​A group of regional economic development professionals have come together to address the issue of regional recruitment. Specifically, this group is interested in strategies to retain higher skill, higher wage demographics that are contributing to the “brain gain” phenomenon illustrated in data provided by the University of Minnesota Extension. Data has shown that those in the age range of 35 – 45 years are seeking out rural lifestyles and actually bringing education and wealth into the region despite the significant losses from younger demographics leaving for school, which is commonly referred to as the “brain drain”. By developing strategies that attract and retain the “brain gain” demographic this effort will further diversify the region with higher skill, higher wage jobs and is likely to increase entrepreneurship and job creation that would fulfill niches in the region that are currently un-served or under served.

​In 2008, the Minnesota Recreational Trail Users Association (MRTUA) embarked on an ambitious project to simultaneously identify both the expenditures and profiles of the various trails user groups they represent.

​The 2014 Special Report on Fishing provides a comprehensive look at overall trends in fishing participation — including motivations, barriers and preferences of key groups — and detailed information and analysis on specific fishing categories.

The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) is working to create good health throughout Minnesota by decreasing obesity rates and reducing the number of people who use commercial tobacco or are exposed to secondhand smoke. Minnesota is embracing SHIP as a community-wide approach to improving health, but there’s more work to do. SHIP provides park and trail professional with many useful resources. 
​
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/oshii/ship/about.html

This book provides time-proven strategies for the building and maintenance of sustainable and quality OHV trail systems. These trail systems are environmentally, politically, and economically sustainable trails which the riders want to ride. Guide features: OHV enthusiasts' needs and desires; The 4Es of OHV management: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Evaluation; Developing the vision; System and route planning; Trail design; Active management.

​To create better facilities for people walking and biking, and to locate these facilities where demand and need is the highest, transportation professionals need reliable data to guide decision-making. Historically, collecting active transportation data has been both time and resource intensive. Although many communities have established robust count programs, there are still funding, quality control, and data management limitations. New technologies are emerging that aim to change the way active transportation data is collected, making it less expensive and easier to collect, resulting in more reliable data. This report provides a review of these technologies and their applications.

​This study focuses on park visitor spending and its economic contributions to state and regional economies in the state.

​This report focuses on gaining insight into the kinds of outdoor initiatives that are most
important to individuals who spend a lot of time outdoors and give direction to future learning exercises.

​The GMRPTC has extended the deadline for applications to serve on each of 6 District Planning Committees to July 22nd. DPC members serve as local voices for the Commission, providing feedback and helping to implement System Plan initiatives for each District. Each DPC meets four times per year. More information about the DPC role and service area can be found at http://www.gmrptcommission.org/about-the-commission.html. Questions may be directed to System Plan Coordinator Joe Czapiewski at coordinator@gmrptcommission.org.. 

​The fifth annual Special Report on Paddlesports shows that paddlesports are on the rise, again setting a record for the number of participants. In 2014, 21.7 million Americans — 7.4 percent of the population — enjoyed paddling. This represents an increase of more
than 3 million participants since the study began in 2010.