This project will provide support for the 10th Annual Road Salt Symposium at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The symposium brings together environmental organizations, companies that produce winter road de-icing salts and chemicals, scientists, policy-makers and transportation workers. They Symposium provides information on chlorides in our waters and provides innovative and new approaches to help repair our waters and sustain our resources for future generations.
This funding is for production and acquisiton grants in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Section 129D.18. The following MPTA stations received funding in FY2010:
To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
Two large, actively eroding gullies located a few miles apart in Amador Township are contributing tremendous loads of phosphorus and sediment to the St. Croix River. One gully (Gully A) includes a major agricultural gully, severe road erosion, and sediment deposits of a foot or more thick in a state park. The second gully (Gully B) is over 4 feet deep, adjacent to a road, and is an annual problem. Stabilizing these two gullies will greatly reduce the sediment and phosphorus loading to the St. Croix River, which will help meet the reduction goal of the Lake St.
Using a previous escarpment gully project as a model, the Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District will complete a similar inventory of actively eroding gullies along the Lower Sunrise River from the Kost Dam south to the confluence with the St. Croix, which includes the North Branch of the Sunrise, Hay Creek, and the Sunrise River main branch. There are major erosion issues along this stretch of river, no organized and efficient way to begin work in the area. The inventory report will provide the missing link.
The Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District has been successful in implementing Best Management Practices in certain targeted locations within the county, including the prioritized and assessed areas of Chisago City, Lindstrom, and Center City. However, there are many areas that want to implement conservation projects but aren't within targeted areas. This award will empower community partners, especially lake associations, to award grants for rain gardens, shoreline buffers, and other worthwhile projects to improve water quality.
The purpose of this Phase II Project is to advance the inventory process of the 103E drainage ditches where erosion, sediment, and/or nutrients are contributing substantially to water quality degradation, and prioritize sites for side water inlet control and/or buffer strip implementation.Through this project, Red Lake Watershed District, Red Lake County Ditch Authority, along with the Red Lake County SWCD, will be working together prioritizing county ditch systems (based upon water quality degradation and the amount of sediment loading that is occurring in the ditch systems), targeting whe
Red Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has targeted water quality improvement projects to twelve sites in the Black River, Cyr Creek, and Red Lake River Sub-Watersheds of the Red Lake River Watershed. Data analysis obtained from a variety of models identified which sub-watersheds were contributing to impairments, highlighted which fields in those sub-watersheds were contributing the most sediment, and even showed specific locations in the field which were most vulnerable to erosion.
The Clearwater River from the Lost River to Beau Gerlot Creek and from the Lower Badger Creek to the Red Lake River is on the Total Maximum Daily Load Impaired Waters List for Turbidity. Red Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has targeted five sites in the Terrebonne Creek, Beau Gerlot Creek, and Lower Badger Creek subwatersheds of the Clearwater River Watershed; with the potential of an additional five to ten more projects, based on data analysis obtained from a number of models.
The Minnesota Historical Society partnered with the 70 Years Project to begin development of a web site that will enable all Minnesotans to again share in the tragedies and triumphs of the 1,345 days of World War II. The site will feature oral histories from World War II veterans as well as a wartime headline taken from Minnesota newspapers for every day of the war. The web site will serve as a resource for the general public, as well as for the relatives of the more than 300,000 Minnesotans who fought in the war.
This program will acquire and develop approximately 730, acres of new Wildlife Management Area (WMA) lands. New WMA acquisition acre targets by LSOHC Sections will be consistent with the recommendations of The Citizens Advisory Committee report of 2002? Wildlife Management Area Acquisition The Next 50 Years. Additionally, this program will protect 275 acres of native prairie as state Scientific & Natural Areas (SNAs) and perpetual Native Prairie Bank (NPB) easements.
This program will increase populations of a variety of game and non-game wildlife species by protecting and enhancing forest habitats on which wildlife depends. This program of on-the-ground forest conservation projects will amplify the wildlife value of forest communities on DNR administered forestlands. Our forest enhancement will treat 4,472 ac. These activities are not conducted as part of the DNR's commercial timber operations. Additionally, our program will acquire 404 acres of forestland that contributes to habitat complexes and other high priorities.
This program uses a multi-programmatic approach to achieve prioritized aquatic habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement for lakes, trout streams, and rivers across Minnesota. We propose to: i) protect 7.8 miles of shoreline on lakes, rivers and trout streams; ii) effect structural repairs to 2 lake outlet control structures that will integrate fish passage; iii) restore and enhance river and stream functions that will benefit over 50.5 river miles; and iv) enhance 1.4 miles of shoreline habitat on publicly-owned lakeshore.
Many of Minnesota's wetlands have been lost and the remainder degraded. Recent tiling and ditching have accelerated this situation. Through this program, shallow lakes and wetlands were designed, constructed, and intensively managed to benefit wetland wildlife and Minnesota residents. Habitat accomplishments from this proposal have enhanced 19,365 acres of wetlands and shallow lakes to benefit waterfowl and wetland wildlife. Work was accomplish through constructed infrastructure, cattail control, and a significant prescribed wetland burn.
Reinvest In Minnesota (RIM) and Native Prairie Bank (NPB) coordinated to accelerate grassland protection efforts. Through this appropriation a total of 1,584 acres were protected. This included 604 RIM acres and 980 NPB acres. Easement acquisition focused on Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan identified landscapes.
Provided for an increase in public service, security and enforcement, maintenance and custodial work at high participation locations during the first two fiscal years of Legacy.
This project will restore and manage native prairies and woodlands, including removal of invasive species along at least six percent of the developed miles of state trails
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.
In order to implement its Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) projects, the Minnesota Historical Society hired an ACHF Program Coordinator to oversee the program administration. The Society also made investments to support administration of the grants program and to fund expanded financial management and administrative functions. By carefully managing its costs, the Society has adhered to the legislative mandate that institutions not spend more than 2.5 percent on administrative expenses.
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.
The Alexander Ramsey House is an 11,000-square-foot mansion that was home to Minnesota's first territorial governor. The mansion contains approximately 14,000 original furnishings and has one of the most intact collections of Victorian-era artifacts in the Midwest.
Despite these assets and a sound public educational program, the site has experienced a steady decline in attendance. Arts and Cultural Heritage funding is supporting a project to understand the reasons for this decline.
Widseth Smith Nolting (WSN) will evaluate and recommend to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) groundwater monitoring staff prospective sites/locations for the installation of groundwater monitoring wells to evaluate contaminant/pollutant concentrations from various sources. Peer will oversee the installation of monitoring wells by retaining a state drilling contractor or preparing bid documents to retain well driller through the Department of Administration.
Recognizing the importance of hands-on learning, the Minnesota Historical Society developed new curriculum with a particular emphasis on American Indian history in Minnesota.
One activity from this curriculum allows students to create an Ojibwe shoulder bag. In another activity, students create a winter count, a tool used by the Dakota to record key historical events.
This project will be a complete TMDL report for the Biota and Bacteria (E. coli) impairments for the Ann River Watershed. The water bodies associated with these impairments will then be removed from the MPCA’s impaired waters list, and implementation activities to restore the water bodies will begin.
Through various means, human produced chemicals can make their way into surface waters where they can have adverse effects on the function of ecological communities. Of particular concern are antibiotics and other antimicrobial substances because they have the potential to create increased antibiotic resistance. While there is a background level of naturally occurring antibiotic resistance in the natural world, elevated or persistent levels caused by human activities have the potential to harm human, animal, and overall ecosystem health.
Aquatic invasive species pose critical ecological and economic challenges for the entire state and beyond. They can cause irreparable harm to fisheries and aquatic habitat as well as damage to infrastructure. The problems posed by aquatic invasive species continue to grow as existing infestations expand and new exotic species arrive, most of which are poorly understood. New ideas and approaches are needed to develop real solutions.
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.
