We will assess the environmental quality of prairies across Minnesota. On-the-ground surveys and contaminant risk assessments will help inform partner management actions, endangered species recovery plans, and pollinator reintroduction efforts.
This project is a continuation of Statewide Lake study that revealed the obiquitous presence of endrocrine active compounds (EACs) in many MN Lakes. The initial project findings suggested two potential knowledge gaps in our understanding of EACs and their effects in lake environments. First, the sources of EACs and their entrance points into lakes need to be better defined than was possible in our previous statewide lake study.
Minnesota is currently revising its state-level Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS), which was originally completed in 2014. Since 2014, all watersheds in the state have completed Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS). These technical strategies and reports have been used thus far by over two thirds of watersheds when developing comprehensive local water plans known as “One Watershed, One Plan” (1W1P).
This project will promulgate a nitrate water quality standard to address aquatic life toxicity, and gather information needed to support the development of total nitrogen (N) loading reduction strategies for Minnesota’s waters and also address Minnesota’s contribution to marine water hypoxia. Project will also develop a framework for a watershed nitrogen planning aid that can be used to optimize selection of Best Management Practice (BMP) systems for reducing nitrogen.
Ampers member stations are producing a variety of programs, documentaries and musical specials on Minnesota's arts, historical, and cultural heritage. The stations are also offering free public performances. The on-air projects are aired on member stations, shared with other stations in the network and archived on station websites and the Ampers website: www.ampers.org
MNHS Press will publish a book showcasing MNHS' extensive collections of bandolier bags made and worn by several North American Indian tribes around the Great Lakes. The book will include a tour of Minnesota's seven Ojibwe reservations, showing bags associated with each area, and profiles of master beadworkers who provide personal insights into the work.
Bees play a key role in ecosystem function and in agriculture, including more than one hundred U.S. crops either need or benefit from pollinators. However, bee pollinators are in dramatic decline in Minnesota and throughout the country. One of the potential causes appears to be a scarcity of bee-friendly flowers, particularly in urban areas, which is leading to nutritional deficiencies, chronic exposure to pesticides, and debilitating diseases and parasites.
To complete the interior display areas of the historically accurate Forestry Ranger Station. Exhibits will feature the early history of forest fire fighting, an account of forestry activity on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, draft horse logging equipment, lumberjack tools, and a tribute to Paul Bunyon. Additionally, funds will be used for a stage where speakers can tell stories and teach about forestry stewardship.
Beltrami County will be updating their water plan in 2017. This plan will be watershed protection oriented and will utilize all available data and maps in order to best protect our water resources. In 2012, Beltrami County completed screening on 19 of our large lakes with heavy land use development. What we found was that none of the lakes had enough chemical data for a trend analysis.
The Beltrami SWCD proposes to partner with citizen and non-profit groups to complete projects that will reduce stormwater runoff and retain water on the land. The majority of the projects will be in the Lake Bemidji lakeshed which has recently been identified in the WRAPs project as being on the verge of impaired for nutrients. With the City of Bemidji being a regional hub for Northwestern Minnesota and the First City on the Mississippi, there are ample opportunities for citizen involvement and ample opportunities for stormwater improvements.
As a part of the Mississippi Headwaters Stormwater Retrofit Analysis, a feasibility study was conducted on the Bemidji State University property to determine possible subsurface water quality best management practices options. Staff from Beltrami SWCD, in cooperation with the City of Bemidji and Bemidji State University, are proposing to install a subsurface stormwater treatment system to reduce Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Phosphorus (TP) loading to Lake Bemidji and subsequently the Mississippi River.
To hire a qualified consultant to develop planning documents to help preserve the Bemidji Carnegie Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
We will identify wastewater treatment and natural processes that prevent the formation of highly toxic byproducts from fluoro-pharmaceuticals. This will lead to improved treatment and rules for better pharmaceutical design.
The Berger Fountain, known as the dandelion fountain to most, was installed in 1975 by Benjamin Berger and has been a beloved neighborhood landmark in Loring Park and a favorite location for wedding photographers and children ever since. Ben Berger was a park board commissioner and, after seeing a dandelion fountain in Australia, fundraised to build a sister fountain right here in Minnesota.
This traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution chronicles the history and experiences of Indian Americans in the United States. A Minnesota-themed extension will augment the exhibit, which opens April 30, 2016, containing artifacts that illustrate stories of Indian Americans in Minnesota and their contributions, culture, and accomplishments. The Minnesota section will be co-created by representatives of the state's Indian American community, who will advise MNHS on a community-based marketing strategy.
Silver carp are migrating north up the Mississippi River and pose threats to the native fish and aquatic ecosystems of Minnesota rivers and lakes where they can become established. Additionally, the unique jumping ability of silver carp also places recreational boaters in danger of being injured during collisions with airborne fish. However, it is believed that this jumping ability could potentially be exploited as a weakness to help detect, manage, and control silver carp populations. Researchers at the University of Minnesota – Duluth, in cooperation with the U.S.
This study will leverage our current bioacoustics monitoring framework to assess avian diversity at the statewide scale through a citizen science acoustic monitoring program, with a focus on private lands.
Garlic mustard is a non-native, invasive plant species that is severely threatening native plant communities and degrading wildlife habitat in forest and riparian zones throughout the state. The plant is considered the highest priority species for development of long-term management solutions such as biological control, which involves using natural enemies of a non-native species from its native region to control or reduce the impact of the species in the areas where they are invasive.
