Trust for Public Land in Minnesota and the Northwoods - 2022

Minnesota and the Northwoods THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF IN 2022 AND MORE TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE YEAR AHEAD

A LETTER FROM

Outgoing Minnesota State Director

THANK YOU FOR BEING A TPL CHAMPION. With your generous support, Trust for Public Land has made a lasting impact in Minnesota and beyond. As we prepare to celebrate 50 years of TPL and look ahead to our future, we are more committed than ever to connecting everyone to the outdoors.

We are working to ensure that all residents and visitors have access to public land and water. This continues with initiatives like Forever Northwoods and Minnesota Rivers, which protect natural lands across our state and region, and Community Powered Parks, which partners with communities to create parks and play areas for everyone within a 10-minute walk of home. We have protected thousands of acres of land along rivers, in local forests, and throughout the Northwoods. We have brought equitable park access to countless neighborhoods, working alongside community members to create new parks, nature sanctuaries, urban gardens, and even a farm.

I am so proud of the work we have accomplished across Minnesota and the Northwoods, and I am especially 2 |

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grateful that you have joined us as partners on this journey. It is on the foundation of these successes and our incredible partnership that I now prepare to pass the baton to the next TPL Minnesota and the Northwoods leader. As I transition, I do so with gratitude and confidence knowing that TPL is laying the groundwork to create, protect, and provide equitable access to nature throughout Minnesota and the Northwoods, and prioritizing our work with historically marginalized communities and communities of color. To quote the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, “We all do better when we all do better.”

I want to thank you personally for your support. I look forward to joining you as a future TPL volunteer and continued supporter after I retire at the end of 2022.

Together, we can continue to ensure that everyone can benefit from nature’s healing and unifying powers for generations to come.

Susan Schmidt Minnesota State Director and Midwest Regional Vice President PHOTO : © DA NIEL KRIVIT

LAND PROTECTION:

Forever Northwoods and Minnesota Rivers Connecting to the natural world depends on our ability to protect and preserve the public lands from which we benefit. Our land protection initiatives, Forever Northwoods and Minnesota Rivers, are instrumental in strengthening social bonds, providing healthy outdoor experiences, helping address climate change, and safeguarding clean air and water.

Although both efforts are equally important, our Northwoods initiatives have gained significant traction over the past year, thanks in large part to our generous partners and donors.

For people living in the Midwest and beyond, the Northwoods are a beloved refuge that provides us with beautiful scenery, sustains us with fresh air and water, and inspires an abundance of lasting memories for those who visit its lush forests and glistening waters.

Home to countless freshwater lakes, winding streams and rivers, and an infinite wealth of stories, the Northwoods of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan offer residents and visitors incredible opportunities for recreation, exploration, and rejuvenation. Spanning nearly 90,000 square miles and encompassing the upper Great Lakes and the headwaters of the Mississippi River, the rich history and promising potential of these iconic landscapes and waterways inspired TPL to establish our Forever Northwoods initiative. Over the last 30 years we have protected over 200,000 acres in this iconic geography, including 3,680 acres this past year alone!

LARGE: Kremer Lake. © A NDY RICH T ER; INSET: Indian Jack Lake. © A NDY RICH T ER

YOU C AN HELP! Your contributions to FORE V ER NORTHWOODS L AND PROTEC TION enable us to act quickly when opportunities for land acquisition and protection arise, ensuring that the stories of this vast, awe-inspiring landscape continue to be created and passed on to future generations of outdoor stewards and enthusiasts.

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SCALING UP!

Minnesota Parks and Conservation Funding INTO THE NORTHWOODS:

Hubbard County Deep Lake Park

TRANSFORMING VAL CHATEL Deep in the woods of the lakes region of Northern Minnesota lies Val Chatel, a former public ski lodge and year-round playground rising hundreds of feet above the majestic Deep Lake. The Val Chatel ski area—once a beloved destination for nearby residents and visitors—closed its doors over 30 years ago. While the ski hill and lodge are no longer operating, the legacy of Val Chatel and its impact in the area remain.

This year, as part of our Forever Northwoods initiative, we protected the 352-acre Val Chatel property, encompassing Deep Lake and a smaller unnamed lake. The property is uniquely situated in a geologic tunnel valley, producing scenic vistas from the surrounding hills, while the neighboring forest hosts a variety of old growth trees and native forest cover, including towering white and red pines.

TPL acquired the Val Chatel property with support from a generous anonymous donor and donated the land for permanent protection to Hubbard County, which will manage the new natural area as Deep Lake Regional Park. The park will include new campsites, trails for hiking, snow shoeing and mountain biking, and a launch for kayaks and canoes.

By permanently protecting this precious landscape, locals and visitors will soon have a new open space to experience the expansive wilderness and natural areas of Minnesota and the Northwoods.

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How far can $1 really go? When leveraging public funding, its reach can be extraordinary! For every $1 raised in private donations, TPL leverages $2,000 in public funding for parks and land conservation. TPL focuses on legislative and ballot measure campaigns that create or renew the public funding needed to protect, restore, and take care of our parks and public lands for generations to come.

In Minnesota, TPL and our partners are making great progress in securing the legislative approval required to reauthorize lottery proceeds for the state’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. If lottery proceeds are not reauthorized, this critical funding source will expire in December 2024. With our partners, we have formed a coalition to lay the groundwork for reauthorization in preparation for the 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session, advocating for public investments in the places Minnesotans love and value.

David Hartwell, who has been involved in conservation efforts for almost 50 years, explained why he invests his time and resources in this work: “I don’t know of any other organization that can generate $2,000 for conservation for every dollar raised, which is why I am willing to invest significantly.”

LE F T: © DA N SCHUMMER; R I G HT: © CHRISTI COOPER- KUHN

Community Powered Parks and Schoolyards We envision a future where every resident has safe, equitable access to a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

Our parks and green spaces are critical to community health, offering places to play, exercise, unplug, and connect with neighbors. Through our signature participatory design process, community engagement, and stewardship, we unlock the power of parks and green spaces to meet community needs.

Parks and schoolyards throughout the region lack modern amenities, adequate investment, and management. Improving access and the quality of parks can build community, tackle the educational achievement gap, and create more resilient, climatesmart neighborhoods. We are advancing opportunities to provide more equitable park access and improve park quality in communities across the state. By partnering with local schools and communities, we are reimagining existing parks and school grounds while building statewide momentum for policy change. With your help, we are changing the way we design, build, and fund community green spaces.

Midway Peace Park

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© CA ROLINE YA NG

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Land & People Lab A DATA-INFORMED APPROACH TO OUR WORK TPL’s Land and People Lab allows us to increase the impact of our on-the-ground work and close the park equity gap by providing detailed analyses of park and public land data and community demographics. This information helps identify and prioritize the parks, schoolyards, and public lands most in need while supporting our efforts to secure the funding necessary to transform these spaces throughout Minnesota and beyond.

Just two years ago, we leveraged Lab-created data to identify where Community Schoolyards™ could benefit students and residents in Minnesota the most. We created an interactive mapping tool that analyzed community and school-level data, including physical and mental health, race, income, education, excessive heat and pollution, and park need. TPL and our partners are using this data to inform the development and growth of our Community Schoolyard efforts and to identify school sites where investments would have the greatest impact. This mapping tool helped secure early support from Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, allowing us to launch two highpriority school pilot sites this past year: Brooklyn Center Elementary STEAM School and Jefferson Elementary in Faribault.

Central Village Park Central Village Park is located in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, which was the heart of the Black community in the Twin Cities for much of the 20th century. Despite displacement and underinvestment caused nearly 60 years ago by the construction of Interstate 94 through St. Paul, the park and surrounding communities have a rich history of community resiliency, strong neighborhood ties, and local activism. TPL is partnering with neighbors, the City of St. Paul, and Springboard for the Arts to write the next chapter in the neighborhood’s story, working to create a green space that reflects the community’s needs while celebrating its multicultural and resilient history.

Longtime Central Village residents and advocates Sharon and Reverend Gerald Garth recognize the potential of revitalizing the park. Sharon shared, “We’d really like to see Central Village Park become a hub of the community as it was when our children were growing up. I love the fact that we have the opportunity to shape this park for future generations. I love the idea of connecting the past, the present, and the future. The story should be told, and it can be told right here in Central Village Park.”

In March 2022, TPL held a lighting ceremony with community partners to celebrate the new and improved lighting system that has brought much-needed safety enhancements and functionality to Central Village Park.

We look forward to collaborating with these partners and residents later this year on a mural celebrating the park’s future. Through additional improvements, such as trail replacement, athletic field and safety enhancements, and the creation of engaging programming and community stewardship, we are working to realize the neighborhood’s vision for a safe and vibrant park where residents can once again create lasting memories.

TOP: Central Village Park community members, Sharon Garth, Laverne McCartney Knighton, and Gerald Garth. © DA NIEL L E JIMENE Z; BOTTOM: Midway Peace Park. © C A ROLINE YA NG

HELP CREATE VIBR ANT SCHOOLYARDS AND PARKS TPL is laying the groundwork to change the way schoolyards are designed, built, and funded in Minnesota. Our Community Schoolyards™ initiative is a cost-effective and proven solution to providing schools and communities with high-quality outdoor spaces that improve health, equity, climate, and educational outcomes. Your support will help advance and scale this impact across the state.

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MINNESOTA ADVISORY BOARD Julia Silvis, McKinsey & Company (Chair) Susan Haigh, retired, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (Vice Chair) Cheryl Appeldorn, Conservation Minnesota Andrew Brown, Dorsey & Whitney LLP Toni Carter, Commissioner, Ramsey County District 4 Page Knudsen Cowles, Knudsen Vineyards Paul Durkee, retired, Antea Group Peter Gove, retired, St. Jude Medical, Inc. Shubha Harris, Xcel Energy John Herman, Herman Real Estate Advisors LLC Lisa Hondros, Park Activist Doug Kelley, Kelley, Wolter & Scott, P.A. Steve King, Landscape Structures, Inc. Mary Merrill, Superintendent Emeritus, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Steven Meyer, Fox Rothschild LLP Timothy O’Brien, PhD, Ecolab, Inc. Andrew Rosen, National Ataxia Foundation John Shepard, Hamline University Marnie Wells, Life Time Foundation MEET THE MINNESOTA TE AM Nick Bancks, Land Protection Project Manager Will Cooksey, Land Protection Senior Project Manager Bob McGillivray, Land Protection Director Heather Meyer, Philanthropy Associate

THANK YOU for helping us to connect people to the outdoors in Minnesota and beyond. We could not do this work without you.

Heather Ring, Midwest Regional Director of Philanthropy Susan Schmidt, Minnesota State Director & Midwest Regional Vice President Nadilyah Stewart, Program Associate Chris Vazquez, Program Assistant Eric Weiss, Community Powered Parks Program Director

Join us Help ensure everyone has access to the outdoors.

Every park we create, schoolyard we transform, trail we extend, and landscape we protect is thanks to supporters like you. tpl.org/donate

COV E R , TOP: © A NDY RICHTER; © A LLEN BRISSON - SMITH; © DA RCY KIEFEL; L A RG E : © RICH A RD H A MILTON SMITH; TH I S PAG E : © WILLIA M POOLE