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I" lne , Expioring private iVews funding for park r By Peter Bell plan while the lands are still If you ask residents of the available. Recognizingthat ' g metropolitan area what the i y regional parks must com- rt treasure most about our pete with many other wor- :,4 region,the answer you'll get thy programs for state fund- most often is"our parks and ing,the Council is working trails."In our 2005 annual with the Trust for Public residents'survey,37 percent Land to explore the idea of ranked parks,trails and nat- raising funds from private ural areas as our most sources to accelerate our system use,grows "The regional trail system is one of the attractive feature. This system con- park acquisition .Citians like their trails.In fact,use landmark features of our nationally efforts. anal trails is growing faster than use renowned parks system,"said Council sists of 48 regional parks,22 regional There are several >nal,parks.Visits to regional trails Chair Peter Bell. models around the ; 12 percent from 2004-2005 while The three most popular regional trails in trails and six special a recreation features Parks grew by 9 percent country from ' 2005-'Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, which we could lion visitors a year. egional trail system got started in Wirth Parkway and North Hennepin-are that attract 33 ear. ". learn.Park systems ith,a.5.6-mile trail in Brooklyn all in Hennepin County.The Wirth Yw in Texas,San provides trail drew rew more than one million It not only p Today 175 miles are available for � Francisco, se.An estimated 150 more miles visitors: spaces for walking, Council Chair Chicago,Boston tdded within five years.The' IWalking and bilking are the most popular biking,swimming Peter Bell and Calgary all activities on regional trails.About four per- and boating. It also protects have philanthropic partners s'2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan P and preserves irreplaceable that help support their a trail system of 877 miles:-five cent of trail users are commuters. large as today. natural features such as efforts. lakes and wetlands, hard- Over the last several wood forests and native months,I have spoken with :seffluels buses will test a fuel with 20 percent biodiesel Prairies. nearly a dozen local founda- As we look to the future, tion leaders about this idea ng its record of providing transit content on 10 buses.They will monitor per- we need to anticipate the and have come away ways that are friendly to the envi- formance using the'same protocols used in needs of our growing popu- encouraged.Together with M ransit in July began fuel- the B-5 experiment. lation and set aside addi- b Ath"B-5" the Trust for Public Land, -a diesel fuel tional recreational lands the are now undertaking a rom percent biodiesel made f soya before thev are consumed by more formal feasibility el has_the benefit of being a development. resource with lower emissions," study,which we hope to In the Council's 2030 Lainb,general manager of Metro Regional Parks Policy plan complete by November. y As our regional park sys- nd we" gone beyond the state which we adopted last year,t that all on-road diesel fuel sold "1`+` we offer our vision for how tem expands,costs for "at least t be mixed with development and operationswittwo to improve and expand the certainly will increase.We ,diesel." 7"- e- 1 -aq$it,tested B-5 extens P need to consider creative ively on. mentedsystem.When fully im,our plan would ways to ensure that we can es -Mechanics measured vehicle expand it from the current continue to expand our park *,fuel mileage,cold weather 52,600 acres to nearly u7id fuel stability,qualify-and shelf system in the coming years, `' ?! 70,000 acres,or 35 percent. while maintaining the parks alyzed engine oil.-The result:a And it would increase our t liodiesel.fuel mixture had no network of trail and trails we already have. !V s from the e We can leave no greater ets on,bus engines and wasn't a 175 miles open todav to 877 legacy to future generations gcold weather. miles. than an expanded park sys- ency is'testing for"B-20," `ti Our great challenge will hrough February 2007,workers Dal Warren refuels a bus at the East Metro tem that preserves access to be obtaining the resources outdoor recreation and pro- Garage with the new B-5 biodiesel fuel; needed to implement our tects viral natural areas.