Create and manage a community outreach and engagement program to increase and enhance use of the parks by focusing on activities that strengthen use of parks, engaging the community, agencies, and developing relationships with community members. Additional focus would be identifying and supporting opportunities for partnership with DC departments including social services, corrections, etc. to provide opportunities to connect clients to outdoors.
The Division of Parks and Trails is engaged in critical work to connect people to the outdoors. As part of the work in this project area, the new touch-screen kiosk project will increase awareness about outdoor recreation opportunities at Minnesota state parks and trails among underrepresented groups by creating and installing accessible, touch-screen kiosks with information in multiple languages, in high-traffic, family-oriented locations. Connection plans deliver Minnesota State Parks and Trails' messages to new audiences.
Staffing, programming, supplies and contracted services to operate a Park Ambassador Program within the Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Regional Park that would focus on increasing usage by minorities and other underrepresented populations by conducting community outreach, meet and greet park users, education of regulations, address reservation/maintenance concerns and creating programs of interest to underserved segments of the public developed based upon surveys, engagement and outreach.
The 17 member Park and Trail Legacy Advisory Committee is appointed by the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, the Chair of the Metropolitan Council and the Chair of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission. The mission of the committee is to champion the 25 year "Parks and Trails Legacy Plan" by providing recommendations to enhance promotion, coordination, and accountability throughout implementation of the plan.
To provide grants to local units of government to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance outside of the seven county metropolitan area. Funding for this grant program is from the Parks and Trails Fund created by the Minnesota Legislature from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by the voters in 2008. Beginning July 1, 2015 (fiscal year 2016), the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) assumed management of reviewing and awarding these grants.
