin@state.mn.us or to: MNDNR Parks and Trails St. Croix Mgmtt Plan comments 500 Lafayette Road Box 39 St. Paul, MN page 6 July 2017

7 Trail Ribbon Cutting Mill Towns State Trail On June 3, a new 2-mile segment of the Mill Towns State Trail had an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Long-time trail advocate Peggy Prowe had the honor of operating the large, ceremonial scissors definitely a job requiring both hands. She has been tenaciously advocating for this trail for 20 years, during which time she helped found the Friends of the Mill Towns Trail. Dignitaries from the MnDNR, Goodhue and Dakota Counties, Minnesota Department of Transportation and local senators all gathered to celebrate the partnerships that made this achievement possible. Parks & Trails Council board president Julie Gugin was invited to speak in recognition of our role in acquiring a key parcel. This successful land negotiation allowed the trail to follow a scenic route near the Cannon River and avoided the less desirable route along the highway. Clockwise from top: Peggy Prowe cutting the ribbon on the bridge at Lake Byllesby Regional Parks. P&TC members riding the trail with DNR Trail planner Steve Hennessy. Under the speech-making tent. Map showing the two completed segments of the Mill Towns State Trail. A pedestrian bridge, crossing over the Cannon River downstream of the Lake Byllesby Dam, now connects the two parks on either side of Lake Byllesby. Each park, operated by Dakota and Goodhue Counties respectively, has built connector trails into their parks. On the other end, in the city of Cannon Falls, plans are underway to add signage along the half mile route between where this trail ends at Hannah s Bend Park to the Cannon Valley Trail, which continues for 20 miles until it reaches Red Wing. July 2017 page 7

8 Supporter/Board Spotlight Dorothy Anderson Our members stories are essential to our story. The deep connection we all have with the places preserved as parks and trails provide inspiration to continue to advocate for these special places. Here is board member Dr. Dorothy Anderson s story. As the eldest of 11 kids born to a rocket scientist, Dr. Dorothy Anderson was shaped by science, camping and moving. Science was instilled by her parents as the way to understand the world. Camping was what they did because it was the most affordable option for such a large family--but also because they loved nature. And moving from Oklahoma to Kansas and then to Alabama during the civil rights movement was eye-opening for the young Anderson. She noticed what she would later come to understand as racialized landscapes. It was particularly noticeable to her because each weekend she d spend time in two very different settings: She attended a predominately African-American church, and her family took weekly hikes in a forest where she never saw African-Americans. I remember asking my parents why that was and them explaining what racism was. Drawn to further understand that question, she would go on to study geography, anthropology and then land-use planning. I really wanted to help plan landscapes that benefitted all of us. And as a professional she did that. Most of Anderson s research was in understanding people s experiences in protected areas and the benefits that accrue to people and society as a result of those experiences. Nearly all that research had real-world applications, often leading to policy changes that were used to implement management actions. Early in her career she worked with USAID, the lead US Government agency working to end extreme global poverty. Moving to the US Forest Service, she was a social science researcher for over a decade before becoming a professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. As a professor she continued to focus on applied research. She says nearly all her research was spurred by land managers coming to her to address an issue they were facing in the field. Anderson retired in 2015 having finished her career at North Carolina State University where she headed the department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management for seven years. Today, she brings her deep knowledge to bear on Parks & Trails Council s board discussions. Having her wealth of knowledge is a real asset, especially as P&TC delves deeper into research, says Brett Feldman, P&TC s executive director. She learned of P&TC s work over the years, and always supported the mission. She joined the board in 2014, shortly before returning to Minnesota from North Carolina. She s excited to contribute to the organization in her retirement years, in between caring for grandchildren with her partner. Dorothy Anderson Parks & Trails Council is small but effective, says Anderson. I feel good to be a part of this organization that is making a difference for people across Minnesota. Ensuring that land is protected for parks and trails is vital work that people seem to intuitively know, because they so often seek it out. But Anderson notes that people often stop short of asking what their role is in helping it to exist. Parks & Trails Council helps people understand their role. As someone who has hiked the intricate spiderweb of trails that exist in Italy, Anderson likes to envision a future Minnesota with interconnected parks and trails and communities. The system-thinking helps to blend the idea of recreation with transportation and daily living. But it takes time to plan a system. She is encouraged by the long-term vision Parks & Trails Council embraces. page 8 July 2017

9 Frontenac continued from page 1 in 2015 (see more about this Friends Group on page 11). It was at that time that we learned of the owner s intent to sell the land. Preserving this vista as part of the park experience was paramount. We began discussions right away, knowing that time was of the essence because if the landowner sold to a private entity it could possibly be lost to the park forever. One element in our favor was that despite its previous use as a farm, the land has rather low quality soil and is very hilly. These are good qualities for a park but not so good for other uses. Frontenac is already known as one of the best places in the country for birdwatching thanks to the diversity of bluffland, prairie, floodplain and upland hardwood forest all along the Mississippi River (of which Lake Pepin is an enlargement). This addition will further secure the park s status as a birdwatchers destination with both increased acreage and diversity of habitat. This relatively small parcel includes bluffs, oak savanna, prairie and rich creek shoreline. Parks & Trails Council will hold the land in trust for the park. Meanwhile, we will work with the park managers to ensure a seamless transition. The previous landowner already began the process of restoring the oak savanna by burning the grasses which stifles the invasive plants while simultaneously revitalizing native plants. We plan to continue this important restoration. Map of Frontenac showing the land P&TC acquired for the park in green (top). Former park manager and member of the Frontenac Park Association walks to overlook. July 2017 page 9

10 Frontenac State Park Frontenac State Park State Park Highlight Andrew Oftedal Manda Baldwin Scott Costello Andrew Oftedal There are eight places along the Mighty Mississippi where a Minnesota State Park rests. Each park showcasing the river s changing character, from trickling headwaters to expansive river. There is one place where the Mississippi dramatically changes form and becomes a lake known as Pepin; this is where you ll find Frontenac State Park. Lake Pepin has long drawn people not only for its expansive waters (where water skiing was invented) but also the dramatic bluffs along its shore. Frontenac has a particularly good bluff for viewing Lake Pepin and on summer days, with the lake winds breezing across the grassy bluff, many visitors enjoy picnics here. From atop this bluff, popular hiking trails quickly descend into the mossy forest below through a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Near the bottom, the trail is hemmed in by sheer limestone walls, which were quarried before the park was established. Further on is a unique rock formation named In Yan Teopa, coming from the Dakota language and meaning rock with opening. This name is a reminder of the rich history of Dakota life that prevailed for many years here. Once down below you ll need to climb back up the bluff and it can be a test of the average person s endurance. Down from the bluff the park preserves a peaceful prairie that is stocked with well-tended bluebird houses. In summer visitors can walk the mowed trail that leads through this prairie to the Pleasant Valley Lakelet. Near the lakelet is a wildlife observation blind where visitors can sit and watch birds and other wildlife. The park is renowned for its birdwatching opportunities. The park surrounds the small, historic community of Old Frontenac, which sprung up around Minnesota s first summer resort, St. Hubert s Lodge built in 1856 in the French architectural tradition. It quickly became a popular tourist destination, drawing the leisure class from the southern U.S. who traveled by steamboat looking for cooler summer weather. A lesser known part of the park is around the other side of Old Frontenac. Here a short trail leads from Hwy. 61 to a sandy beach with a point that juts into Lake Pepin. page 10 July 2017

11 Friends Group Partners Friends Groups that are members of P&TC Meet the Friends Group Frontenac State Park Association Friends Group Started circa 1956 to advocate for the park s establishment, which happened in Mission is to preserve, protect and enhance Frontenac State Park and its surroundings. Most likely Frontenac State Park wouldn t exist had it not been for this Association. The group was formed by influential local citizens who rallied around the idea that a state park would be a boon to the local economy. To kickstart the effort, in the 1950s members bought land with the intent of creating the park; and lo and behold it worked. Today the Association continues to support the park. While membership has ebbed and flowed through the years, the current roster of about 20 folks are a continual presence in the park. Last year the group worked hand-in-hand with the assistant manager to plan and deliver monthly educational programs. They included a talk by arctic explorer Will Steger, a family festival with local artists, prairie seed collections and a candlelight ski/hike event that saw 300 people attend last January. One volunteer spent the whole month of December making ice candles for the event, said Kiki Sonnen, the Association s secretary. Another year we had volunteers out relighting the candles all night because it was so windy, she laughs. But with recent changes in park staff and declining volunteers Sonnen expects the Association to support fewer events. The new direction is yet to be determined, but Sonnen says the group is energized by Parks & Trails Council s recent acquisition for the park and expects renewed momentum for the group s mission. Border Route Trail Association, Inc. Cedar Lake Park Association Central Lakes Trail Association Faribault Flyers Bike & Ski Club Freeborn County Trail Association Friends of Anderson Park Friends of Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park Friends of Cannon Valley Trail Friends of Casey Jones Trail Friends of Father Hennepin State Park Friends of Fort Ridgely Friends of Glacial Lakes State Park Friends of Itasca State Park Friends of Jackson County Trails Friends of Lake Bronson State Park Friends of Lake Maria State Park Friends of Luce Line West Friends of Maplewood State Park Friends of Mill Towns State Trail Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails Friends of Whitewater State Park Friends of Wild River State Park Friends of Zippel Bay State Park Frontenac State Park Association Gateway-Brown s Creek Trail Association Gitchi Gami Trail Association Glacial Ridge Trail Association Glendalough Park Partners Lake Louise State Park Association MN Nordic Ski Association North Star Ski Touring Club Northstar Trail Travelers Prairie Visions Sibley State Park Improvement Association Southeast MN Assoc. of Regional Trails (SMART) July 2017 page 11

12 Board of Directors Executive Committee Julie Gugin, President Bob Bierscheid, Co-Vice President Tom Stoa, Co-Vice President Dorothy Anderson, Secretary Robert O. Erickson, Treasurer Anne Flueckiger Bruce Johnson Ed Murphy Directors Richard Dick Brainerd Steve Cook Jane Harper Paul Karazija Kellie Lowman Emily Nesvold Maureen Reed Honorary Directors Rollis Bishop Sen. David Durenberger Thomas T. Dwight Martin Kellogg David Minge Mike Prichard Peter Seed Parks & Trails Council of MN 275 E. 4th St., Suite #250 St. Paul, MN (651) or (800) Name Address City, State Zip Your membership anniversary is XX/XX Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit #4936 Staff & Consultants Brett Feldman Executive Director Lisa Filter External Relations Director Becky Hampton Office Coordinator Ann Lenczewski Government Relations Consultant of Lockridge Grindal Nauen Ian Marsh Government Relations Consultant of Lockridge Grindal Nauen Andrew Oftedal Research & Policy Specialist Barb Simonson Accountant Consultant Steve Young Land Acquisition Consultant facebook.com/parksandtrails Special Places is published three times a year by the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota Lisa Filter, editor