Programs
Programs at 1000 Friends of Minnesota
Policy & Advocacy
Advocacy is a core component of all of our programs. We advocate for sensible land-use and transportation, offering decision-makers the tools they need to build sustainable, healthy communities, staying abreast of the national movement on land-use and transportation issues and collaborating with partner organizations on a regional collaborative policy agenda.
Recent accomplishments in this program area:
• We led a 2009 legislative campaign to align the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals with our transportation investments and land-use policies (HF 898/SF 549). Though the bill did not pass, an important section on eliminating minimum acreage requirements for new schools did pass.
• We co-managed an initiative for fix-it-first policies. We organized local mayors to testify on how Minnesota spent its stimulus allocation.
• We assisted in organizing the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition, which culminated in the passage of the Minnesota Complete Streets Act in 2010.
• We co-led an effort funded by Smart Growth America to develop a plan for a 2011-2012 campaign, to increase dedicated and stable transit funding.
Community Growth Options
CGO is designed to connect 10 selected communities with planning resources, promote citizen involvement and build capacity for informed planning. we encourage you to visit the Community Growth Options website.
Recent accomplishments include:
• Assisting communities to bring ordinances in line with updated comprehensive plans.
• Analyzing long-term fiscal impacts of development patterns.
• Developing a regional planning board to manage natural resources in central Minnesota.
• Surveying residents about sustainable planning and development.
• Engaging thought leaders in discussions about sustainable land-use approaches such as conservation design, low impact stormwater solutions, mixed-use zoning, greenway and working land protection.
• Encouraging citizens to engage in local discussions about their community’s future.
• Conducting an assessment of current regulatory framework for livability principles.
• Hosting Randall Arendt, conservation design expert, for an educational series. Arendt’s talks became the basis of two programs now airing on TPT.
• Supporting three community visioning processes, six comprehensive plans, a unique city/township partnership, historic preservation ordinances, and two long-term greenway protection plans.
Lakes Region
To promote better balance between development and conservation in the Lakes Region, 1000 Friends works in the Brainerd Lakes area.
Recent efforts include the following:
• Worked with the North Central Lakes Collaborative (NCLC) to create a science-based conservation design scorecard for local governments to assess proposals.
• Partnered on the Lake-Friendly Development Awards, the Brainerd Area Environmental Learning Network (BAELN) and the NCLC.
• Advised the DNR on Minnesota’s Minimum Statewide Shoreland Regulations.
• Worked with 11 partner organizations to review nominations for the Seventh Annual Lake-Friendly Development Awards in fall 2009.
• Sponsored the Voices for the Lakes essay contest, recognizing nearly 50 writers.
Technical Resource Center
TRC provides technical support during a city’s planning process and builds staff capacity with a number of unique services.
Our recent prpjects include:
• Completing a land-use model for Goodhue County to help them identify areas of rich ecological value and preserve their natural resources.
• Mapping the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging’s service area to identify gaps.
• Creating CGO map galleries, and maps for natural resource brochures for DNR.
• Delivering several presentations on GIS and mapping to various groups.
• Providing mapping, analysis and web-accessible data support for a private firm.
Legacy Letters
We created 22 one-minute Legacy Letter videos in collaboration with Twin Cities Public Television.
Our work resulted in these outcomes:
• We promoted the short films through our website, social media, and on TPT. Legacy Letters won an Upper Midwest Emmy Award in September 2009.
• We developed phase two of the project, in which the next Legacy Letters will be based on the content of the Minnesota Historical Society’s MN150 project.
