DNR Eyes Tax Proceeds To Buy New Park, Trail Lands
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to use an estimated $1.3 billion in sales tax proceeds over the next 25 years to buy land for new parks and trails, spend more on existing parks and trails, and get more people to use the state's natural resources.
"We want to know, when we look back in 2034, that we did the best we could with those funds," Tom Landwehr, the new commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources under Gov. Mark Dayton, said Monday.
Landwehr and agency officials laid out what they call their 25-year legacy plan for spending the parks and trails portion of a three-eighths of a percentage point increase in the state sales tax that voters approved in 2008. The tax will stay on the books until 2034 and its proceeds will boost spending on clean water, outdoor heritage, parks and trails, and arts and cultural programs.
The DNR's plan didn't identify specific parks and trail projects, but rather what officials called a set of broad guidelines for helping to determine how the money will be spent. Specific funding requests will be made by park boards and other local governments around the state and ultimately approved by the Legislature.
Agency officials said the ultimate goal is to achieve, by 2035, a world-class system of parks and trails that all Minnesota residents can access and that boosts the state's identity as a recreational destination. To achieve that, the plan sets out four main goals:
-- Connecting people to the outdoors through better marketing, particularly with programs and events aimed at drawing in first-time users.
-- Increasing the amount of parks and trails acreage in the state by acquiring private lands within or near existing parks, and targeting land purchases in high-growth areas, near regional centers and in parts of the state currently lacking in parklands.
-- Accelerating the pace of rehabilitation of aging park and trail infrastructure, with an emphasis on controlling the spread of invasive species.
-- Improving communication between local governments and agencies that oversee parks to create a more seamless statewide experience in visiting parks and trails.
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