Acquiring Land and Creating Opportunities - A Parks and Trails Strategic Objective is a program area representing DNR's commitment to one of the four pillars identified in the 25 year Legacy plan. The Legacy plan identifies its purpose to create new and expanded park and trail opportunities to satisfy current customers as well as to reach out to new ones. The purpose of this program is to call attention to the pillar, but also to centralize and streamline reporting on other related programs within the pillar.
To add Minnesota Sanborn and Fire Underwriters' Inspection Bureau maps to Clay County Historical Society's holdings to make this information more accessible to the public.
To hire an architect for pre-development work to improve public accessibility at the Proctor Area Historical Society and better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
An interagency workgroup is developing recommendations for best practices and policies for water reuse in Minnesota. Recommendations will include both regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to successful implementation of water reuse. The workgroup will evaluate current regulations, practices, and barriers, and quantify and determine acceptable health risks associated with water reuse applications. The University of Minnesota is collecting and analyzing field data for use in targeting Minnesota-specific risks.
The AgBMP Loan Program provides needed funding for local implementation of clean water practices at an extremely low cost, is unique in its structure, and is not duplicated by any other source of funding. The AgBMP loan program provides 3% loans through local lenders to farmers, rural landowners, and agriculture supply businesses. Funds are used for proven practices that prevent non-point source water pollution or solve existing water quality problems.
A robot, powered by solar energy, will be developed to control weeds on agricultural lands. We envision significant reductions in fossil-fuel and herbicide use while increasing local energy production.
To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the former Albert Pike Masonic Lodge, eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Alexander Faribault House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This project will complete the installation of four nested wells to the Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Network and relocated one well in the City of Saint Paul. Braun Intertec will coordinate site access and oversee the well installation by a state drilling contractor.
The MNHS permanent collection includes more than 6,500 objects related to American Indian culture and history. MNHS provides responsible stewardship of these items, in accordance with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and industry standards for collections management. Meaningful partnerships with tribal communities are the key to successful stewardship. In FY16, MNHS continued collections outreach programming by partnering with Dakota tribes and Ojibwe bands throughout the state and beyond.
American Indian undergraduate students from across Minnesota participated in this unique intensive 17-day residential program. The students attended on-site presentations throughout Minnesota and experienced hands-on learning about the museum and archaeology fields and other historical and cultural preservation organizations. Students also learned about various career paths and academic requirements for working in these types of organizations, both on and off reservations, as well as challenges American Indian communities face related to preserving tribal heritage.
Great River Greening (GRG), Anoka Conservation District (ACD), Isanti County Parks (ICP) and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) completed restoration and enhancement (R/E) activities on 1,896, equal to 147% of the planned 1,286 acres, and on 1.2 miles of shoreland, over 17 parcels.
The DNR is working with local communities and an interagency team to define, prioritize, and establish groundwater management areas in Minnesota. Groundwater management areas will have increased data collection and monitoring that allow the state and local communities to understand water supplies, uses, limitations, and threats to natural resources that depend on groundwater. This information will support detailed aquifer protection plans that ensure equitable and sustainable groundwater and drinking water use for the future.
To expand on a partnership program that will provide archaeology and cultural resource management outreach services for alpha sites at three metro area history organizations.
To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.