Aitkin County Trust Fund Projects

This listing is produced by the Minnesota State Lottery from information provided by project managers and the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. While we attempt to provide the most current information, specific project locations and allocations do change. Information on projects for the current biennium, in particular, should be regarded as preliminary.

Water Recreation: Boat Access, Fishing Piers and Shore Fishing - 2001-03 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources combined this allocation from the Trust Fund with significant help from local partners to develop five public water access sites around the state, purchase three parcels of land to provide new or expanded access, construct two shore-fishing areas and add or modify eighteen public fishing piers. In Aitkin County, land was purchased south of Aitkin for a new public access on Farm Island Lake.

Minnesota County Biological Survey - 2001-03 biennium, 1999-01 biennium and 1997-99 biennium. 2001 marks the start of the eighth biennium of this ambitious twelve-biennium project that identifies significant natural areas and systematically collects and interprets data on the distribution and ecology of natural communities, rare plants and area animals. Since 1987, surveys have been completed or are underway in 64 counties. Survey work in Aitkin County began during the 1997-99 biennium and continues in the 1999-01 biennium and 2001-03 biennium.

Local Initiatives Grants Program - 1999-01 biennium. Appropriations from the Trust Fund for this project allowed the Department of Natural Resources to fund the Natural and Scenic Area Grants Program, the Conservation Partners Grants Program and the Environmental Partnerships Grants Program during the biennium. More than 140 different projects across the state were approved for matching grants from July of 1999 through June of 2001. In Aitkin County, the Hill City School District worked to estimate the volume of water entering and leaving Hill Lake and to maintain free-flowing conditions in Morrison Brook by eliminating the beaver in the stream. Also, the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club planted clover on 20 acres of the Grayling Wildlife Management Area and constructed and installed 50 wood duck houses and 500 bluebird houses at the site.

Minnesota Wildlife Tourism Initiative - 1999-01 biennium. The Office of Tourism and Department of Natural Resources collaborated on this project to enhance Minnesota’s visibility as a national destination for wildlife tourism by placing advertisements in Audubon, National Wildlife, Wild Bird and Birder’s World magazines. To promote this industry within the state, an array of techniques was employed including workshops, field trips, cost-sharing grants for groups promoting local wildlife watching areas and printing and posting of signs for locations listed in the book Travelers Guide to Wildlife in Minnesota. With help from this project, the Mille Lacs Area Tourism Association put together a consumer advertising campaign and a birding brochure.

Mussel Resource Survey - 1999-01 biennium. During the first two years of this project (this biennium), biologists and other staff from the Department of Natural Resources sampled 886 sites in 32 Minnesota rivers, 64 tributaries and 12 lakes including four sites on the Snake River in Aitkin County, during July of 1999. According to the website for this project, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological_services/nhnrp/mussel_survey/index.html, freshwater mussels, commonly called clams, occur throughout the world but reach their greatest diversity in North America where about 300 species are found. Unfortunately, within the last 100 years mussel communities have declined in abundance and diversity due to dam construction, stream channelization, water pollution and sedimentation, over harvesting and the recent introduction of the exotic Zebra Mussel. In response, groups such as the American Fisheries Society and The Nature Conservancy have identified mussels as the most imperiled group of animals in North America. The primary goal of this project is to build the information base necessary to sustain freshwater mussels in Minnesota. Building this base of information is expected to take about six years to complete.

Predicting Water and Forest Resources Health and Sustainability - 1999-01 biennium. This project, organized by the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth, identified and compiled existing data on forest birds, amphibians, aquatic insects and native plant communities in the Drift and Lake Plains and the Northern Superior Uplands of northern Minnesota. The result is a mathematical model called SUSTAIN that can be used by resource managers to predict future forest ecosystem health and sustainability for northern Minnesota forests.

Restoring White Pine in the Minnesota Landscape - 1997-99 biennium. Through 1900, white pine was a major forest component in much of Minnesota including Aitkin County. However, logging, fires and regeneration problems reduced white pine acreage by about 85 percent and there is now a moratorium on harvesting white pine as well as a statewide effort to determine why it has problems regenerating. The University of Minnesota, which is in charge of the research, aims to recommend methods for successful seeding and planting.

Snake River Watershed Best Management Practices (BMP) - 1997-99 biennium. The Snake River Watershed Management Board will accelerate the implementation of action items from the 1996 Snake River Watershed Management Plan. By applying best management practices to utilize a systematic plan to prioritize projects by impact on the water quality, available money will be used on projects with the greatest results. This has included constructing livestock ponds, stabilizing eroding stream banks and limiting contaminated run-off reaching the watershed.

State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition, Development, Betterment and Rehabilitation - 1995-97 biennium. This grant was used to acquire new lands for state parks and develop and rehabilitate existing state parks. Under this program, a new interpretive display was installed at Savanna Portage State Park. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Reinvest in Minnesota Critical Habitat Match - 1993-95 biennium. This program provides matching funds to buy or improve critical fish, wildlife and native plant habitats; buy natural areas for scientific study and nature observation; and help restore waterfowl populations. In Aitkin County, this program allowed the acquisition of 185 acres for forest development. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Reinvest in Minnesota Statewide Fisheries Habitat Development - 1993-95 biennium. This program improves habitat for trout, walleye and small mouth bass by building structures in 25 miles of streams throughout the state and installing aerators in lakes prone to winterkill. This grant is for habitat improvement on the Ripple River. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Reinvest in Minnesota Wildlife Habitat Stewardship - 1993-95 biennium. About 29,000 acres of state land is being developed and improved to protect wildlife and native plants. The Department of Natural Resources is restoring prairies, brush land, forests and non-game habitat while planting and managing native vegetation to enhance hunting, observing nature and education.

- Brush land development
- Forest opening development
- Grassland development

State Park Betterment - 1993-95 biennium. This program improves state parks by rehabilitating existing facilities and building new ones. This grant is for road rehabilitation in Savanna Portage. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.