Minnesota Dept Of Natural Resources Concerned With Bringing More Non-White Visitors To State Parks

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) will focus their resources on bringing in more non-white visitors to their state parks.

MDNR issued a renewed commitment to diversity following their latest quinquennial survey: the 2022 State Park Visitor Study, released Tuesday. In a press release, MDNR Parks and Trails Director Ann Pierce said the state agency needed to do more for inclusivity, in reference to their data that only 11 percent more visitors weren’t white.

“The visitor study shows that Minnesota DNR is making progress toward our goal of inclusivity, though there’s still more work to do,” said Pierce. “We will continue our efforts to expand access to public lands for traditionally underserved communities and to welcome new visitors to outdoor recreation in state parks.”

The study reported an increase of non-white visitors from five percent in 2017 to 11 percent last year. The survey may or may not reflect an accurate demographic of state park visitors, since it relies on voluntary participants; MDNR pulled their data from 2,000 interviews last summer.

The study divided participants into two groups: white and BIPOC (short for Black, Indigenous, or People of Color). Biracial and multiracial individuals were classified as BIPOC, along with any participants who reported to be American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian or Asian American, Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Middle Eastern, North African, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.

According to the study, state park visitors were more likely to be white, high income, and more highly educated than the rest of the Minnesota population. The study also reported that the visitors they interviewed had expressed a desire to “decolonize signage” and input more Indigenous history and voices in park programming, as well as expressed concerns over potentially experiencing microaggressions and the lack of diversity during their visit.

The results of this latest study echo prior MDNR recommendations to increase the focus of resources on diversity.

In April 2020, the MDNR convened the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force. In March 2021, the task force issued final recommendations that MDNR make diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) a greater focus. The task force claimed that diversity was an economic asset since more the state’s BIPOC and “gender identity” populations were growing, and claimed that the state was losing $16 billion GDP annually due to racial disparities, citing a 2014 report from PolicyLink and the University of Southern California (USC) Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE).

CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP

PolicyLink is a left-leaning California-based nonprofit that pulls in tens of millions annually ($83.4 million per their latest tax filing) and advocates for progressive causes, such as expanding the welfare state and government-controlled health care.

In the weeks leading up to the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death, MDNR launched a social media campaign encouraging DEI on public lands and waters. MDNR partnered with Share the Mic MN, one of the many racial justice activist campaigns that launched following Floyd’s death.

Share the Mic MN had black and brown women “share the mic,” i.e. take over the social media accounts of white “allies.” The Edina Community Foundation manages the campaign and serves as a partner, along with the U.S. Bank Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation, and Allianz.

Shout out to Jasmine at @sharethemicmn — excited to partner with you for #MyMNOutdoorAdventure! Tell YOUR story of diversity outdoors at https://t.co/pHqSRBcO6Q pic.twitter.com/wGxWRjm8py

— Minnesota DNR (@mndnr) May 14, 2021

MDNR also co-manages a collegiate career program, Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers, that excludes white males. Only individuals who identify as women, BIPOC, and/or disabled are eligible. MNDR partners with the Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to manage the program. 

In an interview earlier this week, the principal planner for MDNR Parks and Trails, Gratia Joice, told Minnesota Public Radio that she and other state workers were encouraged by more non-white visitors frequenting their parks.

“This is something we were really excited to see,” said Joice. “The survey shows increasing diversity among state park visitors, specifically visitors of color, from five percent in 2017 to 11 percent in 2022.”

However, Joice also shared that MDNR is attempting to achieve parity between the population demographics and state park visitor demographics.

The Census Bureau estimates Minnesota’s white population (not Hispanic or Latino) at around 77.6 percent, black or African American at 7.6 percent, American Indian and Alaska Native at 1.4 percent, Asian at 5.5 percent, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander at .1 percent, biracial or multiracial at 2.8 percent, Hispanic or Latino at six percent.

Per MDNR’s classification of BIPOC, the benchmark for racial parity would be at or above 23.4 percent.

“While it is an improvement, there’s still work to be done,” said Joice.

Tropical Storm Hilary Threatens Southwestern United States

A tropical storm that formed off the coast of Mexico on Wednesday is threatening Southern California and its neighbors, a rare forecast that could bring significant rainfall to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and beyond.

Over the next few days, Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane as it moves northwest over warm waters toward Mexico’s Baja California peninsula before it weakens and impacts the Southwestern United States, according to a National Hurricane Center (NHC) post.

Though there is a lot of uncertainty in the extended outlook, including the intensity and exact track of the system, the NHC urged people to monitor the forecast and look out for effects such as large swells and strong winds heading into the weekend. The main concern for the Southwestern U.S. now appears to be rainfall.

“Confidence continues to increase on a heavy rainfall and potentially high impact event to [unfold] and focus across parts of the Southwest and California Saturday to Monday associated with a deep lead moisture plume and favorable ingredients in advance of the forecast approach of extratropically transitioning Hurricane Hilary out from the tropical east Pacific,” the National Weather Service said on Wednesday, citing the NHC.

4PM CDT Wednesday, August 16 Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Hilary. https://t.co/BGf3hweIju pic.twitter.com/jcQSEp5YvY

— NHC Eastern Pacific (@NHC_Pacific) August 16, 2023

California, as well as Nevada and Arizona, could get inundated in certain parts with local rainfall amounts varying from 1-4 inches — if not more. As with any forecast, those predicted numbers may change over time.

Tropical Cyclone Hilary will move along the Baja Peninsula this weekend bringing a big increase in moisture and rainfall activity. The heaviest rainfall at this time is expected over southwest AZ and southeast CA, where the greatest flash flood potential will be. #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/k4zqybN4pj

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 16, 2023

“It’s been a rather sleepy monsoon season, but that could change this weekend as tropical activity spices things up,” said the National Weather Service branch for Las Vegas. “There remains *a lot* of uncertainty in the details, but the ingredients are coming together for a wet weekend in the area. Stay tuned!”

It's been a rather sleepy monsoon season, but that could change this weekend as tropical activity spices things up. There remains *a lot* of uncertainty in the details, but the ingredients are coming together for a wet weekend in the area. Stay tuned! #nvwx #cawx #azwx pic.twitter.com/TqyiDz2m4T

— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) August 16, 2023

As explained in a Weather Underground post from last year, tropical cyclones hitting California are a rare weather phenomenon because of unfavorable conditions in the area such as cooler water and high pressure, though the state has been more commonly impacted by the remnants of such storms.

A couple systems that were tropical storm strength have rolled into Southern California over land in recent decades, but the only time on record that one made landfall there dates back to the 1930s.

“Pattern movement allows #Hilary and it’s moisture to come north towards Southern California Sunday and Monday,” Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore said in a post to X. “1939 was the last tropical storm landfall so we don’t have a lot to gauge this on, but we know any high rate events like a tropical system pose a threat for FLASH FLOODING especially over burn scars and steep terrain.”

About Us

Virtus (virtue, valor, excellence, courage, character, and worth)

Vincit (conquers, triumphs, and wins)