Rising temperatures and increased precipitation contribute to decreased oxygen and increased methane in Minnesota lakes and wetlands. We will identify impacts on water quality and methane emissions, providing management guidance.
This project builds partnerships among natural resource professionals, college, middle and high schools to work collaboratively to increase youth exposure to outdoor experiences, environmental issues, and natural resource career paths.
Voyageurs Conservancy will connect 17,000 Minnesotans to the state's only national park through standards-aligned K-12 education, career-building fellowships, and enhanced programs that engage diverse audiences in the park's conservation.
Wilderness Inquiry will expand its work to provide a continuum of outdoor experiences for youth, adults, and families in communities across Minnesota by:
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. In it's first 7 years of funding, the CPL program has provided 410 grants totaling $37 million to 133 different grantee organizations, positively affecting over 220,000 acres of habitat. Demand for CPL grants has continued to grow each year as new grantees hear about the program and successful grantees return.
Grassland ecosystems evolved to depend on periodic disturbances, such as fire and grazing, to maintain their health and stability. Periodic disturbances help control invasive species, add nutrients back into the soil, germinate plant seeds, enhance wildlife habitat, and more. In Minnesota habitat managers have used fire as a disturbance tool for decades but the use of grazing has been much rarer, mostly because of a lack of necessary infrastructure such as fencing.
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 Cottonwood River watershed is one of the last remaining watersheds to complete Cycle I of the Watershed Restoration & Protections Strategies (WRAPS) process. The scope of this project upon completion is have two reports developed; a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies report and a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the entire watershed.
Mahnomen County is only 583 square miles in size, but according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the county contains three of the four biomes: Coniferous Forest, Deciduous Forest, and Prairie Grasslands. Some of the land in Mahnomen County is used for farming, but trees are also an important natural resource. The Mahnomen County Agricultural Society would like to provide access to Minnesota's Agricultural, Historical and Cultural Heritage through a Lumberjack show and camp.
The "Looney Lutherans" will be back again to perform a new show for our community. They fit well into our local cultural history using music and comedy to showcase our past, present and future with the performance of "Hotdish on the Range." This show provides a free opportunity for those that are not able to make the trip to the Twin Cities. Many of our local residents can relate to the antics of the church women. , This year we are also excited to bring the Minnesota Raptor program to the fair. We were unable to have them last year due to the Avian Flu.
We are excited to bring in a group that will provide some authentic "German" heritage. The "Concord Singers" from New Ulm, Minnesota will delight the fairgoers with the heritage that has been preserved, nurtured and cherished. They will perform their festive German tunes that have been inherited from their ancestors. Another new event that we will have is Draugr Forge. Zach is a bladesmith that will be demonstrating his ability to make various knives and tools using his forging skills.
The Mahnomen County Agricultural Society's Legacy project is to purchase a sound system and bleachers for our free stage used for local artists, cultural demonstrations, and other events open to the public.
