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SKATERS' RIGHTS AND TRAIL ADVOCACY
The Minnesota Inline Skate Club is interested in promoting trail development
and wise management of skate trails in Minnesota.
See below for:
Adopt-A-Trail Days
Trail Advocacy
Adopt-A-Trail Days
We are continuing the Adopt-A-Trail program, similar to Adopt-A-Highway or
Adopt-A-Park programs, to help keep the local skate trails clean and to start
building relationships with local government agencies. We will be adopting
one trail in the 2010 season:
- Midtown Greenway Trail - the section north of Lake Calhoun, between
Lake of the Isles and Dean Parkway
We are continuing our partnership with the Midtown Greenway Coalition this year.
We are working with the Coalition because they have an interest in forming
an alliance with our club as a representative for inline skaters'
interests. We will be doing these Adopt-A-Trail days on a few Monday
evenings prior to the Monday Recreational Skate.
Generally, we will be removing litter from the trail area and adjacent areas.
The Adopt-A-Trail days for 2010 are as follows:
June 7
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5:30 PM
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Midtown Greenway
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August 2
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5:30 PM
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Midtown Greenway
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Guidelines
The Minneapolis Park Board has the following safety guidelines for participating
in the Adopt-A-Trail program:
- Work only during daylight hours and in appropriate weather.
- Wear protective clothing including work gloves, sturdy shoes, and long
sleeved shirts and pants to prevent injury from sharp objects, insect stings,
sunburn and poison ivy. Light colored clothing is most visible.
- Don't over exert yourself. Lift only what you feel comfortable with. Take breaks and drink plenty of water
on warm days.
- Be aware of your surroundings to ensure your safety and the safety
of others. Be especially careful if you are using tools.
- Do not wear headsets or engage in horseplay or other conduct which
would divert your attention from your work or impair your ability to perceive
hazards from traffic or other dangerous situations.
- Provide adequate supervision for participants under the age of 18.
- Avoid areas where hazardous conditions exist such as: roads, parking
lots, bridges, construction sites, open water, and areas where mowing, tree
trimming, or pest control is in progress. Report hazardous situations
immediately to the District Maintenance Foreman and/or your MPRB contact.
- Do not pick up needles, syringes, or condoms.
- If you are picking up litter, use caution in handling collected items.
Do not crush collected items; broken or jagged objects could cause
injury. Do not try to pick up heavy, large or hazardous materials.
Notify the District Maintenance Foreman and/or your MPRB contact for
pick-up of these materials.
Beyond that, there's
not much more that we need to add, other than the fact that you should be
responsible for your own safety. In particular, some narrow sections
of the trails might not leave a lot of room to work, so
be watchful of other trail users. Also, since we're representing the
club, show your support and wear a club T-shirt.
Trail Advocacy
Have you ever been out skating a trail and wondered why the pavement was
in such bad condition? Have you ever thought that it would be nice
to have your favorite trail extended or connected with other trails? Do
you ever wonder why a certain trail didn't seem to be designed with inline
skaters in mind? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you
might be interested in helping out with our trail advocacy goals.
Right now, we are just starting to figure out our interests in skate trail
advocacy. Some possible goals include:
- Improving conditions on existing trails
- Additional trail development: developing new trails, or expanding/connecting
existing trails
- Letting organizations know what skaters are interested in, and what
types of trail surfaces work best
- The Adopt-A-Trail program, mentioned above
Some organizations we can work with include:
Contrary to popular belief, obtaining trails doesn't have to be an adversarial
process. When I talked with Doug Gross of Dakota County Parks regarding
the Adopt-A-Trail program, I mentioned that our club was interested in doing
some trail advocacy work. He said he is interested in making connections
with different user groups who have an interest in the trails being developed,
and he would welcome our input. I have also worked with the Minnesota
DNR in the development process of the Minnesota Valley State Trail, and although
they may not be making every decision the way I'd like it, I can at least
appreciate the fact that they value input from trail users.
If you are interested in helping out with the trail advocacy issues, please
let us know. In particular, I'd like to hear from individuals who are
interested in building relationships with these agencies, or in attending
user group meetings that these agencies hold. Please e-mail Todd Murray,
elkman@spamcop.net, with your interests
and your ideas for the priorities we should take.
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