2026 Forums & EventsLegislative Update | March 27, 2026 Elizabeth Wefel, the lobbyist from Flaherty and Hood, provided a virtual mid-session legislative update for members focused on the first and second committee deadline. During this forum, Elizabeth covered key GMPT priorities, including a commission request for legacy funding extensions, bonding requests for local park and trails grants programs, and Environmental Natural Resource Trust Fund (ENRTF) funding. She also addressed legislation of concern, including a controversial off-highway vehicle trails bill that was defeated in the Senate, and a proposed grant monitoring requirement that was pulled from committee. Click here to read the full forum AI summary. GMPT Legislative Action Day | March 4, 2026 This year’s event provided networking opportunities, speakers from key partners, overviews of important policies, advice on lobbying, and time for lobbying. The day’s events kicked off with a presentation from GMPT Lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel, who provided an in-depth discussion of GMPT’s legislative priorities and some helpful tips on lobbying legislators. Featured speakers included representatives from the Trust for Public Land, Minnesota Land Trust, and Friends of the Mississippi River, who discussed strategies for protecting Minnesota’s lands. The event also offered insight from Conservation Minnesota’s Nels Paulsen, who spoke about how constitutional amendments and new community grants play into parks and trails funding. Executive Director Renee Mattson from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) also spoke about the Commission’s latest work. Presentation Slides:
Advocacy Materials: Forum: Engaging Latinas in State Parks | February 19, 2026 This GMPT forum focused on increasing engagement with Latinas in state parks and featured special guest speaker Luisana Méndez! Luisana is the Founder and Executive Director of Huellas Latinas, a Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing access, belonging, and well-being for Latino communities through culturally responsive outdoor experiences. Click here to read the full forum AI summary. Forum: Legislative Update | January 21, 2026 Elizabeth Wefel, the lobbyist from Flaherty and Hood, provided a virtual legislative update aimed at preparing members for the 2026 legislative session. During this forum, GMPT staff discussed the organization’s policy goals for 2026, what to expect as the start of session approaches, a few tips on reaching out to legislators, and much more! Click here to read the full forum AI summary. Presentation Slides: |