The proposal was to accelerate the protection of 1,220 acres of prairie grassland, wetland, and other wildlife habitat as State Wildlife Management Areas open to public hunting. Over the course of the appropriation, we acquired 11 parcels for a total of 1,484.05 acres which exceeded our total acre goal of 1,220 acres by 264.05 acres. Breaking down acres by ecological section we acquired 876 acres in the metro, 152 acres in the forest/prairie, and 456 acres in the prairie. We have a balance of $52,798 that will be returned to the Fund despite exceeding our acre goals.
Many of Minnesota's wetlands have been lost and the remainder degraded. The original proposal planned for 15,000 acres of wetland/shallow lake enhancement to provide critical habitat for each life stage of waterfowl and wetland wildlife. The six projects subsequently completed with this appropriation enhanced 13,800 acres of wetlands and shallow lakes in the Prarie and Forest/Prairie Ecosections of Minnestoa.
This proposal will address a backlog of shallow lake and wetland habitat work that will otherwise go unfunded. These projects will address work called for in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan, Long Range Duck Recovery Plan, and Shallow Lakes plan.
We propose restoration and enhancement of prairie and savanna on WMA’s, SNA’s, and Native Prairie Banks in Minnesota and restoration and enhancement of bluff prairies on State Forest Land in southeast Minnesota.
This proposal will accomplish shallow lake and wetland habitat work that will otherwise go unfunded. This work is called for in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan, Long Range Duck Recovery Plan, and Shallow Lakes plan.
CMSM opened its new permanent site with increased capacity to serve as an informal learning center that playfully engages children, families, and school groups in interactive experiences with the art and cultural heritage of southern Minnesota. With its current appropriation, CMSM is poised to strengthen its core as an institution that promotes arts and cultural heritage learning through continued
CMSM will build upon the work that began with its 2015-16 appropriation by (1) Remediation and further development of exhibit areas that promote Arts & Cultural Heritage (ACH) learning (2) Expanding ACH learning opportunities for new audiences at off-site locations; (3) Engaging an outside Evaluation Consultant to help plan/implement strategies that meaningfully assess ACH learning outcomes and impacts; (4) Boosting the Museum’s capacity to serve more school/early learning groups.
The occurrences of contaminants including antibiotics, other pharmaceuticals, and personal care products in the environment have gained increasing attention in recent years because of their potential health and ecological impacts. However, serious gaps remain in our understanding of these contaminants and the significance of the threats they may pose, such as to drinking water. Through this appropriation scientists at the University of St.
Perform aesthetic upgrades to the Phalen Beach House focused on improved bathroom and changing rooms, concessions, staff space, storage, and seating areas.
The Equity Alliance MN will bring to life absent narratives of Latino, Hmong, Native, Asian, African American, and women of the Civil Rights Era in a collaboration among youth, social studies teachers, Full Circle Theater (FCT), and St. Paul Neighborhood Network. The narratives, researched by youth, will be transformed by FCT into a six person play that will be presented, video recorded, and distributed with accompanying curriculum written by social studies teachers for teachers across the Equity Alliance MN and the state.
Through fee-title acquisition, the Trust for Public Land permanently protected 242 acres (88% of our goal) in the Cannon River Watershed. This resulted in one new Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and four additions to existing WMAs. Now publicly accessible, these protected areas include wetland, prairie, and "Big Woods" forest habitat. The permanent preservation of these places has reversed habitat loss, allowed for habitat restoration, and increased access to public lands for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation opportunities.
Protect and restore approximately 80 acres in and near the Cannon River watershed, including wetlands, prairies, Big Woods forest, and river and shallow lake shoreline to reverse habitat loss, improve watershed function and provide access.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota aims to strengthen its highly successful School Service Program by retaining a Program development coordinator, changing core interactive exhibits and creating new curriculum for pre-school and K - 5 students in ten northern Minnesota counties.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota will strengthen its acclaimed school service program by: (1) continued leadership of a new Program Director retained on January 1, 2016 (2) creating a new (Minnesota built) core interactive exhibit; (3) developing new curriculum for pre-school through 3rd grade students in ten northern Minnesota counties.
Supplement existing Design/Engineering services to complete site improvement plans for fishing nodes, trails, landscape, site amenities and signage. Construction activities will include demolition, grading, stormwater management, utilities, construction, landscaping, installation of signs and site amenities. Legacy funds will leverage non-state funds provided by Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization and Saint Paul Regional Watershed.
Complete important Como RP access road, Estabrook Drive, and related infrastructure, lighting, landscape restoration. Park hosts approximately 4,476,000 visits annually, representing people from many backgrounds.
With the ML 2015 appropriation The Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant Program awarded 70 grants, 22 of these grants were the metropolitan area. Over 24,000 acres were enhanced, 2,500 acres were restored, and 386 acres protected through these 70 projects. Thirty-eight counties had CPL projects completed in them through 47 unique organizations. The average project for the ML 2015 grants was $96,000, with few exceptions most projects were completed on time and many were under budget.
The Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program will be managed by the Department of Natural Resources to provide competitive matching grants of up to $400,000 to local, regional, state, and national non-profit organizations and government entities.
Design and construct fishing nodes along Sucker Lake Channel, improve pedestrian connections, landscape restoration, and signage. Legacy funds will leverage non-state funds provided by the Vadnais Lake Area WMO for fishing node development and landscape restoration. Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park had 746,300 visits in 2013.
Continue Implementation of adopted Master Plan to include a splash pad (small artistic interactive water feature with year-round interest.) Indian Mounds hosts approximately 344,000 visits annually, including 13% of both African Americans and Asians, and 3% Native Americans.
Continue Implementation of adopted Master Plan to include a splash pad (small artistic interactive water feature with year-round interest.) Indian Mounds hosts approximately 344,000 visits annually, including 13% of both African Americans and Asians, and 3% Native Americans.
Bruce Vento Regional Trail. Design development plans for trail development and connection, storm water management improvements and site amenities on trail from Buerkle Road to Hwy 96.
Bald Eagle Otter Lakes Regional Park. Design and construct an early learning center at Tamarack Nature Center, and pedestrian connections, landscape restoration, signage, and other site amenities.
Mississippi River Regional Trail. MnDOT identified and supported Mississippi River Regional Trail connection from Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul to the Mississippi River Trail in Dakota County. Design, engineering and construction for a combine
Design and construction of Tamarack Nature Center Campus Site and Infrastructure consisting of parking lot and roadway redevelopment, storm water management, pedestrian connections, landscape restoration, signage, and other site amenities at Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes Regional Park; supplement construction cost for Early Childhood Learning Center Project; supplement construction cost for the Tamarack Nature Center Interior Remodel project. *(There were 99,352 visits to the Tamarack Nature Center in Bald Eagle Otter Lake Regional Park in 2013).
Design and construction of Tamarack Nature Center Campus Site and Infrastructure consisting of parking lot and roadway redevelopment, storm water management, pedestrian connections, landscape restoration, signage, and other site amenities at Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes Regional Park; supplement construction cost for Early Childhood Learning Center Project; supplement construction cost for the Tamarack Nature Center Interior Remodel project. *(There were 99,352 visits to the Tamarack Nature Center in Bald Eagle Otter Lake Regional Park in 2013).
Phase 1 Design/Development Trailhead Rice Ck No RT, bituminous and natural surface trails, trailhead building with restrooms, entrance road and parking lot development, cross country ski staging area and trails, signage, storm water management, habitat restoration, landscaping.
Develop a mountain bike trail master plan and initiate implementation of mountain bike trail improvements consistent with the master plan. ( There were 761,900 visits to Battle Creek Regional Park in 2013).
DNR completed nine stream habitat projects with this appropriation. Four fish passage projects opened up access to 180 miles of river and 13,521 acres of lake and wetland habitat. We enhanced habitat on 39 Aquatic Management Areas, totalling 1440 acres, through the efforts of four positions funded by this appropriation. It also funded two stream habitat positions that oversaw the completion of 23 DNR projects and over 50 partner-lead projects funded by various OHF sources.
Work resulting from this appropriation resulted in the acquisition, development, and inclusion of 2,095 acres into the state Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system, 74 acres into the the state Scientific and Natural Area system, and through easement acquisition added 387 acres to the state Native Prairie Bank.
