MAPE Local 1702 President Snavely moves into new role after 15 years of serving fellow union members, agency and community

Growing up, MAPE Local 1702 President Nicholas Snavely dreamed that his summer natural resource related jobs would someday lead him toward a long career with the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Snavely grew up within Elm Creek Park Reserve in Dayton, MN, where he says he was “blessed to have thousands of park acres surrounding my parents’ home to explore the natural world around us.” He began volunteering at Eastman Nature Center at the age of 12 and by the age of 16, he started working summers for the Three Rivers Park District in positions focusing on park maintenance, natural resources, and eventually wildlife management.

Snavely had been with the MN DNR’s Division of Fish & Wildlife for more than 15 years as the Sauk Rapids Assistant Area Wildlife Manager. His various job responsibilities included working with fellow staff to acquire land for state Wildlife Management Areas to provide public outdoor recreation activities, as well as implementing wildlife habitat management practices including conducting prescribed burns to maintain prairies, to name just a few.

Snavely recently accepted a promotion as the MN DNR’s next Fergus Falls Area Wildlife Supervisor after serving as the Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) Statewide Resource Management Coordinator within the MN DNR’s Division of Ecological & Water Resources. His MAPE service will end in late December.   

Snavely said he was involved with MAPE “from the beginning” of his career with the State. Growing up in a labor union household with his father and brother both Sheet Metal Worker Local 10 members. “I wanted to know what was in our negotiated contract, so I attended MAPE Steward training right away to learn how I could help improve working conditions for state employees,” Snavely said.

At the beginning of his career with the State, Snavely served as MAPE Local 1702’s Secretary, which eventually lead him to step up into the MAPE Local 1702 President role. He would later go on to serve as Chair for both MAPE’s Local President’s Committee and MAPE’s DNR Meet and Confer Committee. In addition, he was on MAPE’s Government Relations Committee before it became MAPE’s Political Council and has been serving on MAPE’s Negotiations Committee for three contract cycles. “MAPE is all of us and getting people to realize this to get active around issues they care about is critical to obtaining an even better MAPE negotiated contract in 2023 and beyond,” he added.

“My job responsibilities have been diverse with always something seasonally new to do in the field or back in the office to support our team’s important work. Similarly, outside of work, while many people are staying warm in their homes, I’m out in Minnesota’s winter wonderland embracing opportunities to Nordic ski with Central MN Youth Ski Club families each Sunday in January and February at Riverside Park in Saint Cloud with typically 90 children participating each year,” Snavely said, where he volunteers as the Club’s Coordinator. The Central MN Youth Ski Club hosts events like the upcoming 15th Annual Sons of Norway Barnelopet, a free one day fun youth cross-country ski event for children between the ages of three and 13 where they have the opportunity to try cross-country skiing, many for the first time. The festive event will take place on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at Riverside Park in SE St. Cloud.

Snavely also serves as the Sauk Rapids-Rice Nordic Ski Head Coach for middle and high school student athletes.

“Before the busy winter season begins, I enjoy archery deer hunting with my family

in the fall and spending my spring and summers with them biking, disc golfing, camping, canoeing and fishing,” Snavely said. He and his wife have five children ranging in age from two to 20-years-old, which Snavely purchased MN lifetime fishing, small game and archery deer hunting licenses for each of them when they were young, so they have a lifetime of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The Snavely family has also hosted numerous foreign exchange students to enjoy in these outdoor adventures with them, including students from Germany, Norway, Spain, Japan, Mexico, and Chile.