The Trust for Public Land is using this appropriation to purchase approximately 30 acres of land and 0.3 miles of shoreline with high ecological value and then convey the land to state or local governments for long-term stewardship and protection. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding include areas around the Rum River and Rice Creek in Anoka County, Lindstrom Natural Area in Chisago County, Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area and Pike Lake in Scott County, and St. Croix/Fraconia-Scandia Scientific and Natural Area in Washington County.
The ENRTF grant will introduce 12 young people to conservation careers through full-time, paid internships and apprenticeships on the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (16 FTEs over 2 years).
This project will provide condition monitoring and problem investigation monitoring at the following sites. Mississippi River: Tributaries include Bassett Creek, Cannon River, Crow River, and Minnehaha Creek. Minnesota River: Tributaries include Eagle Creek, Riley Creek, and Willow Creek. St. Croix River: Tributary includes Valley Creek.
The Cannon River Watershed includes approximately 941,000 acres of primarily agricultural landscape. Because of its large size, four subwatershed lobes are often referenced: Straight River Watershed, Upper Cannon River Watershed, Middle Cannon River Watershed, and the Lower Cannon River Watershed. Rice County is proposing utilizing LiDAR topographic data to determine areas of highest importance for Best Management Practice (BMP) Implementation for sediment within the Middle and Lower Cannon subwatersheds.
Objective 1: At outset of project, MLBO staff will meet on a monthly basis in order to provide steering support for programming as well as a means of ensuring quality control for programming in order to ensure effective usage of grant resources. Objective 2: By Month 3 MLBO Administration and NAS Language Staff will have completed internal planning pertaining to usage of contracting funds, including long-term objectives for contracts and future-planning of contract funds which have not yet been allocated.
Objective 1: By September 1, 2019, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (MLBO) Nay Ah Shing (NAS) school and MLBO Human Resources (HR) will contract an hire an Immersion Consultant for delivery of Immersion services within the NAS Ojibwe program to project end. Objective2: By September 1, 2019, MLBO NAS and MLBO HR will contract and hire a Cultural Arts Consultant for delivery of cultural arts services including delivering of crafting and sewing programming as a component of NAS Ojibwe culminating activity.
Objective 1: By Month 1, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (MLBO) Nay Ah Shing (NAS) school and MLBO Human Resources (HR) will have hired on a full-time basis an Immersion Consultant for delivery of Immersion services within the NAS Ojibwe program to project end (position anticipated to be filled by Immersion Consultant retained as component of Year 1 implementation).
Objective 1: By September 20, 2019, staff of MLBO Ojibwe Language Immersion program and MLBO OMB professionals responsible for relevant acquisition processes will purchase materials and resources necessary for the student attendance of Language Bowl and other quiz-type Ojibwe language competitions throughout the state, as well as those necessary for hosting a Language Bowl at MLBO, including financial provision for travel, food, and competition materials, as allowed by relevant granting policies and procedures.
By the end of the FY22 grant programming period, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe will have hired and worked with Contractors in Editing and Production in order to edit, design, and produce a physical Bilingual Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (MLBO) History Book which will be used with the Nay Ah Shing Schools as an Ojibwe Language and History tool while also satisfying all relevant Minnesota and Federal education standards.
This grant will fund the creation of a new Coordinator position with a primary focus on the Mille Lacs Lake subwatershed. Although not currently impaired, the Lake faces increasing development and land use pressure. Implementation of protection strategies is essential to the Lake's long-term health but current staffing does not allow sufficient time to be spent on project development and outreach to identify interested landowners.
This project will implement five stormwater control BMPs and educate watershed landowners regarding proper management of stormwater control. These projects will serve to change behavior and perceptions of how stormwater may be managed, and demonstrate how easy changes may have a positive impact on land stewardship and water quality protection. 100 rain barrels will be distributed at a reduced cost to critical landowners.
This is phase one of a three phase project to remove litter from every mile of the sub-surface 82-mile shoreline of Mille Lacs Lake by use of scuba divers. This first phase is considered the pilot research phase. It’s important for the project success to get under the surface of both the lake, and the issue. The goal is to understand what the submerged litter issues look like in the lake, are there excessive tire dumps going on, invasive species problems, and/or clarity issues.
Two years of condition monitoring, data management, and project oversight for designated lakes and or stream locations within the Rum river major watershed. This project will assess and monitor 11 sites; ten stream sites, and one lake site. Of the stream sites, 4 would be on the main stem of the Rum itself, one would be established at a county ditch, and the other five would be tributary waterbodies. The lake site would be at Lake Shakopee and sampled in partnership with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
Expanding waste diversion practices across the state this project will: create 16 jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide data to measure the social, economic, and environmental benefits of waste diversion.
Legacy funds allow the Minnesota Zoo to extend the season of the Wells Fargo Family Farm beyond its historical May to September season to include full programming and exhibits from April through November.
The MN Forests for the Future Program will use $2,971,000 in the Northern, Southeast and Transition Forest sections to protect 1,966 acres of habitat with permanent working forest conservation easements. Phase 8 builds upon past land protection work and focuses on permanently protecting working forests threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. This program will also protect habitat in priority cold-water refuge watersheds by implementing protection strategies identified in local watershed plans.
Legacy-funded programs at the Minnesota Humanities Center demonstrate our determination to collaboratively create humanities programs for the broader public by forging strong partnerships with local, state, and national cultural organizations. These programs show the broader community how the humanities can be used to address issues important to their everyday lives. Each activity, event, and program shares an Absent Narrative with participants, which help residents across the state engage in a more sophisticated understanding of their community.
The Civics Education Coalition will create opportunities for students, enrich teacher capacity to engage students, and build state-wide networks. Work will include an interactive website, online youth summit, youth conference, new lessons for educators, teacher institutes, and expansion of the statewide Civic Education Network and its activities.
The Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC) requests $7 million to fund up to 20 new, high-priority applied TIS research projects to improve Minnesota's natural and agricultural resources.
