Planning

Our partnership with the 10 regional park implementing agencies is critical to the success of the Regional Parks and Trails System. Like the planners and other staff at the park agencies, we care deeply about connecting people to the outdoors, protecting natural systems, and making sure everyone has access and feels welcomed to our regional parks and trails.

We use the 2050 Regional Parks Policy Plan as critical reference document sand for guidance on many tasks and projects. These resources help to ensure the region's residents and its visitors benefit this nature-based outdoor recreation system, now and into the future.

Our regional parks and trails staff review regional park implementing agency long-range plans, local comprehensive plans, and environmental review documents. We also work with park agencies, Met Council committees, and other stakeholders to update plans such as the 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan and other important tasks via projects.

Ongoing projects

Imagine 2050 Implementation

Since the adoption of the latest regional development guide, Imagine 2050, in February 2025, Met Council staff across the organization have begun to implement the regional development guide’s policies and actions. Met Council regional parks and trails staff are working with implementing agency partners and others to address challenges and pursue opportunities to enhance many facets of the Regional Parks and Trails System. In 2025, implementing agency-Council work groups focused on Trail System Coordination, Climate and Natural Systems, and Strategic Funding will launch.  

Geographic Information Systems Map Improvement Project

Over the past four years, implementing agencies and Met Council staff have partnered to create a Geographic Information System (GIS) dataset to more accurately map the Regional Parks and Trails System. This dataset contains regional park and regional trail boundaries which are useful to calculate regional park acreage and regional trail miles. The data shows the regional parks and trails in relationship to the 7-county geographic area. This project is an effort to modernize the Regional Parks and Trails System’s mapping and data analysis capabilities and will provide an accurate map of the entire system for public use. If you are interested in downloading the most recent dataset, it can be found on the Minnesota Geospatial Commons under the name “Regional Parks and Trails Implementing Agencies – 2024 Annual Update”  

Updating System Statements

With Imagine 2050 adopted, local communities will need to update their comprehensive plans to align with this new plan. To simplify the update process, the Met Council provides a System Statement (a customized document required by state law informing each community how it is affected by the Metropolitan Council’s policy plans for regional systems, including transportation, aviation, water resources, and regional parks and trails) to every community in the Metropolitan Council jurisdiction. Met Council regional parks and trails staff provide information in the Regional Parks and Trails portion that includes key changes to the policy plan and descriptions for every regional park, park reserve, special feature, regional trail, and/or search areas or corridors within each community.