All Projects

75 Results for
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$300,000

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.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN - MAISRC
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,700,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,350,000

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.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$175,000

There is a critical need to understand how our natural resources are already responding to climate change in order to develop tools for projecting natural resource responses into the future and to devise plans for actions that can be taken in reaction to observed and predicted changes. Phenology – the timing of seasonal biological events such as budburst, flowering, bird migration, and leaf coloring – provides a tested indicator of climate change response by plants and animals.

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$260,000

Over a three-month period in 2010, approximately five million barrels of oil was spilled into the Gulf of Mexico causing extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats and resulting in significant losses in fish and wildlife populations. A number of Minnesota's migratory bird species spend parts of their lives in the areas impacted by the spill and impacts on their populations in the state could become evident over time.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN - Duluth
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$262,000

Silver carp are migrating north up the Mississippi River and pose threats to the native fish and aquatic ecosystems of Minnesota rivers and lakes where they can become established. Additionally, the unique jumping ability of silver carp also places recreational boaters in danger of being injured during collisions with airborne fish. However, it is believed that this jumping ability could potentially be exploited as a weakness to help detect, manage, and control silver carp populations. Researchers at the University of Minnesota – Duluth, in cooperation with the U.S.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$854,000

Invasive carp species, including silver carp and bighead carp, are migrating north up the Mississippi River and pose threats to the native fish and aquatic ecosystems of Minnesota rivers and lakes where they can become established. While individual carp have been found in Minnesota, it is not presently believed that there are established breeding populations in the state.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$167,000

Brown marmorated stink bug is a terrestrial invasive species in Minnesota that was first discovered in 2010 and has been expanding its range since. It is a generalist plant pest that attacks more than 300 species of plants in natural, agricultural, and horticultural settings and is known for its unpleasant odor, large numbers, and propensity for home invasion. Proactive management approaches are available and in development that can be used to slow and potentially control brown marmorated stink bug populations.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$400,000

Minnesota ranks #2 in hog production and #1 in sugar beet production in the U.S., generating about 11 million tons of pig manure and over one million tons of sugar processing wastes annually. Presently there are not cost-effective methods available to deal with these waste streams other than land application, which usually results in nutrient runoff into ground and surface water resources.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$350,000

Though they are a relatively unnoticed group of species, native freshwater mussels are a critical part of river ecosystems because they provide a variety of important functions including improved water clarity, enhanced streambed stability, reduced downstream transport of contaminants, and creation of habitat for other aquatic life. However, mussel populations in Minnesota have declined in recent decades as a result of habitat destruction, pollution, land-use change, over-harvesting, and the introduction of exotic species.

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000

Appropriations to non-state entities must be made through a formal contract with a state entity that manages all of the funds for the project on a reimbursement basis. This appropriation to Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) funds the expenses incurred by the DNR in contracting, contract management, and expense re-imbursement for most of the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund appropriations made to non-state entities, including both new projects funded during the biennium and existing projects funded in previous bienniums.

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$88,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$87,000


PROJECT OVERVIEW

Statewide
Recipient
University of Minnesota - MN Geological Survey
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$600,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$600,000

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,000,000

Each year Minnesota municipal wastewater treatment plants generate large amounts of oily scum, concentrated liquid called centrate, and sludge. These waste streams are disposed of either in landfills or by burning or subjected to additional treatment. However, new technologies have shown potential to capture resource values from these waste products while lowering the treatment costs for these waste streams.

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$416,000

Minnesota’s natural resource professional workforce is much less diverse than its citizenry and many other professional fields. The benefits of a more diverse workforce are many, including the ability of organizations to increase innovation and creativity, attract higher qualified candidate pools, and ensure services that meet the diverse interests and needs of all citizens.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$84,000

Minnesota’s natural resource professional workforce is much less diverse than its citizenry and many other professional fields. The benefits of a more diverse workforce are many, including the ability of organizations to increase innovation and creativity, attract higher qualified candidate pools, and ensure services that meet the diverse interests and needs of all citizens.

Statewide
Recipient
Will Steger Foundation
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$325,000

Climate change has and will have profound effects on Minnesota’s economy, agriculture, tourism, and natural resources. While climate change is often discussed in the broader contexts of its potential impacts at a national or international level, research has shown that climate change education and behavior change happens more effectively when the issue is made local and relevant.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$864,000

Pollinators play a key role in ecosystem function and in agriculture, including thousands of native plants and more than one hundred U.S. crops that either need or benefit from pollinators. However, pollinators are in dramatic decline in Minnesota and throughout the country. The causes of the decline are not completely understood, but identified factors include loss of nesting sites, fewer flowers, increased disease, and increased pesticide use. Fortunately, there are known actions that can be taken to help counteract some of these factors.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$500,000

Wastewater treatment plants discharge effluent that contains contaminants of emerging concern, such as estrogens. Estrogens have been shown to cause ecological effects such as fish feminization and fish population collapses. Presently the treatment and discharge of estrogens into the environment via wastewater treatment is not regulated. However, it has been found that the extent of estrogen discharge from wastewater treatment correlates with how and how well nitrogen, which currently is regulated and will likely be more so in the future, is removed during the treatment process.

Statewide
Recipient
University of Minnesota
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$175,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$175,000

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Aitkin
Becker
Beltrami
Benton
Carlton
Cass
Clearwater
Cook
Crow Wing
Hubbard
Itasca
Koochiching
Lake
Lake of the Woods
Mahnomen
Marshall
Morrison
Otter Tail
Pennington
Pine
Polk
Red Lake
Roseau
St. Louis
Todd
Wadena
Recipient
MN Wildflowers Information
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$150,000

The average Minnesotan and even most natural resource managers are not skilled in plant identification, yet the ability to positively identify plants is crucial to a number of conservation activities, including identifying areas that need protection, recognizing new or existing invasive species, monitoring restoration projects, and delineating wetlands. The Minnesota Wildflowers project attempts to fill this need with a free web-based field guide ultimately aimed at providing profiles for each of the over 2,100 vascular plant species in Minnesota.

Statewide
Recipient
Pheasants Forever, Inc.
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$26,000

Pheasants Forever provides coordination, mapping, and data management for the Habitat Corridors Partnership. Funds are being used to coordinate the partnership, guide strategic outreach and implementation efforts, manage project data, and provide reporting and mapping of accomplishments.

Statewide
Recipient
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is working within the Leech Lake Reservation boundaries to address loss and degradation of aquatic habitat for wild rice and waterfowl. Efforts will include regulating water levels on shallow lakes by controlling beaver activity and conducting periodic water level draw-downs, reseeding of approximately 200 acres of wild rice, and implementing adaptive management based on analysis of wild rice productivity.

Beltrami
Cass
Hubbard
Itasca
Recipient
MN DNR
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$15,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$15,000

An estimated 200 acres of lands acquired through this phase of the Habitat Corridors Partnership are expected to be transferred to the state for designation as Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is using these funds to conduct habitat restoration on these new WMA lands, as well as develop the infrastructure necessary for public access to them.

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is coordinating efforts to improve habitat for aquatic species and protect water quality on lakes, streams, and their surrounding sensitive shorelands. A total of up to 3.5 miles or 35 acres of water bodies in Kandiyohi, Otter Tail, Rice, or Stevens Counties are expected to benefit from restoration activities including installation of aeration systems, development of spawning areas, installation of native vegetation, and stabilization of stream banks.

Statewide
Recipient
Minnesota Land Trust
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$225,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$225,000

With this appropriation, the Minnesota Land Trust plans to protect approximately 500 acres of critical shoreline habitat along Minnesota's lakes, wetlands, rivers, and streams 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 Becker, Beltrami, Blue Earth, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Otter Tail, Pope, and Wabasha counties.

Becker
Beltrami
Big Stone
Blue Earth
Cass
Clay
Douglas
Faribault
Freeborn
Grant
Hubbard
Itasca
Kandiyohi
Lac qui Parle
Le Sueur
Meeker
Otter Tail
Pope
Rice
Stearns
Steele
Stevens
Todd
Waseca
Wright
Recipient
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000

This appropriation is enabling Ducks Unlimited to help state and federal wildlife conservation agencies protect and restore shallow lakes for waterfowl. Conservation easements will be acquired on approximately 150 acres of privately owned shoreland and up to 60 acres of lands previously converted for cropping will be restored back to wildlife habitat. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding are located in Beltrami, Douglas, Freeborn, Grant, Meeker, Pope, Stearns, Swift, and Wright counties.

Statewide
Recipient
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$387,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$388,000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Ducks Unlimited are working together to provide technical assistance to landowners that that will result in the protection of approximately 2,500 acres of prairies and wetlands in southern and western Minnesota. As a result of this appropriation, an estimated $4 million of additional funding for conservation is anticipated to be provided in match by the federal Wetland Reserve Program.

Statewide
Recipient
The Trust for Public Land
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$245,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$245,000

The Trust for Public Land is using this appropriation to acquire in fee title approximately 44 acres of high quality habitat and convey it the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for long-term stewardship and protection. Priority will be given to shoreland and other lands that provide natural buffers to water resources. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding are located in Hubbard, Kandiyohi, LeSueur, and Rice counties.

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000

An estimated 400 acres acquired by other Habitat Corridors Partnership (HCP) partners is expected to be transferred to the DNR for long-term management during this phase of the partnership. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is using these funds to cover professional services costs associated with these property transfers.

Statewide
Recipient
University of St. Thomas
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$136,000

Endocrine-disrupting contaminants such as environmental estrogens have been found and studied in large lakes and streams and shown to exist at concentrations that have adverse effects on wildlife. However, very little is known about the sources and effects of environmental estrogens in small, shallow lakes. Preliminary data suggests that these compounds are present in shallow lakes and have an effect on the survival and reproduction of wildlife. Researchers at the University of St.

Statewide
Recipient
University of Minnesota - Duluth
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$125,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$125,000

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Statewide
Recipient
MN DNR
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over 2,135 state Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and Aquatic Management Areas (AMA) containing over 1.3 million acres. This appropriation is enabling the DNR to develop an information system that will better facilitate the management of the state's WMAs and AMAs by helping to identify needs; prioritize, plan, and carry out related activities; track and assess results of activities; and make the information available to resource management professionals and the public.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$196,000

Space and water heating and cooling consume 48% of all energy used in an average U.S. residence, and usually that energy is supplied by natural gas or fossil-fuel derived electricity. Geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy requirements for heating and cooling by up to 75%. However, traditional geothermal heat pumps are expensive and their performance is difficult to predict before installation.

Statewide
Recipient
Itasca Community College
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$112,000

Woody biomass energy systems have shown themselves to offer more locally-based, stable energy supplies for some communities. Itasca Community College is using this appropriation to design a renewable energy system based on woody biomass that will serve as a demonstration and educational tool in the region.

Aitkin
Itasca
Koochiching
St. Louis
Recipient
Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$80,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$80,000


OVERALL PROJECT OUTCOME AND RESULTS
The impetus for this project was the need to better protect and manage functional lake ecosystems in Minnesota. There is widespread concern about the consequences of poorly planned development on water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. Given the increased demands for water and shoreland, continued habitat fragmentation and loss of species diversity, protection of sensitive lakeshores is critical.

Itasca
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000

Minnesota supports over 14 million acres of cropland in grain production. Almost 600,000 tons of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are needed annually to maintain productivity on this land, which requires the equivalent of 3,000,000 barrels of oil and costs farmers over $400 million dollars per year. This amount of fossil fuel use results in a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, while the absence of fossil energy resources in the state means that these synthetic nitrogen fertilizers must be imported into Minnesota from other states and overseas.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$279,000

Many types of bacteria perform critical ecological functions, such as cycling carbon and other nutrients, which enable life to exist. In fact, humans harness these types of bacteria in certain engineered systems, such as wastewater treatment plants and landfills, to provide various benefits such as protecting surface waters from excess nitrogen, decomposing solid waste, and treating wastewater.

Statewide
Recipient
Audubon Minnesota
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$300,000

A state Breeding Bird Atlas is a comprehensive systematic field survey of the occurrence, distribution, diversity, and breeding status of bird species within every region of a state. Atlases are mainly used to set conservation priorities, develop conservation plans, and guide habitat protection, restoration, and management efforts – in addition to being useful for recreational bird watching. Minnesota is one of only seven states in the country that has yet to complete a Breeding Bird Atlas.

Statewide
Recipient
Pheasants Forever Inc
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000

Pollinators play a key role in ecosystem function and in agriculture, including thousands of native plants and more than one hundred U.S. crops that either need or benefit from pollinators. However, pollinators are in dramatic decline in Minnesota and throughout the country. The causes of the decline are not completely understood, but identified factors include loss of nesting sites, fewer flowers, increased disease, and increased pesticide use.

Statewide