The CREST team wants to create a mobile lab with innovative, engaging educational activities that would be used to travel to underserved, underrepresented schools and community events in Northwest Minnesota
This goal of this project is improving water quality and expanding critical wildlife habitat by permanently restoring and enhancing wetlands in the Sand Creek and Prior/Spring Lake Watersheds. By making sign-up payments available through this grant, this project will restore or enhance 400 to 500 acres of wetlands moderating flows and improving water quality. The NRCS has committed $2.5 million through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP), the Scott WMO $314,000, the PLSLWD $145,000, Rice SWCD $40,000, Le Sueur SWCD $40,000, and the Scott SWCD $75,000.
Sandhill cranes have expanded their range in Minnesota and elsewhere and as populations have expanded several states, including Minnesota, have initiated sandhill crane hunting seasons and other states are considering doing the same. Partially this is in response to increasing complaints of crop degradation by sandhill cranes.
Calcareous fens such as the Savage Fen are fragile ecosystems existing only under a unique combination of soil type, hydrology, chemistry, and vegetation. The City of Savage is continuing efforts to protect this important ecosystem through this project. Two large ravines -Dakota Avenue and McColl's Bluff - discharge to the Fen, which was granted special status under the State's Wetlands Conservation Act. Both ravines are highly eroded and carry a significant amount of stormwater and sediment to the Savage Fen.
Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) strategic acquisition (~85 acres) will conserve Minnesota's most unique places and rare species for everyone's benefit.
To begin the process of significantly enhancing access to the free arts and cultural programming at the Scott County Fair. A new sound and lights system for the stage will improve the audience experience during arts and cultural shows, and performer and audience feedback will help guide the fair as they design a new stage area for future years.
To complete the state’s only mobile oral history recording studio. The Scott County Agricultural Society will completed the road-worthy customized trailer to make it a sound-proof, climate-controlled recording studio.
This project will provide lake and stream monitoring assistance to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), identifying impaired waters within the Lower Minnesota RIver Watershed (Watershed ID: 07020012) according to the Intensive Watershed Monitoring (IWM) Approach.
This project, SEA Us Write & Design Fellowship, is an arts and cultural education program aimed at helping lower-income Minnesota Southeast Asian youth aged 16-18 develop as writers and artists. The program will provide creative writing classes and internships during summer breaks and after school, offering inclusive spaces and culturally relevant activities. Participants will have the opportunity to express themselves, develop leadership skills, and foster relationships with peers and positive adult mentors.
This education project will continue building the next generation of conservationists in Minnesota by engaging youths and adults in science and outdoor learning through radio, podcasts, newsletters and schoolyard exploration.
The goal of this project is the continued development of an overall strategy for reduction of turbidity/TSS, with sets of sediment reduction initiatives and actions for various sources, to address the Minnesota River Turbidity TMDL and the South Metro Mississippi River TSS TMDL. The overall strategy will be used to help establish a path towards achieving the required reductions of turbidity/TSS.
The Children’s Discovery Museum (CDM) continued aggressive School Service Program (SSP) enrollment strategies to reach the seven new counties of Becker, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena. A new Wizard of Oz exhibit was mounted in time for the 75th Anniversary Celebration, June 10-14, 2014.
Objective 1: Software Development i. Activity 1.1: Create a Dakota language app ii. Activity 1.2: Create a keyboard for phones and computers Objective 2: Meet with Language Consultant(s) i. Activity 2.1: Lessons with an elder/language speaker ii. Activity 2.2: Consultation with an elder Objective 3: Curriculum Development i. Activity 3.1: Meet with developers ii. Activity 3.2: Create a language textbook
The weather station portion of the project is to increase the accuracy of weather and road condition data to further refine the Chloride Use/treatment of Shakopee roads. Real-time information from a RWIS station can be used to adjust application settings. Approximately 39 tons (78,000) pounds of salt are used in each event. The city averages 30 events each winter. The City of Eden Prairie has similar weather stations and estimates a 5%-10% reduction in salt use.
This Phase 12 request supports Ducks Unlimited's prairie land acquisition and restoration program. DU proposes to acquire and restore 790 acres of land containing drained wetlands and land bordering shallow lakes in SW Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region for inclusion in the Minnesota DNR's state WMA system. This land acquisition and restoration program focuses on restoring cropland with drained wetlands along shallow lakes and adjoining WMAs to help restore prairie wetland habitat complexes for breeding ducks and other wildlife.
Funding through this appropriation enhanced 8,359 acres of wetland habitat. Included in this work were six infrastructure projects that enhanced 871 acres and a Douglas County wetland restoration was done in cooperation with Pheasants Forever. Wetland management actions by the Region 1 Roving Habitat Crew enhanced almost 7,500 wetland acres through work on prescribed burns, herbicide applications, and removal of woody vegetation. Survey and design work in Rice County gathered information for possible future construction.
This is Phase 13 Ducks Unlimited's of prairie wetland acquisition and restoration program in Minnesota. DU proposes to acquire and restore land containing wetlands and drained wetlands, and land bordering shallow lakes in Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region for inclusion in MNDNR state WMAs and USFWS federal WPAs/NWRs. This ongoing land acquisition/restoration program focuses on restoring cropland with drained wetlands near existing WMAs and WPAs/NWRs to help restore prairie wetland habitat complexes for breeding ducks, other wildlife, and people.
Funding through this appropriation enhanced 4,745 acres of wetland habitat. Four wetland/shallow lake infrastructure projects were competed that enhanced 1,020 acres and and another project restored 50 acres. Wetland management actions (wild rice seeding, a significant drawdown, and a major large prescribed burn) enhanced 1,997 acres. Work by the Region 3 Roving Habitat Crew enhanced 1,678 wetland acres through work on prescribed burns, drawdowns, herbicide applications, and removal of woody vegetation.
This Phase 11 request supports Ducks Unlimited's prairie land acquisition and restoration program. DU proposes to acquire and restore 550 acres of land containing drained wetlands and land on shallow lakes in SW Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region for transfer into the Minnesota DNR's state WMA system. This land acquisition and restoration program focuses on restoring cropland with drained wetlands along shallow lakes and adjoining WMAs to help restore prairie wetland habitat complexes for breeding ducks and other wildlife.
State leadership for the 4-H Shooting Sports & Wildlife Program, including staff and 4-H volunteer committee members, will provide a menu of equipment options for local programs to choose from as a means to build their Shooting Sports & Wildlife project. Local programs will submit a grant application justifying how the new equipment will help them build and grow their program, attract and engage new audiences, and provide sustainability in their local chapter.
This project, entitled Sing Again, aims to preserve Somali lullabies, originally passed generation to generation through oral tradition, by transcribing them in children's lullaby book and creating website for resource-sharing and archival so that future generations of children can use them.
An effective regulatory program is key to the successful implementation of local land use and water management plans. Yet, county, watershed, and other state, tribal, and local agencies charged with enforcement and permit review often work in silos and infrequently coordinate with each other or share information. This leads to higher enforcement costs, conflicts between agencies, redundancy of inspections, property owner frustration, and reinforces negative stereotypes of regulatory agencies.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids will build on recent enrollment momentum and further increase participation with its School Service Program, which takes down the economic barriers for visiting school groups. The Legacy grant will fund more educators and facilitators, curriculum development, scholarship aid, transportation assistance, art and teaching supplies, and the addition of a new exhibit to the museum.
