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Committee advances Wilderness Inquiry request to expand Canoemobile and outdoor engagement programs
Summary
Witnesses told the committee Senate File 976 would fund Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile and Pyramid of Outdoor Engagement programs to reach 12,500 more Minnesota youth; the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 976, which seeks legacy funding for Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile program and its Pyramid of Outdoor Engagement initiative, was presented to the Senate Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy and laid over for possible inclusion.
Sponsor Senator McEwen said the bill would appropriate $670,000 in fiscal 2026 and $729,000 in fiscal 2027 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to support Wilderness Inquiry’s statewide programs. Testimony from Tracy Larson (education program manager), teacher Justin Shiffler and Wilderness Inquiry Executive Director Erica Rivers described programs that deliver hands‑on outdoor learning — introductory day trips, family camping, adaptive gear and interpretive services — and said the funding would connect an additional 12,500 students and families across Minnesota.
Justin Shiffler, a Sauk Rapids Rice teacher, described a recent Canoemobile visit that allowed every fourth‑grade student in his district to canoe on the Mississippi River for the first time. Erica Rivers told the committee Wilderness Inquiry matches legacy funds with private and other contributions and uses external accounting and annual audits; she also emphasized the organization’s statewide reach and partnerships. Committee members praised the programs’ reach into urban and rural districts and recorded the bill as laid over for possible inclusion.
