The projects planned for the grant funds focus on essential updates and enhancements to our historic building, ensuring that we can continue to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all who visit. The proposed improvements include upgrading our HVAC system, kitchen, and security infrastructure; rebuilding the handicap ramp for improved accessibility; sourcing new patio furniture; and resealing the venue's dance floor. Each of these initiatives is designed to maintain the integrity of our facility while enhancing the experience of our diverse audience.
This program will permanently protect approximately 750 acres of critical habitat through fee-title acquisition and conservation easements, and restore and enhance up to 50 acres of habitat for species of greatest conservation need in strategically targeted protected land assets of biodiversity significance in the St. Croix Watershed. Its goals are to protect habitat, improve conservation connectivity, and provide public access for outdoor recreation opportunities.
The St. Croix River Association, Minnesota Land Trust, and The Trust for Public Land will work in partnership to permanently protect approximately 544 acres of critical wildlife habitat on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River watershed through fee-title acquisition and conservation easements. The goals of the program are to protect high quality wildlife habitat, improve conservation connectivity, and provide public access for outdoor recreation opportunities.
The St. Croix River is a national Wild and Scenic River. The river continues to see a decline in water quality due to elevated nutrient levels. Erosion of gullies along the river contribute large amounts of sediment and nutrients to the river.
In 2011, the Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) received a Clean Water Fund (CWF) grant to inventory active gully erosion sites along the St. Croix River from the Wild River State Park entrance south to the Chisago/Washington county line. This inventory is now being used to contact landowners with active and severe gully erosion to begin the process of developing a plan correct the problems using Best Management Practices (BMPs). In 2012, the SWCD was awarded a CWF grant to begin implementation.
This project will inventory active gully erosion sites along the St. Croix River escarpment from the entrance to Wild River State Park near Almelund, MN, and south to the Chisago County line. The resulting inventory will be utilized to contact landowners with actively eroding gully sites on their property and will begin the process of developing a plan to implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to correct the problems.
The Contractor will assist in planning and executing the regular meetings of the St. Croix River Basin Team, including providing minutes of the meetings. Assist in the functioning of the priority issue subcommittees. Respond to public notices for re-issuances of NPDES permits, EAWs and other pertinent public notices, and participate in prioritized public meetings with local governmental units and water planning organizations.
Wild Rivers Conservancy of the St. Croix and Namekagon, Minnesota Land Trust, and The Trust for Public Land will work in partnership to permanently protect approximately 1000 acres of critical wildlife habitat on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River watershed through fee-title acquisition and conservation easements. The goals of the program are to protect high quality wildlife habitat, improve conservation connectivity, and provide public access for outdoor recreation opportunities.
Wild Rivers Conservancy of the St. Croix & Namekagon, Minnesota Land Trust, and The Trust for Public Land will work in partnership to permanently protect approximately 813 acres of critical wildlife habitat on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River watershed through fee-title acquisition and conservation easements. The goals of the program are to protect high quality wildlife habitat, improve conservation connectivity, and provide public access for outdoor recreation opportunities.
Wild Rivers Conservancy, Minnesota Land Trust, and The Trust for Public Land will work in partnership to permanently protect approximately 668 acres of critical wildlife habitat on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River watershed through fee-title acquisition and conservation easements. The goals of the program are to protect high quality wildlife habitat, improve conservation connectivity, and provide public access for outdoor recreation opportunities.
The project will include lake monitoring on three (3) lakes found in the Rum River watershed in southeastern Crow Wing County (CWC). The project will be conducted in an effort to gain sufficient data on these data-deficient lake sites. All of the proposed monitoring sites are target sites for 2013-2014. One of the goals of the CWC Local Comprehensive Water Plan (CWP) is to establish a countywide Comprehensive Monitoring Plan (CMP).
The Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota planned for the cultural alignment of the permanent Children's Museum's art curation, signage, and interactive experiences. The primary focus of this cultural content related to southern Minnesota including Dakota art, culture, and heritage and complemented the Exhibit Development and Fabrication Legacy grant goals.
Chisago County will coordinate up to three community dialogue meetings to inform its water planning decisions. The goal of the meetings will be to provide safe, productive and effective venues for citizens to become authentically engaged in the water planning process. The outcome of this Civic engagement work with Chisago County and their county water planning process will be a more engaged public in the County Water Planning Process.
This project will support a civic engagement cohort that will be offered in southwest Minnesota to foster partnering and build capacity of local government, organizations, and residents for effective civic engagement in water protection and restoration. This project will also build networks and the skill set of local resource professionals to do effective civic engagement work for water restoration and protection. The cohort will be administered through the Minnesota River Board (MRB), established in 1995 with a goal of focusing water management efforts on the local level.
This project will support the necessary activities for improving the water quality and biological community by reducing nutrients, sediment levels and managing in-stream habitat within the Goose Creek 10-digit HUC Watershed. This restoration and protection plan will identify pollutant load reduction estimates and management strategies that will be used to obtain the TMDL goals outlined in the plan.
This project will complete a Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan for the Lower St. Croix River that provides quantitative pollutant load reduction estimates and a set of pollutant reduction and watershed management strategies to achieve water quality standards for all impairments within the watershed, and that are understood and adoptable by local units of government and other stakeholders.
