Parks and Trails Legacy Project - Blog

Mankato Workshop - Dec 2, 2010

Emmett Mullin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:47:54 -0600

Last night we kicked off the month long public review of the draft Parks and Trails Legacy Plan (which will be open for discussion through Friday, Jan 7, 2011). My name is Emmett Mullin, and I work as a planner with the DNR. Currently, I'm working with Laurie Young to support the parks and trails Legacy planning effort.

We'll... Back to Mankato. I felt we had a great meeting last night - a very positive and engaged group of about 30 folks attended.

A number of themes emerged from our discussions. Perhaps the top one is that trail connections should be a top Legacy priority for the coming years.

Another included the importance of conservation, which many felt could be strengthened in the current draft. Another insight that emerged is that Southern Minnesota does not have the same public land base as northern MN, so land acquisition should be a big part of the Legacy as we move into the future.

One concern I had last night was that a lot of the conversation focused on state parks and trails. As we move forward into next week's workshops, we need to make a stronger and clearer point that parks and trails of regional significance are an equal part of this effort. While the Minnesota DNR has a lead role in convening the collaborative planning effort, if we're to be successful we need to ensure that this is an equal partnership made up of a wide array of partners.

I look forward to our coming conversations on-line and at the workshops.

1,223 Parks and Trails Legacy Project Participants!

Madeline Dragich — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:42:42 -0600

1,223 Participants!

As the final summary of all the Parks and Trails Legacy Workshops is being compiled, I thought it would be interesting to reflect upon the public participation aspect of the workshops. In total we had 1,223 citizens participate in the public input process. Approximately 995 citizens attended the 17 public and 3 targeted workshops and 228 signed up for the Parks and Trails Legacy project on CitiZing! The workshop with the highest attendance was held in Rochester, with 91 participants. The St. Cloud and Marshall workshops came in a close second with approximately 80 participants respectively. Furthermore, almost 30 people braved severe weather to attend the workshop in Mankato held a few weeks ago. The Citizens League and the DNR Parks and Trails Division would sincerely like to thank all of those who have participated in the public input process thus far.

The input that we received from the workshop voting, online surveys, Legacy funds allocation game, and participant comment sheets are all being read, re-read, and read again to generate a summary that will be given to the steering team and work groups to use as they move forward in developing their recommendations. Public input is serving as an important guide for all of the work, and is invaluable in creating a plan that truly reflects the vision of Minnesotans. These recommendations will be endorsed by the commissioner and presented to the legislature for consideration.

As an engaged citizen, I find it incredibly encouraging and exciting to see an agency such as the DNR seek out public input into such a process and to see so many citizens interested in participating in the process. Furthermore, many people have continued the conversations sparked at the workshops through the online forum, CitiZing. We hope this is something that people will continue to do over the next few months!

The thing that I find the most exciting about the public workshops is that I am sure many participants went home and discussed the results and conversations with friends and family members. We hope that the 1,223 participants all started a conversation about the workshop with one other person, at least doubling the impact! We will continue to use our innovative, Citizens League approach to public participation in the future so that policy issues are truly defined and solutions proposed by the individuals affected by the policy.

We want to hear from you! What did you think about the public input process of the workshops? What went well, what could have been done better? Head over to the discussion forum to let us know what you think. Thank you and we look forward to your comments!

Citizens League Regional Workshop Themes

Brendan Byrne — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:11:48 -0600

I am Brendan, and I have been working on logging all of the responses from the in-person regional workshops throughout the state. From these I learned more about Minnesota parks and trails, and the vision that Minnesotans have for them. I wanted to share with you some of the things that I have found interesting along the way.

Underrepresented Groups

One of the main themes was to get minorities and youth involved, as these people were underrepresented at the meetings. Creating a future generation of stewards was also a highly desired outcome, as they are key to building a legacy. The Citizens League and DNR hosted a set of “targeted workshops,” specifically to reach these folks so we can ensure their voices and ideas are heard.

Activities

One activity that seemed to be fairly popular and is often overlooked is horseback riding, as several meetings had a strong presence of horseback riders. The presence of ATV and snowmobile trails was a bit of a divisive issue, with some people wanting to expand them, and some people not wanting legacy money to go to that type of recreation.

Regional Differences

Another issue was the differences in funding and attention between the Twin Cities area and Greater Minnesota. The Twin Cities area has the majority of Minnesota’s population, while Greater Minnesota has the majority of Minnesota State Parks and open areas. Some Greater Minnesota residents felt their regions did not receive a “fair” amount of the resources, and the allocation and geographic distribution of Legacy funding will be very important.

Favorite Parks and Trails

Another theme that I came across is the high level of difficulty in choosing a favorite park or trail. More than one person likened it to choosing a favorite child, and I have to agree. There are many parks and trails that I like, and it would be hard to choose just one to be my indisputable favorite.

About 1,000 people total attended the meetings and followed along with the clicker responses. It is great to see that so many people are interested in the future of Minneapolis parks and trails.

Stay tuned to CitiZing where in the coming weeks where we will be issuing a more formal report about what we learned from Minnesotans. This is my take of a just a few of the most interesting things I learned. We will keep you posted!

What is the future for land acquisition in Minnesota?

Madeline Dragich — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:34:01 -0600

It is no secret that land acquisition has been a hot topic of debate at the Parks and Trails Legacy Workshops. At some workshops participants have said, "Acquire the land now before it is too late." At other workshops we have heard participants say, "Why would we acquire more land when we cannot maintain the land we already have." And yet both sides of the argument can to some degree understand the other point of view, which is what makes this such a complex issue.

During the workshop in Willmar, a participant brought the following Star Tribune article to the attention of participants. http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/88708972.html

The article addresses the bill passed by the House which seeks to remove all $4.2 million for land acquisitions from the Environmental Trust Fund, money generated by the Minnesota State Lottery. Rep. Tom Rukavinia, DFL Virginia, proposed an amendment to the bill which stated that all of the money removed from land acquisitions should be used to repair state park buildings and trails. The amendment passed 57-52.

It is important to acknowledge that the funds addressed by this bill are not related to the Legacy Amendment Funds for parks and trails. The allocation methods used by both the Environmental Trust Fund and the Legacy Amendment Funds do use a similar process. Both methods seek citizen input which is given to workgroups that develop a series of recommendations which are then submitted to the legislature who has the final say in how the funds are allocated. In this article one citizen did bring up a very valid point. Mary Mueller a citizen from Winthrop and a member of the recommendations workgroup for the Environmental Trust Fund said she feels as though the legislature disregarded the recommendations made by the group. She said, "If the legislature is going to disregard the commission's recommendations, what's the point of serving on the panel?" Furthermore, Mark Holsten, the commissioner of the DNR said, "Indiscriminately cutting all the land acquisition from the bill was an uninformed decision. I am very concerned about the trend."

This article brings to light what the recommendations made by the Parks and Trails Legacy work groups, engaged citizens, and steering team members may face when sent to the legislature. I think most would agree that we need some form of an integrated plan in regards to the allocation of the Parks and Trails Legacy Funds. Acquisition is especially necessary to connect trails, which is a priority amongst many workshop participants. Many participants have also said that although land acquisition shouldn’t necessarily be a priority, we should have some sort of “opportunity fund” in the event that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arises.

I would love to see some discussion on this article. Do we need to acquire more land? Do we have enough land and simply need to take better care of what we have? Do we need an integrated plan with some acquisition and some development etc.? I’d love to hear from you!

Official Launch of CitiZing!

Erin Sapp — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:04:54 -0600

We’re “officially” launching CitiZing today to the public. While we’ve been up and running internally for many months and have undergone a “soft launch” with the Parks and Trails Legacy project, today marks CitiZing’s official public debut.

CitiZing combines social networking, Web 2.0 tools and the Citizens League’s citizen-driven solution building process into a single online platform designed to facilitate collaboration and solution-building on public problems. We see CitiZing as a distinct contribution to building our civic infrastructure, and envision it as the go-to place online for collaboration and solution-building on public issues. You can read more about CitiZing in the May/June edition of the Minnesota Journal.

CitiZing is for everyone, bringing together experts, community leaders and everyday citizens. We believe that when citizens are co-producers of the common good that policies will look different and outcomes will improve. CitiZing helps facilitate meaningful and constructive working relationships between collaborators at all levels.

We began the CitiZing journey during the Citizens League Minnesota Anniversary Project when we identified the distinct need for an online space to come together and work on common problems collectively. While we had hoped to find an existing platform or customize an existing tool, we couldn’t find anything that fit the bill of creating communities through networking, using a range of Web 2.0 tools, and managing projects while being able to facilitate the Citizens League innovative problem-solving approach and process. So, we built CitiZing.

CitiZing is truly the first civic engagement platform of its kind. While many site offer opportunities to sign petitions, contact elected officials or discuss issues, they don’t offer opportunities to engage in meaningful or constructive ways. CitiZing does this through its focus on collaboration and driving towards actionable outcomes. We believe that this will be the “game changer” in how we envision civics and participate civically online.

Join us on our inaugural project, the Parks and Trails Legacy Project, which asks Minnesotans to help us build a vision for our state and regional parks and trails. This vision will inform recommendations for how to spend money from the 2008 Legacy Amendment, as well as traditional funds.

CitiZing is still in beta stages, so we’ll keep making improvements and further developing features and functions. In the meantime, we’re looking for other beta (pilot) projects; contact us if you have an idea for one! This fall, CitiZing will begin hosting the successful Citizens League project, Students Speak Out, so stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved!

Quality vs. Quantity

Colleen Tollefson — Wed, 19 May 2010 05:44:45 -0600

I'm a member of the Steering Committee and have attended the Summit and two of the input sessions. One of the questions that has come up is how to define quality in parks and trails. What are quality values or criteria that the Legacy Plan should address for parks and trails?

1st Workshop - St. Cloud on May 6, 2010 - Great Launch!

Chuck Wocken — Wed, 12 May 2010 06:28:49 -0600

Wow! We had a great workshop. That probably sounds like an oxymoron to people that live their lives at meetings. Planners say about 100 people attended. The youngest was about 14. She wouldn't let her dad leave after some of the fun discussion got going. The room was full and staff were putting up extra chairs and tables and just about ran out of handouts (a bureaucrat's dream.) Along with the citizens from the St. Cloud Metro Area there were participants from Todd County, Wright County, Sherburne County, Benton, Stearns County and McLeod County, and many more I couldn't identify.

People showed up simply because they wanted the State to know what they wanted done with their Park & Trail Legacy sales tax money. As people left the Mississippi Room at the St. Cloud Library there were many comments about "how much fun that was." Folks really felt like they had meaningful input - that they were listened to and their comments would be carried to the Legislature at the end of the planning project.

Having tables of eight talk about the questions in the survey but still being able to vote with the little "clicker" allowed them to blend ideas but still express their individual opinions. And wasn't it cool that after everyone voted on individual questions that the results of the group votes were displayed on the overhead screen. That was some dandy technology use.

I could go on for pages on how proud I was of the turnout, the pre-workshop publicity by the Times, WJON and other media outlets, and the quality of the conversation. Well done Central Minnesota.

The Green in Me

Stacy Becker — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:24:14 -0600

Hi everyone, I am Stacy Becker, the project leader for the Citizens League on this exciting partnership with the DNR. I wrote the following post for my personal blog after our first public meeting on April 14, and I want to share it here with you.

***

I had an epiphany yesterday on account of the green. No, not money or Saint Patty's Day. Nature.

I had the honor of moderating, for the Citizens League and Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources, the first of many meetings to discuss how money from the “Legacy Amendment” should be spent on parks and trails. Voters approved a 3/8 cent sales tax in 2008 to be allocated among parks and trails, water quality, arts and culture and wildlife habitat. The tax will be in place for twenty-five years.

I have been candid that I voted gainst the amendment. As a former budget director of both San Francisco and Saint Paul, I have a principle against using constitutional amendments to make, and bind, budgetary decisions. I see now that I voted with my head instead of my heart. Shame on me.

Call me a slow learner, but I finally understand what the Legacy Amendment is about—taught to me by all the wonderful participants at the meeting. The Southeast Asians kept talking about the importance of family, and the group as a whole said that the most important goal was to create a new generation of stewards. My synapses were activated, but were still not connecting until Don Shelby spoke.

I’ve heard Don Shelby speak before, and I’ve interviewed with him on his radio show. He has always impressed me. But today, as my friend Claire likes to say, was transcendent. Shelby described nature as a fundamantal part of our humanness. His exclamation point on this theme was his comparison of the molecule for chlorophyll (which makes plants green) with the molecule for hemoglobin. What separates the life force of plants from the life force of humans is a single atom at the center of a complex molecule. In chlorophyll it is magnesium, in humans iron. Otherwise they are the same.

I looked this up to share it with you, and you can see the molecular diagrams below (click the links to see the images in a new window). Let’s just say that they are close enough (you can indeed see the single magnesium/iron atoms, surrounded by niacin, and then to a complex of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen) that there is widespread belief that they are the same but for the single atom. And for our purposes it is so. The similarities are so undeniable that one cannot help but wonder--What is the relationship between humans and nature? Human culture and nature?

chlorophyll molecule:

hemoglobin molecule:

Forgive me if I’m about to be overly romantic or grandiose, but I am currently reading a provocative book that conveys the sweep of civilization in relation to mythology, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light, by William Irwin Thompson. Thompson looks at the great arc of human development from those first days when primates were forced from the forest to the savannah, and the use of tools, possibly early language, and new cultures were born. He argues that large cultural transformations were compelled by climatic changes, and are captured through mythology. For Thompson, mythology is the expression of the intuitive, unconscious knowledge of humans, rooted in nature. Mythology is the stuff that science comes along later to prove (e.g., the myth of our origins in nature and the science of the similarties of the two molecules). But the more advanced our scientific knowledge, the more mythology is pushed to the side.

If you think about it, much of mythology speaks of the relationship of nature to man, just as it provides context for our deepest mysteries. Many cultures share have a story of “The Fall,” for example. Adam and Eve are pushed from the garden; it is the onset of human separation from nature. Today, tens of thousands of years later, we live in an intensely scientific and technological age. Maybe the voters understood that the Legacy is a last chance to reconnect to our natural roots before all is subsumed into digitized bits of information that can be accessed by the nearest electrical outlet. We're hanging on to our humanness.

So maybe we can permit ourselves a bit of hubris by defining Legacy not as our moment in time but as a pivot point in civilization. The question we'll want to answer after twenty-five years is not, “what have we completed" but “what have we begun?”

Gathering Minnesotans' vision for our parks and trails

Erin Sapp — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:57:48 -0600

The Citizens League is honored to be working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as it engages Minnesotans in their Parks and Trails Legacy Project. The project will establish guidelines for how money from the constitutional "Legacy Amendment" and other traditional sources of funding will be spent over the next 25 years based on the vision and priorities of Minnesotans. Note that the purview for this work is just for Minnesota's parks and trails, and has no relationship with or impact on how the other Legacy monies will be spent (clean water, preservation, and arts and culture).

Drawing on our lessons from the Minnesota Anniversary Project, we're striving to create a process that is meaningful and engaging, and that yields results that will help shape better public policy (and ergo, lead to better outcomes). We believe that how Minnesotans are asked to engage is just as important as what issue they're asked about.

Our activities draws methods we've used at annual meetings and in our work on redistricting and long term care. It's a combination of facilitated small group discussions which will result in a report back and also utilize interactive response devices (the clickers). We hope that this combination will yield both qualitative and quantitative feedback that can be used to create the plan. As importantly, we also hope that this process provides an avenue for Minnesotans to engage on the issues, share their perspectives, and learn about others.

Online, we'll be hosting lots of activities for you to be involved in. Here you'll be able to stay up to date on what's happening with the project, how you can be involved, and participate in our online activities. We'll have surveys, wikis, forums, ratings and more, all designed to better understand your vision and values for Minnesota's parks and trails.

The input we gather from Minnesotans will absolutely guide the plan. The DNR chose the Citizens League in part because of our innovative public process and staunch belief that working collaboratively with citizens will lead to better policy results. Minnesotans' feedback and information will serve as the basis for decisions for the DNR's workgroups, who will be responsible for writing plan elements.

Thanks for joining us! We're looking forward to working with you.

Erin Sapp, Public Participation Project Manager