DNR mobile website hopes to get people outside
Smartphone users can now try out a new mobile website to find places to enjoy the outdoors.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has launched a Recreation Compass that connects people with 5.5 million acres of public lands.
The site's users can find wildlife management areas, water and hiking trails and state parks located near them.
The Recreation Compass could help the agency meet a goal to get more young people engaged in outdoor activities, said Michael Tronrud, a mapping expert for the DNR.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
"Ninety-nine out of 100 of them are running around with a cell phone in their pocket, so this kind of makes sense from a functional standpoint, getting those people interested in this kind of stuff," he said.
The maps should be accessible with a 3G mobile phone connection by working with a smartphone's location services to find recreation areas wherever a user happens to be.
The maps contain information that could otherwise be difficult to find online, said Tronrud.
"It doesn't really matter where you go, it's not all that easy to find a 40-acre parcel that you can walk onto and hunt without digging around on your home computer. It's really neat to have the functionality on your phone," he said.
The mobile website also includes a link where people can buy a hunting or fishing license they can start using right away.