The Trust for Public Land is using this appropriation to purchase approximately 24 acres of land and 0.2 miles of shoreline with high ecological value and then convey the land to state or local governments for long-term stewardship and protection. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding include an areas around the Rum River in Anoka County, Lindstrom Natural Area in Chisago County, and Carnelian Creek and Keystone Woods area in Washington County.
With this appropriation, the Minnesota Land Trust plans to protect 100 acres of high quality forest, prairie, wetland, or shoreline habitat by securing permanent conservation easements and dedicating funds for their perpetual monitoring, management, and enforcement. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding are located in Chisago, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, and Washington counties.
The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust is using this appropriation to purchase a total of approximately 100 acres of land and donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Many benefits are anticipated from this project, including improved habitat connectivity, protection of native species, improved water quality in the Minnesota River, and increased public access to natural lands for activities such as hiking, hunting, and fishing. Restoration and management plans will be completed for all acquired lands.
Project Outcome and Results Friends of the Minnesota Valley (FMV) undertook restoration of habitat for the Lower Minnesota River Watershed portion of the Metropolitan Conservation Corridors Project (MeCC) as a continuation of our wildlife habitat restoration within the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management District (Refuge) and within the Lower Minnesota River Watershed.
Project Outcome and Results In its Critical Lands Protection Program, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) used $890,000 from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) to secure fee title on portions totaling 50.2 acres of 407 total acquired acres. TPL conveyed these lands to public agencies for permanent protection. Individual project successes include the following:
Project Outcome and Results The Minnesota Valley Trust acquired 103 acres of priority lands in Scott County to expand the St. Lawrence Unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Of the 103 acres acquired, 70 acres were acquired with Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and 33 acres were acquired with other private, non-state funds.
Waste streams often contain unutilized resources that if properly extracted or otherwise utilized could be used to provide additional sources of renewable energy or other benefits. Wastewater is one of the primary candidate waste streams because of its nutrient content and researchers have been developing technologies such as microbial fuel cells and algal-based biofuel production in order make use of these nutrients.
The purpose of this grant is to create a clear pathway for college students to achieve fluency in the Ojibwe language and to graduate prepared teachers of the Ojibwe language with Kindergarten through 12th Grade teaching certifications. This will be done by expanding the curriculum to expand the University’s Ojibwe language offerings, building the University and K-12 Tribal/Immersion/Ojibwe-teaching schools partnerships for greater language fluency, and producing more fluent and well prepared graduates.
The overall purpose of this initiative is to welcome more American Indians into the University to increase the number of speakers of the Dakota and Ojibwe languages. This will be done by the enrollment of adults in the Dakota and Ojibwe language immersion model classes, as well as, enrolling youth into the youth classes. The University will offer immersion model 100-level courses in Dakota and Ojibwe languages and provide scholarships to ensure accessibility and participation.
Metro Big Rivers' restoration and enhancement partners (FMR and GRG) achieved their goals, converting through restoration a former rail yard in the urban core to 32 acres of prairie and enhancing 98 acres of prairie and forest at four other public conservation sites in the metropolitan area. The easement partner (MLT) exceeded goals and permanently protected 131 acres under two conservation easements in Washington County.
This project will establish a groundwater monitoring network in the 11 county metropolitan area. The network will provide information about aquifer characteristics and natural water trends by monitoring healthy aquifers (non-stressed systems). The project will also develop an automated system that captures groundwater level and water use data. This system will enhance evaluation of changes in aquifers that are stressed by pumping from existing wells.
Ensuring natural resource practitioners are applying state-of-the-art approaches is the best way to achieve optimum Best Management Practice (BMP) selection, design, and placement in the landscape, thereby maximizing Clean Water Fund (CWF) benefits. To that end, it is critical to train new staff, create modeling protocols for new BMPs, refine and calibrate models, and test ever-advancing modeling applications.
The Metro Big Rivers Habitat partnership will work within the Minnesota, Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers and key tributaries of the Metro Urbanizing Area to expand and improve critical habitat for game and non-game wildlife and increase public access to outdoor recreation opportunities. The partnership will use the OHF grant to protect 249 acres (175 acres by fee title acquisition and 74 acres by conservation easement) and restore / enhance 158 acres with OHF and leveraged funds.
Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment raises revenue for Clean Water, Outdoor Heritage, Parks and Trails, and Arts and Cultural Heritage. Libraries are beneficiaries of a portion of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Funding.
Minnesota’s 12 regional public library systems, which encompass 350 public libraries in all areas of the state, benefit from a portion of the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Through State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, each regional public library system receives a formula-driven allocation from the annual $3 million Minnesota Regional Library Legacy Grant.
MGS purchased 100 rolls of microfilm of City directories for small and medium-sized Minnesota communities. The acquisition represents 35% of the total collection of microfilmed directories.
A Microfilm Scanner System and associated computer and software were purchased for the Museum. Staff and volunteers were trained in their uses. Improved image quality was immediately noticeable. The purchase enhances the overall plan to preserve local history in Otter Tail County.
The Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) purchased three microfilm cabinets and two cases of microfilm storage boxes. The existing microfilm collection has been made more efficient, accessible and secure. There is also increased storage capacity for the future growth of the collection. The new cabinets have been placed on the MGS library floor.
A two year backlog of weekly Scott county newspapers, including the Shakopee Valley News, Jordan Independent, Belle Plain Herald, New Prague Times, Prior Lake American and the Savage Pacer were microfilmed by the Scott County Historical Society. A volunteer organized the newspapers by city and date, bundled them by year and created the microfilm targeting sheets. The newspapers were then boxed and sent to an outside vendor for microfilming. Negative and positive 35 mm master prints were made of the microfilmed newspapers.
Kanabec County Historical Society purchased a ST ViewScan Digital Microfilm system which included a Apple laptop computer, Windows 7 for Macs and Stylus Photo software and a printer to broaden public access to primary historical records.
The Lake of the Woods County Historical Society purchased a Canon MS 300 Microfilm Scanner/Reader to broaden public access to primary historic records for research use.
The primary goal of this project is to develop a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) lead comprehensive Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) report to be used on the local level. Achieving this goal will require sound working relationships between local units of government, citizens, and state government. The Lakes Engagement Team will gather input from these groups and contribute towards the creation of a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report that can be utilized by local decision-makers.
The goal of this project is to design and install two watershed interpretive signs: one to be placed at Minneopa State Park and one at Fort Ridgely State Park to inform the public about watershed, water quality issues, and how someone can improve water quality.
