Friends of Birch Island Woods Resolution, March 4, 2004

This Friends of Birch Island Woods Resolution supporting funding for DNR local initiative land acquisition grants was sent to key law makers in the Minnesota State Legislature. The City of Eden Prairie has applied for a Scenic and Natural Areas matching grant to help acquire 4 acres of land along Birch Island Road. The City has independtly sent a similar resolution of support to the Minnesota Legislature.. The Trust For Public Land is the primary lobbying entity in support of House File 2556 / Senate File 2392..

Resolution of SUPPORT for
Local Initiative Grants HF 2556, SF 2392

Whereas, Minnesota communities need to protect their green infrastructures, ie., their open spaces, to serve increasing populations;

Whereas, a community’s green infrastructure -- its parks, forests, meadows, prairies, gardens, blufflands, wetlands and shorelines -- nurtures and sustains the well being of its residents and their businesses and the local and global environment;

Whereas, development pressure is increasing within and next to the most appealing segments of our green infrastructures;

Whereas, land prices are rapidly escalating;

Whereas, opportunities to protect such environmentally important and publicly valued land decrease day-by-day;

Whereas, local governments often do not have the resources to adequately respond in a timely manner to open space acquisition opportunities;

Whereas, the City of Eden Prairie and other local governments through out Minnesota have demonstrated a need and have applied for assistance from the Natural and Scenic Areas and Regional Non-metro Park grants programs;

Whereas, funding for these programs would help redress the 2002 vetoes of $1M for Natural and Scenic Area grants and $4M for Regional Non-Metro Park grants and help provide for new, increasing needs;

Therefore be it resolved on this day, March 4, 2004, that:
Friends of Birch Island Woods of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka:

(1) supports and respectfully requests funding for the Department of Natural Resources from the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Pawlenty for the Local Initiative Grants bill, HF 2556, SF 2392.

(2) respectfully requests that the recommended amount be for $4 million in bonding, including: $2 million for Regional Non-Metro Parks and $2 million for Natural and Scenic Areas

___________________________
Jeff Strate, Board of Directors
Friends of Birch Island Woods

Friends of Birch Island Woods
A citizens’ conservation group based in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka
15021 Summerhill Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55346
952-949-8980 www.BirchIslandWoods.org/ info@birchislandwoods.org
A 2003 Champion of Open Space--Embrace Open Space Campaign