Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee appointed

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Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee appointed
(Released February 13, 2012)

Appointees to serve on the Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee have been announced by the commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the chair of the Metropolitan Council, and the chair of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Coalition. The first meeting will be Monday, Feb. 27, at the DNR’s central office in St. Paul.
“We had an overwhelming response to our solicitation for applications and heard from more than 100 excellent candidates,” said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. “We’re grateful to everyone who expressed interest, and especially to the charter members of this committee, who will have an important voice at an important time in our state’s history.”

Appointed were: Rick Anderson, Lyon County commissioner; Lynnea Atlas Ingebretson, Three Rivers Park District; Kathy Bergen, director of Duluth’s Park and Recreation Department; Bob Bierscheid, retired Park and Recreation director, city of St. Paul; Angela DeMirjyn, park and trail user and business owner; John Filardo, DNR engineer; Nancy Hanson, Minnesota Recreational Trail Users Association; Brian Hubbard, Conservation Corps Minnesota; Chuck Kartak, retired DNR Division of Parks and Trails operation manager; Glenda Phillipe, Roseau County commissioner; Tom Ryan, Olmsted County Parks superintendent; Wayne Sames, retired DNR local and regional park and trail grants manager; Grumpy Sell, Dodge County Trail Association and Southeast Minnesota Association for Recreation Trails; Jan Shaw Wolff, DNR Central Region strategic program manager; Jenny Smith, Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association; Tom Stoa, Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota; Barry Warner, private consulting firm, park and trail design.

“We’re very pleased with the diversity on the 17-member committee,” said Susan Haigh, chair of the Metropolitan Council. “Members represent a variety of locations throughout the state, a diversity of ages, a balance of genders, and a diversity of skills and experience.”

The purpose of the Legacy Advisory Committee is to promote and coordinate implementation of the 25-year Parks and Trails Legacy Plan, which was presented to the Minnesota Legislature in February 2011. The plan will guide the use of Legacy funding, specifically the Parks and Trails Fund, which receives 14.25 percent of the sales tax revenue resulting from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

The four key goals of the Parks and Trails Legacy Plan are to:

■Connect people and the outdoors – better develop Minnesota’s stewards of tomorrow through efforts to increase life-long participation in parks and trails.
■Acquire land, create opportunities – create new and expanded park and trail opportunities to satisfy current customers as well as to reach out to new ones.
■Take care of what we have – provide safe, high-quality park and trail experiences by regular reinvestment in parks and trails infrastructure.
■Coordinate among partners – enhance coordination across the large and complex network of public, private and nonprofit partners that support Minnesota’s parks and trails to ensure seamless, enjoyable park and trail experiences for Minnesotans.
The plan specifies these guidelines for making Parks and Trails Legacy Fund decisions:

■Achieve big, tangible outcomes that make a long-term difference.
■Take a balanced approach to supporting a range of parks and trails needs, from acquisition, to development, to taking care of what we have, to restoration, to programming and marketing.
■Understand regional differences – the needs, priorities, resources and existing infrastructure vary greatly across Minnesota.
“Clearly, we have our work cut out for us,” said Marcia Larson, chair of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Coalition, “but we have a broad range of experience on the committee, and a whole lot of passion, both of which will help to ensure a bright future for conservation in the state of Minnesota.”

Initial terms will be for two or three years; subsequent terms will be for two years. The Parks and Trails Legacy Plan can be found online.