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<br /> <br /> <br />A renowned parks system <br /> <br />Thanks to the vision and commitment of previous generations. the <br />seven-county Twin Cities area enjoys a regional parks and open <br />space system with few rivals across the globe. <br /> <br />More than 100 years ago, visionaries like Horace Clevdand and <br />Charles Loring helped esrablish an oursranding nerwork of drives, <br />parks and boulevards around rhe lakes and rivers of Minneapolis <br />and St. Paul. In response to state legislation. the Metropolitan <br />Council in 1974 designared abour 31,000 acres of existing parks <br />owned by counties, cities and special park districts as "regional <br />recreation open space." Those parks had about five million visits <br />in 1975. <br /> <br />Berween 1974 and 2004, rhe Council- wirh borh regional and <br />seare funds - inveseed $367 million ro help local park agencies <br />develop rhese parks as well as acquire and develop uew parks and <br />trails for the growing metropolitan population. Today. the system <br />includes: <br />. 52,000 acres <br />. 47 regional parks and park reserves <br />. Six special recreation features, such as the zoo and conservatory <br />ar Como Park <br />. 22 regional crails (170 miles curreurlyopen to rhe public) <br />. 30.5 million visirors annually (2003 estimare) <br /> <br />Berween 1970 and 2000, rhe populatiou of the seven-couney area <br />grew from 1.87 million ro 2.64 million. The Council projects thar <br />by 2030 nearly one million more people will live in rhe region. <br />Now is the time to identify and preserve the last best natural <br />resources and outdoor recreational opportunities in the region for <br />future generations. <br /> <br />Preserving our future <br /> <br />fu it works to preserve and expand the regional parks system, the <br />Council will be guided by five major policies: <br />. Identify and protecr, forever, lands with high-qualiry narural <br />resources that are desirable for regional parks system activities. <br />. Provide adequate and equitable funding to acquire, develop <br />and rehabilirate regional parks and crails. <br />o Provide a regional system of recreation opportunities for all <br />residents while maintaining the integrity of the natural <br />resource base. <br />. Promote master planning and integrated resource planning <br />across jurisdictions. <br />o Protect the public investment in the regional parks system. <br /> <br />L__ <br /> <br />Expanding the system <br /> <br />To meet the needs of the region in 2030, the Council proposes a <br />variety of changes to the current regional parks system. Among <br />them: <br /> <br />f <br /> <br />. Designatl two existing county parks and three trails as <br />"regional. " <br />In Washingron Couney, Pine Poinr Park <br />In Ramsey Counry, Tony Schmidr Park <br />In Ramsey CouneylSt. Paul, three regional trails - Trour ;y <br />Brook, Summit Avenue, and Lexington Parkway <br />. Acquire and develop three new parks. Search areas include: <br />Norrhwesreru Anoka Counry <br />Empire Township in Dakora Couney <br />Blakeley Township in Score Couney <br />. Acquire and develop seven new trails. Search areas include: <br />The Crow River, in Carver County and Three Rivers <br />Park District <br />Both a north/south and an east/west trail traversing <br />Dakora Counry <br />An east/west trail traversing Scott County ;Y <br />In Three Rivers Park District, a trail connecting parts of Baker <br />Park Reserve; a trail connecting Baker and Crow~Hassan Park <br />Reserves; and a trail connecting Crow-Hassan and Elm Creek <br />Park Reserves <br />Acquire land within the current boundaries of 30 existing <br />parks and four crails <br />Acquire natural-resource lands adjacent to six existing <br />parks and six existing trails _ ;Y <br /> <br />... <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The last best places <br /> <br />To meer the needs of rhe region beyond 2030, rhe Council propos- <br />es to acquire four new regional parks or reserves and three new <br />trails. These parks would uor be developed until afrer 2030, but <br />the opporruniry ro acquire them will likely be lose if the lands <br />aren'r idenrified and purchased before 2030. The goal is ro secure <br />the last best places, complete the acquisition of the regional park <br />system, and secure opportunities for future generations, just as our <br />predecessors did for us. Search areas include: <br />. Parks - Miller Lake area and Minnesora River Bluff and Ravines <br />in Carver County; southwestern Dakota County; and Cedar <br />Lake area in Scott County. It <br />. Trails - northwestern Anoka County; central to south Carver <br />County; and Minnesota River to Spring Lake in SCOtt County. <br />^' <br />