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Minn. legacy fund leaders brief committee on parks, trails, accessibility and maintenance concerns
Summary
Metropolitan Council, DNR and Greater Minnesota commission told the Legacy Committee how Parks and Trails Legacy Fund dollars support land acquisition, rehabilitation, programs and accessibility — and committee members pressed on long‑term maintenance funding.
Chair McDonald convened the Legacy Committee for a briefing by three park and trail partners on the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund, the long‑term plan it supports and recent projects across Minnesota.
Lisa Varjas, Executive Director of the Community Development Division at the Metropolitan Council, Laura Pruis, Statewide Program and Planning Manager with the Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Parks and Trails, and Renee Mattson, Executive Director of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, described how legacy dollars are being used for land acquisition, trail and facility rehabilitation, public programs and accessibility initiatives.
The partners said legacy money has enabled acquisitions, programming and repairs that local governments and agencies could not have funded alone. “Legacy funds have been a game changer,” Laura Pruis said, describing investments ranging from renovated trail bridges in Minneapolis to new campground sites on the North Shore.
The presenters summarized how the fund was created and how dollars are distributed. They reminded the committee that voters in February 2008 approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, a 3/8 of 1% state sales tax increase…
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