Council approves formation of nonprofit parks foundation
The Metropolitan Council voted unanimously in June to form a nonprofit foundation that will raise private funds to help acquire land for regional parks.
Preserving significant natural areas and providing recreational opportunities for the public are among the Council’s priorities for the regional park system. A new foundation will help raise private funds to help acquire land for new parks needed for the region’s growing population.
The Council’s 2030 Regional Parks Plan proposes that the region acquire 17,000 acres of land for seven new regional parks and 700 miles of regional trails, at an estimated cost of $193 million in 2005 dollars.
“Our parks system is this region’s crown jewel,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “This expansion is needed to keep pace with the projected growth in our region’s population. It will preserve our region’s last, best natural areas and provide outdoor recreation opportunities for our children and grandchildren.”
In the Council’s most recent annual survey, 78% of regional residents said that it is important to purchase land now for regional park and trail expansion needed in the future, while land is still available and less costly than it will be in the decades to come.
Bell explained that the foundation will be modeled on similar, successful efforts in other large U.S. metro areas. A McKnight Foundation-funded feasibility study conducted by the Council and the Trust for Public Land showed that a foundation to raise money for parks can succeed in this region.
While regional and state bonds will continue to fund park land acquisition, those funds “will not be enough to get us where we want to be by 2030,” Bell said.
The Council is negotiating with the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota to manage the foundation, which will have a 16-member board. The foundation board will be chaired by Bell and consist of two Metropolitan Council members, the chair of the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission, one representative each from the Parks and Trails Council, Trust for Public Land and Nature Conservancy, and nine citizen members.