GMRPTC Announces Legacy Parks and Trails Grant Opportunity

$10.1 million in grants available to enhance Greater Minnesota’s
regional parks and trails, including $750,000 to make them
more inviting and accessible to underserved communities

(March 23, 2021 – DULUTH, Minn.) More than $10 million in grants are available to fund infrastructure and other enhancements for Greater Minnesota’s regional parks and trails, including $750,000 to make them more inviting and accessible to underserved communities and people with mobility or other challenges. 
 
Online applications are being accepted from April 1 to July 30 by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC), which was established in 2013 to provide recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature for grants to parks and trails of regional significance outside the seven-county metropolitan area.
 
“COVID-19 precautions during the past year resulted in a tremendous increase in visitors to Greater Minnesota’s designated regional parks and trails, many of them being first-time users,” said GMRPTC Executive Director Renee Mattson. “This round of grants is intended to continue engaging those users, with $750,000 set aside to further attract and accommodate citizens in underserved communities. People are more likely to take part in outdoor recreation if they feel welcome and have good experiences, and that’s the environment these funds are intended to enhance.”
 
Funding is provided by tax dollars from the state’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment of 2008. The available grant total for this year, which will be awarded for Fiscal Year 2023, is $10,128,850.
 
Since 2014 the GMRPTC has awarded more than $52 million in grants to over 50 regional parks and trails across Greater Minnesota, which completed an application process to be designated as regionally significant. Combined with $20 million in community matches, grants are used to fund infrastructure improvements, land acquisitions, new facilities, trail rehabilitation and more.
 
“Our state’s beautiful parks and trails are a treasure for people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Mattson. “The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission is pleased to play a role in helping make these areas available to everyone.”
 
The grant application form, as well as information about the GMRPTC as a whole, may be found at www.gmrptcommission.org.

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Greater Minnesota’s designated regional parks and trails, listed alphabetically, follow. (N) = Natural Resource-Based Park Classification; (S) = Special Recreation Feature Park Classification; (T) = Regional Trail Classification.

Aitkin County Northwoods ATV Trail (T)
Austin Jay C. Hormel Nature Center (N)
​Beltrami County Northland Regional Sports Park (S)
Big Falls Campground and Horse Camp (S)
Cannon Valley Trail (T)
 
Chisago County Sunrise Prairie Trail (T)
Chisago County Swedish Immigrant Trail (T)
Cohasset Tioga Recreation Area (N)
Cook County Mountain Bike Trail System (S)
Crow Wing County Milford Mine Memorial Park (S)
 
Detroit Lakes Detroit Mountain (S)
Douglas County Lake Brophy Park (N)
Douglas County Kensington Park (N)
Duluth Hartley Park (N)
​Duluth Spirit Mountain Recreation Area (S)

Duluth Traverse (S)
Elk River Woodland Trails Park (N)
Fergus Falls Glacial Edge Trail (T)
Goodhue County Byllesby Park (S)
Granite Falls Memorial Park (N)

Hermantown/Proctor Munger Trail Spur (T)
Isanti County Irving & John Anderson Park (N)
Lac qui Parle County Park (N)
Lake County Mountain Bike Trails (T)
Lake Shore Gull Lake Trail (T)

Lake Vermilion Trail (T)
Le Sueur County Lake Washington Park (N)
Lincoln County Hole In the Mountain Park (N)
Luverne Loop & Blue Mounds Trail (T)
Lyon County Garvin Park (N)

Lyon County Twin Lakes Park (N)
McLeod County Dakota Rail Trail (T)
Mesabi Trail (T)
Mille Lacs County Plains to Port Trail (T)
Moorhead MB Johnson Park (N)

Moorhead River Corridor Trail (T)
​Morrison County Belle Prairie Park (N)
​Morrison County Soo Line Trail (T)
Olmsted County Chester Woods Park (N)
Olmsted County Oxbow Park/Zollman Zoo (S)

Otter Tail County Perham to Pelican Rapids Trail (T)
Red Lake River Corridor (T)
Red Wing He Mni Can-Barn Bluff Park (S)
Redwood County Plum Creek Park (N)
Redwood Falls Ramsey Park (N)
 
Rochester Cascade Lake Park (N)
Rochester Gamehaven Park (N)
Rochester Quarry Hill Park (N)
Sandstone Robinson Park (S)
St. Cloud Beaver Island Trail (T)

Stearns County Kraemer Lake Park (N)
​Stearns County/Benton County Great River Park Complex (N) 
Stearns County Lake Wobegon Trail (T)
Stearns County Rockville Park (N)
Stearns County Quarry Park (N)

Stearns County Warner Lake Park (N)
Willmar Robbins Island Park (N)
Winona Bluffs Traverse (S)
Wright County Bertram Park (N)
Wright County Collinwood Park (N)
​
Wright County Crow River Trail (T)
Wright County Great River Trail (T)
Wright County Robert Ney Park (N)
Wright County Stanley Eddy Park Reserve (N)
 
For additional information, contact Renee Mattson, Executive Director of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, at 218-310-2627 or [email protected].