Design, engineer, and construct Hall's Island and the Park on the Scherer Site within Above the Falls Regional Park, based on the Metropolitan Council approved Master Plan for that park.
Implement the Water Works portion of the 2015 Central Mississippi Regional Park master plan pending adoption by the Metropolitan Council. Work will include design, engineering, and construction of trails, pedestrian/bicycle/vehicle circulation, landscaping improvements, ramps, stairs, and walls, buildings, stormwater management, historic resources, neighborhood connections, and natural habitat restoration.
Design & engineering to develop building plans for a addition to the Nature Center, Sugar Shack, Garden House, Shelters, and Maintenance Facility. Develop site plans for gathering nodes, observation, amenities, trails, landscaping, signage, stormwater management; initiate construction for site related improvements such as trails, gathering nodes, nature observation, signage, landscaping, and site amenities. Supplement construction costs for amenities on the Campus Site and Infrastructure project.
Design, engineering and construction of a picnic shelter with restroom facilities. Site work will include grading, erosion control, and stormwater management.
Project includes additional design, engineering, easements, potential acquisitions, construction of safety improvements related to the regional trail project specifically at intersections of the trail and private businesses and rail properties.
Design, Engineering, Construction Administration and Construction of 4.6 acres of paved parking lots and 1.5 miles of paved roads within Lake Minnetonka Regional Park.
Project will complete the design and engineering necessary to construct 3.4 miles of paved trail connecting Lowry Nature Center in Carver Park to Lake Minnetonka Regional Park
This project will determine the historical distribution, abundance, and toxicity of the invasive blue-green alga, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, in Minnesota lakes using a combination of paleolimnological and contemporary monitoring techniques
This project will address the critical need of Dakota and Ojibwe immersion schools to have a standardized system for determining reading levels for the Dakota and Ojibwe languages by developing an agreed upon method for assessing the readability of the languages.
This project will establish a surveillance system to monitor wildlife health in Minnesota through development of information management and analytical systems utilizing wildlife rehabilitation data.
The acquisition of high-resolution sonar data provides important information essential for mapping mussel habitat while having ecological applications useful to resource managers and policy makers protecting Minnesota threatened/endangered native mussels.
This project is to develop a small cheap purification system for community drinking water facilities to remove toxic contaminants. The technology is highly efficient to improve current drinking water quality.
We propose to develop a genetic control tool that exploits the natural process of RNA silencing to effectively control zebra mussels without affecting other species.
Solar windows are a disruptive photovoltaic technology that virtually invisibly integrates with buildings. This renewable energy technology will increase photovoltaics adoption, reduce air pollution, and ameliorate climate change.
This project is to develop cheap clean solar energy by simple roll-to-roll manufacturing. Perovskite is a new photovoltaic material, very economical while maintaining high power conversion efficiency.
A biodegradable product will be developed to replace non-degradable petroleum based plastic used in vegetable and fruit production. This project, if funded, will revolutionize horticulture in Minnesota, and potentially worldwide.
Design and evaluate 10 market-based scenarios for perennial cropping systems and their potential to improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat. Create awareness through thought-provoking videos, fact sheets, and presentations.
Develop strategies and practical tools to identify conditions that minimize impacts to soil across a wide range of conditions to promote regeneration of diverse forests, wildlife habitat, and timber availability.
3.5 mile long bituminous surface trail beginning at the intersection of Hwy 169 and County Road 88 to Ely. In Ely, connection will be made to existing Mesabi Trail.
Develop and implement nature and outdoor recreation programming for people of color and lower income levels throughout Ramsey County Regional Parks and Trails system.
To digitize and preserve items representing the ecologic history of the Driftless Area in Minnesota, create a map from 1862 data, and conduct an interpretive program.
Acquire 470 acres of high priority habitat for designation as Wildlife Management Area (Prairie Planning Section) or Scientific and Natural Area (Prairie, and Northern Forest Planning Sections) emphasizing Prairie Conservation Plan implementation and coordination with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting and fishing (a limited number of SNA’s are proposed for limited hunting for instance archery only or hunting but no trapping). Accomplishments are based on $5,000 per acre average and should be considered a minimum estimate.
This program provides critical assistance to MN DNR Parks and Trails Division Regional and District offices to assist with renewal and rehabilitation efforts prioritized locally by field staff. Projects include the following types: State Park Building and Facilities Emergency Repair and Maintenance, Paved Trail Maintenance and Asset Preservation, and State Park and State Forest Trail Renewal. This project is a newly reorganized budget area that consolidates these three smaller project areas reported on in previous years.
This DNR Aquatic Habitat appropriation used a programmatic approach to achieve prioritized aquatic habitat restoration, and enhancement of lakes and streams across all the LSOHC planning regions. Two stream restoration projects totaling 23 acres were completed with this appropriation. Also, habitat enhancement projects were completed on 43 Aquatic Management Areas, totaling 849 acres. Stream habitat work for this appropriation and LSOHC-funded projects from other appropriations was aided by funding for a stream restoration coordinator and interns.
We restored and enhanced a total of 15,577 grassland acres with 239 projects on Wildlife Management Areas, Scientific and Natural Areas, and Native Prairie Bank easements.
Through this appropriation MN DNR was able to acquire 115 aces of permanent trout stream conservation easements, nearly doubling the AP goal of 62 acres. This amounts to over seven miles of protected shoreline. We were able to nearly fully send the appropriation. All the acquired easements are now open to public angling and are locate in SE and NE Minnesota. This appropriation also included a contribution to the Conservation Stewardship Account.
This project will provide timely surface water quality data from waters of concern to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). This data will be analyzed and compared to historic data from the same sampling locations. All locations are in the Douglas County portion of the Chippewa River Watershed. Sampling locations include six lakes: Little Chippewa, Devils, Moon, Moses, South Oscar, and Stowe; and one stream site: County Ditch 60.
The Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) program identifies environmental contaminants for which current health-based standards currently do not exist or need to be updated, investigate the potential for human exposure to these chemicals, and develop guidance values for drinking water. Contaminants evaluated by CEC staff include contaminants that have been released or detected in Minnesota waters (surface water and groundwater) or that have the potential to migrate to or be detected in Minnesota waters.
This project will provide cost-share funds to landowners in vulnerable groundwater areas for the incorporation of cover crops in their crop rotation and to provide education related to nitrogen BMPs through field trials and Nutrient Management Plans. An anticipated 100 producers in highly vulnerable areas, will plant 3,000 acres of cover crops resulting in preventing potentially 19,800 pounds of nitrate from leaching into groundwater.
Four beaches along the North Shore of Lake Superior and within the Duluth Harbor have aquatic recreation impairments due to high concentrations of E. coli, a bacterial indicator of fecal contamination. The project area includes portions of the Lake Superior South and St. Louis River watersheds near Duluth. Several of the beaches are also listed as impaired for beneficial use (due to fecal bacteria) as part of the St. Louis River Area of Concern.
