HF3564
Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission provisions modified, and availability of previous grants extended.
Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026)
Related bill: SF3799
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- Modify provisions governing the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission.
- Extend the availability of several grants from the parks and trails fund.
- Repeal specific earlier subdivisions of Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 85.536.
- Reorganize how regional parks and trails are planned, funded, and reported, with a focus on areas outside the seven-county metro area.
Key Provisions
District creation and planning (Sec. 1)
- Establish six regional parks and trails districts outside the seven-county metropolitan area.
- Districts are formed by combining counties; no county may be in more than one district.
- The Commission, with input from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Coalition, will develop a strategic plan and criteria for identifying parks and trails of regional significance eligible for funding.
- Counties within a district may jointly prepare a master plan for acquiring and developing regional parks and trails, with input from affected municipalities, and submit to the Commission.
- District-level and park-level plans must meet criteria in the overarching strategic plan.
- Counties must hold a public hearing on proposed plans and budgets, with at least 15 days’ notice to the public.
- The Commission reviews master plans and may require revisions if plans don’t meet the criteria.
Grant recommendations and funding (Sec. 2)
- When recommending grants, the Commission must align with approved master plans.
- Grant amounts are determined via a merit-based evaluation process that includes a measure of local financial support.
- The merit-based process is not subject to standard rulemaking, and a specific statutory provision (14.386) does not apply.
- Grant recommendations must balance benefits across greater Minnesota.
- Grants may be given only for projects included in a plan approved by the Commission.
Governance and reporting (Secs. 3–4)
- The Commission shall elect a chair and other necessary officers from among its members, with elections occurring on an annual or biennial basis.
- The Commission must submit an annual (biennial) report by January 15 detailing its district-based recommendations in priority order to the chairs and ranking minority members of the Senate and House committees with primary responsibility for legacy appropriations.
Grant extensions (Sec. 5)
- Extend the availability of several grants funded by the parks and trails fund for specific projects and dates:
- Mesabi Trail project (St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority) extension to June 30, 2027.
- Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo (Olmsted County) extension to June 30, 2027.
- Kraemer Lake and Wildwood County Park (Stearns County) extension to June 30, 2027.
- Plum Creek Park (Redwood County) extension to June 30, 2027.
- Robinson Quarry Park (city of Sandstone) extension to June 30, 2028.
Significant Changes from Current Law
- Establishment of six distinct regional districts outside the seven-county metro area with formal district-level planning and public hearing requirements.
- Requirement that grant recommendations follow a merit-based evaluation and align with district master plans, with emphasis on local financial support and balanced benefits across greater Minnesota.
- Repeal of Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 85.536 subdivisions 3 and 4, removing or changing prior substantive provisions in those subdivisions.
- New formal processes for district master planning, public input, and ongoing reporting to key legislative committees.
Practical Impact
- More structured regional planning for parks and trails outside the metro area.
- Greater emphasis on aligning funding with district master plans and local financial participation.
- Extended timelines for several existing grants, allowing ongoing or completed projects to proceed with extended funding availability.
Relevant Terms - Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission - six regional parks and trails districts - districts outside the seven-county metropolitan area - district plans and master plans - parks and trails of regional significance - master plan criteria - public hearing - districtwide plans - master plan approval - merit-based evaluation - local financial support - balance of grant benefits - parks and trails fund - legacy appropriations - grant extensions (Mesabi Trail, Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo, Kraemer Lake and Wildwood County Park, Plum Creek Park, Robinson Quarry Park) - St. Louis County - Lake County - Olmsted County - Stearns County - Redwood County - City of Sandstone - Laws 2023 chapter 40 article 3 section 3 paragraph c
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Past committee meetings
- Legacy Finance on: March 04, 2026 10:15
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 23, 2026 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Legacy Finance | |
| March 02, 2026 | House | Action | Author added | ||
| March 05, 2026 | House | Action | Author added | ||
| April 09, 2026 | House | Action | Author added |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Requires six regional parks and trails districts and mandates a master planning process for parks and trails of regional significance.",
"Requires districts to hold a public hearing and provide notice of the hearing; directs submission of master plans for commission review."
],
"removed": [
"Repeals or narrows prior informal district planning arrangements in favor of formal district and master plan requirements."
],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 85.536, subdivision 5, to redefine districts and planning processes for parks and trails funding outside the seven-county metropolitan area, including master plans and public hearings.",
"modified": [
"Strengthens alignment between district plans and the strategic plan for regional parks and trails; enhances review and revision procedures."
]
},
"citation": "85.536, subd. 5",
"subdivision": "subd. 5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Adopts a merit-based evaluation process for grant amounts.",
"Requires consideration of local financial support and balance of benefits across Greater Minnesota."
],
"removed": [
"Eliminates reliance on general rulemaking provisions in Chapter 14 for the grant evaluation process."
],
"summary": "This section modifies grant recommendations under Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivision 7, introducing merit-based evaluation and regional balancing.",
"modified": [
"Expands evaluation criteria and maintains independence from certain rulemaking requirements."
]
},
"citation": "85.536, subd. 7",
"subdivision": "subd. 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Requires annual or biennial election of a chair and other officers from among commission members."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This section addresses governance of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission by modifying leadership selection.",
"modified": [
"Establishes a formal leadership selection cadence for the commission."
]
},
"citation": "85.536, subd. 8",
"subdivision": "subd. 8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Requires a report by January 15 each year listing district recommendations and priorities to the Senate and House legacy appropriations leadership."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This section imposes annual reporting requirements by the commission on its recommendations by regional district.",
"modified": [
"Clarifies reporting obligations and the intended recipients within the Legislature."
]
},
"citation": "85.536, subd. 10",
"subdivision": "subd. 10"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill provides that the merit-based evaluation process is not subject to the rulemaking provisions of Minnesota Statutes chapter 14 and that §14.386 does not apply.",
"modified": [
"Exempts the evaluation process from Chapter 14 rulemaking and negates applicability of §14.386."
]
},
"citation": "14.386",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee