OBJECTIVE: Protect and restore

Our metro region’s natural systems – our lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and uplands - serve as the foundation on which our Regional Parks and Trails System was created.  

Our regional parks and trails are the crown jewels of our region’s natural systems, providing access to the outdoors for everyone, ensuring healthy habitats and landscapes, and increasing ecological resilience. In partnership with regional park implementing agencies, the Met Council aims to preserve these high-quality natural systems for today’s residents and for future ones. In the parts of our regional system that are degraded, the Met Council aims to invest in restoration. 

The health of our natural systems is intertwined with the health of our region. The Met Council encourages work across sectors to protect, restore, and connect natural systems with one another. Providing access and opportunities for people to be outdoors as a way to promote happiness, health, and well-being is critical.