The Minnesota DNR wants to make it easier for Minnesotans to support the places and activities they love. The 4 The Outdoors’ “Increasing opportunities for direct support” action step aims to:
- Make it easier for people to donate, volunteer, and buy DNR and state park merchandise
- Ease license and recreation pass purchasing
- Make it easier for local groups to support local priorities
- Explore options for public/private partnerships
Latest updates
- State Fair Nature Store
The Minnesota State Park Nature Store returned to the Minnesota State Fair in 2024, after a nearly 15-year hiatus. The return of the Nature Store generated nearly $100,000 in revenue for the DNR. This was a successful way to make it easier for Minnesotans to directly support the DNR through the purchase of state park merchandise.
- Promoting existing opportunities
The DNR has a variety of ways that you can support our conservation and outdoor recreation work, and we are so grateful to the tens-of-thousands of people who already volunteer their time and talents. We aim to improve the ways we promote opportunities such as:
- Volunteering: DNR has more than 14,000 volunteers who do everything from serving as state park campground hosts, collecting prairie seeds, and recording fish population data to teaching firearm safety and removing invasive plants.
- Friends groups: More than 40 volunteer and non-profit “friends” groups support and enhance state park and trail projects, programming, and infrastructure around the state.
- Adopting a Wildlife Management Area: A wide variety of work is accomplished through agreements with volunteers and groups, ranging from garbage pick-up to specialized technical work like mowing or farming.
- Donating to one of our programs
- State park donations and nature store purchases: You can shop at one of our state park nature stores or add a voluntary donation to state parks and trails when you make a campsite, lodging, or tour reservation.
- Outdoor Recreation Endorsement Model
As part of the action to “ease license and recreation pass purchasing” the DNR proposed the idea of an outdoor recreation endorsement model linked to the purchase of Minnesota license plate tabs. The legislature directed the agency to draft statute establishing a license plate endorsement, allowing reduced state park vehicle entrance fees. Predicted higher sales will support state parks and other areas of DNR’s work.
The DNR’s report is due by January 15, 2026, and will outline the benefits of allowing people to voluntarily purchase a state parks’ pass when they register or review their vehicle license plate tabs. Future updates on this effort can be found on the “Secure stable and predictable base and operational funding” page (ADD LINK).
Share your thoughts and ideas
Look for input opportunities by visiting our digital engagement portal Investing in Minnesota’s Outdoor Resources | Engage with DNR | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. There you can learn more about the 4 The Outdoors initiative, ask questions, access any active questionnaires, and sign up for email updates.