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Met Council outlines Imagine 2050 funding and backs Scott County park projects
Summary
Metropolitan Council leaders told Scott County officials that the 2026 legislature and council matches will create roughly $16 million for parks, trails and open‑space acquisitions and highlighted local beneficiaries including Blakely Bluffs and the Merriam Junction Trail.
Metropolitan Council leaders briefed Scott County commissioners on regional priorities and funding for parks, trails and open space, and sought local input on where the council should convene regional collaboration.
The council’s chair said the legislature in 2026 appropriated $10,000,000 in state funding and the council matched that amount, creating about $16,000,000 for parks, trails and open space; she also noted an additional $2,400,000 from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund that was matched with $1,600,000 in council funds and $11,000,000 set aside for operations and maintenance. "We matched that. So that becomes $16,000,000 for parks, trails, and open space," the chair said. The presentation named Blakely Bluffs among projects expected to benefit.
The Met Council highlighted Scott County’s acquisition approach — temporarily leasing farmland back to working farmers after purchase to keep land productive until communities are ready to convert it to park use — as an example other counties might replicate. County officials raised safety and maintenance questions and the council committed to continued collaboration on project sequencing and operating costs. The meeting closed the parks segment with an invitation for the county to propose regional approaches the council could support.
