Historic Fort Snelling is an MNHS historic site targeted for revitalization. This revitalization is one of MNHS's current strategic priorities. The Historic Fort Snelling revitalization project completed a master plan in June 2015. The predesign phase kicked off in September 2015 and continues through FY16. The project manager position, which coordinates various MNHS educational programs and building activities, was partially supported with Legacy funds.
The Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps and MNHS are refining the lessons learned from the fall 2014 demonstration project to increase the viability of a historic preservation activity built on a conservation corps model. The pilot phase focused on building
the capacity of the corps through diversification of revenue and expansion of service projects, skills training, and networks.
Through a competitive process, the Historic Recognition Grant Program awards grants to historical organizations statewide to support programs that preserve, recognize, and promote the historic legacy of Minnesota, with a focus on commemoration of Minnesota's role in the American Civil War.
In the third year of this project, MNHS staff continued to inventory and rehouse archaeological collections from Historic Fort Snelling. As part of MNHS involvement with the University of Minnesota's Heritage Collaborative, student interns spent the 2015 fall semester assisting project staff with inventory and research. Artifact data was shared with University faculty for use in their courses. To date, over 98,000 catalog records have been created, describing more than 180,000 artifacts recovered during archaeological excavations at Historic Fort Snelling.
Minnesota, home to the largest Somali population in the United States, lacks resources for students to access knowledge and representations of Somalia. The Somali Museum of Minnesota will offer students immersive field trips illuminating the history and arts of traditional Somali society by subsidizing admission fees, integrating elders as immersive guides on tours, and developing take-home curriculum materials.
To coincide with the centennial of the entrance of the United States into World War I, MNHS is developing a series of public programs, school programs, publications, and online resources to increase awareness and understanding of the World War I era and its enduring legacy for Minnesota and its people. Special outreach to the veterans' community and members of the active military is underway.
The award-winning History Live! program served more than 5,500 students in FY15, bringing the total number of students served since the program launched in FY11 to nearly 29,000. For the first quarter of FY16, the History Live! program updated its business plan with a goal to increase overall revenue and serve more students. It provided 14 programs serving 421 students through Oct. 31, 2015. In addition, the program partnered with the Jewish Community Relations Council to launch a new History Live! lesson that integrates students' use of handheld technology with the live program.
Through this partnership, U of M and ACTC students from diverse backgrounds explored the museum field and issues related to diversity and museums through a fall semester-long course for ACTC students and a spring semester course at the university, followed by a paid internship at MNHS, the Somali Museum of Minnesota, Mia, and other organizations.
To hire a qualified consultant to perform an assessment of Lac qui Parle Historical Society's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
To hire a qualified and experienced Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.
To hire a qualified consultant to perform an assessment of White Bear Lake Area Historical Society's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the White Bear Lake Armory.
To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate the current system in preparation for better control of the Kanabec County Historical Society museum environment.
The goal of this project is to continue and finalize Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model construction and complete the calibration/validation process for the Minnesota River–Headwaters and Lac qui Parle watersheds that can readily be used to provide information to support conventional parameter Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports.
The goal of this project is to continue and finalize Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model construction and complete the calibration/validation process. The consultants will produce HSPF watershed model applications for the Lake Superior North and Lake Superior South watersheds that can readily be used to provide information to support conventional parameter Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) projects.
This project will finalize the guidance document to ensture consistency and validity of future Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model applications within the State of MN. This improved guidance will help to ensure consistency and validity of future HSPF model applications within the State as part of the One Water Program.
The goal of this project is to refine the segmentation, extend the simulation period, and recalibrate an existing Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model for the Rum River Watershed.
The goal of this project is to construct, calibrate, and validate two Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed models: Lake Superior North and Lake Superior -South. The contractor will produce HSPF models that can readily be used to provide information to support conventional parameter Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). The contractor will clearly demonstrate that these models generate predicted output timeseries for hydrology, sediment, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen which are consistent with available sets of observed data.
Construct, calibrate and validate 3 Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed models for the St Louis, Cloquet, and Nemadji River Watersheds.
Construct, calibrate, and validate three Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed models that can readily be used to provide information to support conventional parameter Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
The goal of this work is to enhance the Scenario Analysis Manager (SAM) tool. These enhancements will enable point source and stressor identification staff within the state to quickly access data, facilitate their research, and develop scenarios. This work will focus on the development of SAM by creating a user friendly interface, expanding the BMP database, and improving the BMP simulation methodology including optimization functionality. Additionally, this work includes development of a HSPF validation tool, testing and QAQC, and provides documentation and training to expected users.
Most mercury in Minnesota waters is deposited from the atmosphere as a byproduct of burning coal and other compounds. Once in the environment, mercury can convert to a form called methylmercury where it bioaccumulates up the food chain from microscopic plants and animals to fish and then to humans and wildlife that consume the fish. The first step in solving the problem of mercury in fish is reducing the sources of mercury entering waters.