The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center came one step closer to its goal of being designated a regional significant park or trail by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission.

The Austin City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Nature Center’s application on Monday.

The GMRTCP was established in 2013 “to carry out system planning and provide recommendations to the legislature for grants funded by the Legacy parks and trails fund to counties and cities outside the seven-county metropolitan area for parks and trails of regional significance.”

Receiving the designation would allow Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Director Luke Reese to apply for grant money from the GMRTCP every year.

“I think we have a very good chance,” Reese said of getting the designation. “We’re already a significant site for the area. I feel like it makes a lot of sense.”

Reese said the next step after the application process would be to submit a master plan for the Nature Center. This plan takes into consideration current operations as well as recreational trends and future plans.

Once the application and master plan are received, an independent evaluation is performed which scores the applications against the GMRPTC’s criteria.

Any grant money approved by the GMRTCP has to be submitted to the state legislature, who makes the final decision on all funding allocations.

The city of Austin was designated as the lead applicant in the council’s resolution and has the authority to act as the legal public sponsor for the application. Should the nature center receive the designation, the city would have the legal authority to enter into formal designation and funding agreements with the GMRTPC for the Nature Center.

Reese hopes to submit the application before the GMRTPC’s next meeting in May and have the master plan ready before the end of the year.