Welcome to another packed GMRPTC newsletter! In this issue we will:
*Preview the IMBA Foundations mountain bike workshop in Duluth,
*Recap the joint GMRPTC/GMPT summer meeting,
*Preview the September Accessibility Forum with Bill Botten
*Highlight a Master Plan update from Detroit Mountain,
*Walk through the funding application review process, and
*Update you on the latest from the MNPAiR project.
Enjoy!

IMBA Trail Labs, Foundations Duluth, October 1 - 2, 2025

This is your opportunity to attend a Foundations two-day workshop right in Minnesota! 

Foundations are two days of intensive learning, with both classroom instruction and tours of the trails in Duluth.  

Participating in an IMBA Foundations Trail Lab offers attendees an invaluable, hands-on experience tailored to both new and seasoned trail advocates. These workshops are led by some of the most knowledgeable trail professionals in the country, providing a rare opportunity to learn best practices directly from experts deeply engaged in the field.

Duluth, with its renowned, extensive trail systems and diverse terrain, serves as an ideal outdoor classroom. By engaging with real-world trail projects, participants can witness effective techniques in action and gain practical skills that are immediately applicable in their own communities. The collaborative atmosphere encourages networking with other passionate individuals, fostering a spirit of stewardship and innovation.

IMBA’s Foundations lab emphasizes sustainable design, maintenance strategies, and the long-term impact of quality trails on local recreation and economies. Attendees leave empowered not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to champion trail development in their regions, ensuring that trails remain accessible, enjoyable, and environmentally conscious for generations to come.

The GMRPTC/GMPT Summer Meeting Packs the Room at Lake Washington Park!

On July 29, over 50 attendees crammed into the community room at LeSueur County's Lake Washington Park for the annual Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission/Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails Joint Summer Meeting.

DNR Assistant Commissioner Shannon Lotthammer provided updates about the legislative session. Of particular interest to the group was a DNR initiative, which has only begun its legislative journey, to provide park users a new option for park vehicle passes. The idea centers around a renewable license plate endorsement that could be an alternate to the classic window sticker for park entrance permits. 

GMRPTC Executive Director Renee Mattson recapped the Commission's efforts during the legislative session. In addition, she outlined some of the Commission's educational partnerships, such as the ongoing online Accessibility Forums and the upcoming IMBA Trail Foundations workshop in Duluth.

The DNR Specialist with the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd, Molly Tranel Nelson, outlined the state's significant efforts to restore a viable and genetically healthy bison herd across several state and local facilities. There may be opportunities for the right parks to participate!

Minnesota State University-Mankato Assistant Professor Rachelle Fuller provided key insights into current outdoor recreation trends. Highlighting just how much our demographics are shifting, she emphasized the need for recreation agencies to first make facilities accessible for new users, then get those users involved, and finally make them feel like they belong, as the key to securing future parks and trails users.

After the meeting, LeSueur County Parks Director Tyler Luethje took attendees on a tour of the new Legacy-funded amenities in the park.

It was a fun day of meeting friends, building partnerships, learning, and exploring! We're already looking forward to next year.

Third Quarter Access Forum - Accessible Picnic and Camping Facilities

As 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), organizations and communities nationwide are evaluating both the achievements realized and the ongoing efforts required to ensure equitable access for all individuals. The GMRPTC has prioritized education regarding accessibility improvements in parks and on trails as a key objective for 2025.

To support this initiative, the GMRPTC will host a forum on September 30 from 11:30 - 1:00pm focused on Accessible Picnic and Camping Facilities. Achieving accessibility in outdoor environments presents unique challenges due to various factors such as terrain, development levels, construction practices, and materials used. In 2013, the U.S. Access Board introduced new accessibility standards for outdoor developed areas, specifying requirements for picnic and camping facilities located on federal sites governed by the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). While these standards are not included in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 2010 ADA Standards and do not legally apply to state and local governments or private entities subject to DOJ regulations, their adoption by state and local agencies can serve as a best-practice benchmark and provide increased usability for individuals with disabilities.

This forum will deliver an overview of the minimum standards applicable to picnic and camping facilities. The session, led by access specialist Bill Botten, will address participant inquiries and clarify common areas of confusion related to the design and use of these specialized recreational amenities. 

Don’t miss an opportunity to learn more about how to make your picnic and camping areas more accessible for all to enjoy!

Detroit Mountain Recreation Area Master Plan Update Approved by the GMRPTC

Originally designated Regionally Significant in 2014, the Detroit Mountain Recreation Area in Detroit Lakes recently submitted an update to their Master Plan. Having completed most of the goals of their original plan, a plan update was necessary to reflect the current status of the facility, capture new opportunities, and prepare for the future.

The updated plan articulated several changes. Updated public engagement and facility updates reflect users expectations for the downhill and nordic ski facilities, as well as the growing mountain bike network on site. The plan also reflects the partnership with Becker County's adjacent Mountain View facility that broadens the designation over both sites, as well as recently acquired and future planned acquisition of key parcels.

The plan went through the same rigorous evaluation process the Commission requires for all new Master Plans. The result was an increase in their criteria scoring from 362 to 396 (out of 500), as well as design, operations, and budgeting components that meet current standards.

Congratulations to the team at Detroit Mountain. We'll see you on the slopes soon!

What to Expect During a Funding Application Review

You spent the last several weeks or even months of your summer putting together the best funding application ever and submitted it by the July 31 deadline. What happens from now until the Commission notifies applicants of their funding decisions? Let's take a look at the review process.

On or before the end of July every year, regionally designated facilities are eligible to submit a complete application. That app will include a project description, evaluation of impact, schematic design, budget, letters of support, appraisal forms if appropriate, and most importantly, the required official resolution from the governing body.

Before you even submit your application, it is likely that you have been contacted by Commission staff to set up a site visit. That visit will take place a few weeks after submission, typically during August or early September. There is a chance that a site visit may not be necessary if we had recently visited the facility or if it was a continuation of a previously submitted but phased project.

During the site visit process, Commission staff will also be reviewing your application in fine detail to make sure it is understandable, accurate and complete. Any questions we have will likely be handled at the site visit - and your questions as well!

About the time we wrap up site visits, the Evaluation Team, an independent committee of mostly retired recreation professionals, will review the applications and provide general feedback on the projects. That can help inform our questions and insights. They do not score the apps, only advise.

Once the staff review, ETeam review, and site visits are complete, staff will complete a scoring evaluation of each application. Apps are not scored against each other, but rather against the scoring criteria for that category of project, as detailed in the Funding Guidelines. 

Finally, all of the notes, scores, pictures, and the applications themselves are provided to the Commission for their review. Over the course of two or three meetings, they will hear presentations by staff, ask questions, negotiate, and ultimately vote on the funding list.

This is the stage where the Commission may - but not always - ask us to work with applicants on phasing a project, reducing the current request so that other projects on the list that may also receive funding. If that happens, the applicant will be asked for their priorities and to help shape a reduced project that remains viable, particularly for user considerations and local match.

If successful, applicants are required to attend the mandatory Grantee Meeting, scheduled this year for January 28 in St. Cloud. More information will be published on that meeting later.

Now you have a glimpse as to what goes into the funding application review process between the end of July and late November. As always, feel free to contact Commission staff with questions!

Request for Facility Photos

The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) is required to submit a Policy and Planning Report each year to the Legislative Legacy committees by January 15.

A key component of this report is the inclusion of designated facilities and funded projects. High-quality photographs are essential to highlight your facility and ensure it receives the recognition it deserves. Compelling images of people enjoying these parks and trails offer legislators a powerful visual representation of their importance to Greater Minnesota.

If you have photographs of your facility, please share them with us for possible inclusion in the annual report. You can email your images to: [email protected]

MNPAiR Arts Project Proceeds Through the Summer!

Launched nearly a year ago, MNPAiR is a collaborative initiative of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, Minnesota DNR, and Metropolitan Council Regional Parks with funding from the 1% Collaborating with Partners dollars in the Parks and Trails Legacy fund.

MNPAiR is an innovative strategy that places artists in each of the three park systems to engage the public with projects designed to foster a spirit of welcoming and provide an opportunity to experience parks in a new way.  Over the past year the Greater Minnesota artists have been hosting workshops and creating excitement about the projects final outcomes.   Artists are working in three Greater Minnesota Districts; District 3 – Granite Falls Memorial Park and Douglas County Lake Brophy Park, District 4 – Wright County Robert Ney Park and Sherburne County Two Inlets at Bde Hehaka – Omashkooz Zaaga’igaans Regional Park and District 6 – Olmsted County Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo and Rochester Quarry Hill Nature Center and Cascade Lake Park.

Below is a sampling of the projects underway at three of the parks.

Douglas County Lake Brophy Park mosaic wall will fill the new visitor center with color and movement when the participant mosaics are placed on the wall as a border around a center mosaic created by Tamara Isfeld.

Lindsay Buck worked at Wright County Robert Ney Park and Sherburne County Two Inlets at Bde Hehaka-Omashkooz Zaaga’igaans Regional Park to create an interpretive trail experience that encourages visitors of all ages to learn, play and discover as they move through the landscape.  The heart+land app tells the story of a region, through the lens of the plants that call it home.  While moving through the parks a visitor learns about the history, cultural significance and unique environmental connections of our central Minnesota landscape.

This project will be launching the app with a free public event at each park:
* August 16th, 10am - noon at Robert Ney Regional Park
Registration Link: https://mnwrightcountyweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=5029373

* August 23rd, 10am - noon at Two Inlets at Bde Hehahka - Omashkooz Zaaga'igaans Regional Park
Registration Link: https://www.co.sherburne.mn.us/activities/activity/detail/673

At Rochester Cascade Lake Park artist Cassandra Buck created a mural entitled “Movement”.  The project was created in collaboration with park staff and visitors.  The design elements in the mural were pulled from art people created and submitted during in-person and online art workshops.

What do Minnesotans value in terms of outdoor recreation and conservation of the state's resources?  This question began a 4 year effort to have that question answered.  Through conversations and public engagement, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources group tasked with answering this questions created a report called 4 The Outdoors Report.

In 2021, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources began a transformational

One of the major results of the report identifies the fiscal challenges to achieving the desired conservation and outdoor recreation goals.  It also identifies concrete steps we can be taken on the path towards financial stability and sustainability.

The plan breaks the steps for financial sustainability to four areas:

     1. Optimize the use of current funding
     2. Explore the use and application of fees
     3. Increase opportunities for direct support
     4. Secure stable and predictable base and operational funding

The goal of the MN DNR is to implement the plan of 4 steps in 4 years. In 2023, the focuse was on optimizing the use of current funding.  The current focus is on exploring the use and application of fees as well as securing a stable and predictable base and operational funding.

How to get involved

For 2025, the DNR is working with partners, stakeholders, and interested Minnesotans to further develop and implement solutions that support the vision for Minnesota’s conservation and outdoor recreation for future generations. Here’s how you can participate in this latest effort:

• Take the questionnaire (https://engage.dnr.state.mn.us/reinvesting-in-minnesotas-outdoors/surveys/4-the-outdoors-fees-questionnaire) to share your values and preferences for the use and application of fees. The input we receive from Minnesotans will help guide the development of fee structures that improve user experience without creating barriers to access.  
• Read the 4 The Outdoors Report.
• Talk to your friends, family, DNR, and elected officials about what you love in Minnesota’s natural places and why stable funding for these resources is important to you!
  
  

* Survey is open for a limited time