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Trust Fund Projects |
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Hennepin CountyThis 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. Citizen-Based Stormwater Management – 2009. Energy Efficient Cities – 2009. http://www.mncee.org Innovative Springshed Mapping for Trout Stream Management – 2007. http://www.geo.umn.edu Metro Conservation Corridors – Phase III – 2007.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/metroconservationcorridors/index.html Pharmaceutical and Microbiological Pollution – 2007.
http://www.ce.umn.edu/people/faculty/lapara/ Bassett Creek Valley Channel Restoration – 2005-07 biennium. Bassett Creek is a twelve mile long shallow stream running from Medicine Lake in Plymouth to the Mississippi River in north Minneapolis. Urban development along much of its course has led to the elimination of wetlands and vegetation and increased flooding and pollution. A significant portion of the creek no longer follows its natural course but has instead been diverted into an underground storm sewer. This project, coordinated by the city of Minneapolis, seeks to assist efforts to restore the creek to something more closely resembling its natural state. Hennepin County Beach Water Quality Monitoring Project – 2005-07 biennium. This grant from the Trust Fund will be used by Hennepin County to develop a predictive model of beach water quality to help prevent outbreaks of waterborne illnesses and provide related water-safety outreach to the public. Land Cover Mapping for Natural Resource Protection – 2005-07 biennium. Hennepin County will lead this project to develop new tools to map and classify land cover in the seven county metropolitan area to help determine priorities for wildlife habitat protection and restoration. More than 140,000 acres in Carver, Hennepin, Scott and Washington counties will be mapped while Washington and Dakota counties will refine and update existing data. The resulting database will help local governments protect wildlife habitat and water quality as they review proposed development projects. Phillips Biomass Community Energy System – 2005-07 biennium. Biomass is waste made up of plant products—waste wood, sawdust, crop residues and other plant matter—that have the potential for conversion to steam and electricity. It is attractive as a power source because it is renewable, clean, and does not produce greenhouse gases. The Phillips Community Energy Cooperative is building a plant that will use biomass to generate 24.5 megawatts of electricity and at the same time heat more than 3 million square feet of space in south Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood. Development and Rehabilitation of Minnesota Shooting Ranges − 2003-05 biennium. Through this appropriation, 28 recreational shooting organizations and archery clubs across the state received grants from the Trust Fund, along with matching grants from the Minnesota DNR Division of Enforcement, to make improvements to archery ranges and shooting ranges that are available for public use. In Hennepin County, grants were used to improve the archery facilities for the City of Eden Prairie. Metropolitan Regional Parks Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Development – 2003-05 biennium. The Metropolitan Council used this grant to improve recreational opportunities at Twin Cities area parks, including land acquisition, park development and park rehabilitation. In all, the Trust Fund helped finance 16 projects during the biennium as part of this project. Several projects in Hennepin County received Trust Fund money. Walking paths were constructed and interpretive signs were installed at the Mill Ruins Park portion of Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park in Minneapolis. Trail and shoreline rehabilitation continued at the popular Lake of the Isles Park in Minneapolis, which receives an average of 5.5 million visitors per year. At Theodore Wirth Regional Park, the parking lot area was reconfigured and two play structures were constructed. Also in Minneapolis, a 0.5 mile bike/pedestrian trail was constructed along 49th Ave. in North Mississippi Regional Park. Gale Woods Farm, a 410 acre park reserve located on Whaletail Lake in Minnetrista, received a Trust Fund grant to help pay for the restoring of a barn and house modifications for an agricultural environmental learning center. The cost of constructing an entrance road, two parking lots, 3 miles of trails, two fishing piers and a dock at Gale Woods Farm was also reimbursed. In Bloomington, a 0.8 mile bicycle/pedestrian trail linking East and West Bush Lake portions of Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lake Park Reserve was constructed and 16 acres were restored to native prairie. Work continued on the North Hennepin Regional Trail with the construction of 3 miles of new bike/pedestrian trails and the rehabilitation of 5 miles of trail. Resources for Redevelopment of Brownfields to Greenspaces – 2003-05 biennium. The aim of this project by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative is to speed along the process of identifying environmentally damaged property, conducting environmental assessments and taking corrective action so they can become useable public space. With help from the Trust Fund, roughly 375 acres were assessed during the biennium and nearly 250 were restored. Several Minnesota communities benefited from this project including those near Minnehaha Creek, which now has fewer pollutants and cleaner water because of this project. Cost sharing was required for restoration projects and as a result, $1.3 million of non-state funding was leveraged to support this program. In the final tally, more than 3,600 volunteers participated in restoration work on more than 1,500 acres of land in the Mississippi and Minnesota River Valleys. Project areas include the Pine Bend Bluffs in Dakota County, the Hastings Riverfront, the Mississippi River Gorge-South Park in Minneapolis, the West Side Bluff-Cherokee Park in St. Paul, the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the East Mississippi Bluff-Desnoyer St. Paul unit, the River Park in Brooklyn Park, the South St. Paul Levee and Prospect Crest in St. Paul. Biological Control of Eurasian Watermilfoil and Purple Loosestrife - Continuation - 2001-03 biennium. In cooperation with staff from the University of Minnesota, the Army Corps of Engineers, Cornell University and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources coordinated this project to develop and implement biological controls for Eurasian Watermilfoil and Purple Loosestrife – two intrusive species invading Minnesota lakes and rivers. The research scientists working on this project chose study areas along the Mississippi River corridor between Red Wing and Winona and lakes in the seven county metro area. They report that milfoil weevils can cause sustained declines of the invasive, non-native Eurasian Watermilfoil if sufficient densities of the insect are maintained throughout the summer each year. They also discovered that the milfoil weevils have their own predators – sunfish, which were in turn studied for their effect on the weevil population. Other variables they manipulated for this project include water clarity and physically removing milfoil and other plants. Local Grants Initiative Program: Outdoor Recreation Grants – 2001-03 biennium. Money from the Trust Fund as well as the Minnesota Future Resources Fund was allocated during the biennium for this project administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. As a result, grants were provided for more than 130 different local environmental initiatives under several different categories, each with their own requirements: the Natural and Scenic Area grants program, Regional Park grants, Local Park grants, Conservation Partner grants and Environmental Partnership grants. In Hennepin County, the Trust Fund portion of the allocation was used for grants to the Minneapolis Fulton Neighborhood Association, the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council, the Minnesota Native Plant Society, the Community Forestry Resource Center, Wilderness Inquiry, Friends of the Minnesota Valley and Fortin Consulting Inc for a variety of projects. Metro Greenways - 2001-03 biennium. The goal of the Metro Greenways project is to protect, connect and restore a metro-wide area network of significant natural areas and open spaces. This project is administered and coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and relies on partnerships with a wide range of nonprofit conservation organizations, government agencies and private landowners. During the biennium, 11 planning grants were issued to local governments to inventory and assess more than 240,000 acres of land in the metro area; 221 acres were purchased and will be held in public domain; 178 acres were permanently protected with conservation easements and 40 acres of rare sand prairie were restored. In Hennepin County, Trust Fund money helped the cities of Champlin, Golden Valley, Independence, Minnetonka, Greenfield, Dayton and the Orono Lake area conduct natural resource inventories and identify management and restoration opportunities. It also helped the city of Minnetrista complete a green infrastructure design and purchase a conservation easement for 66 acres of Camp Kingswood on the shores of Little Long Lake. You can find more information on this topic at www.embraceopenspace.org. Metropolitan Regional Parks Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Development - 2001-03 biennium. This Metropolitan Council project used money from the Trust Fund along with the sale of bonds to acquire, develop and rehabilitate parks in the Twin Cities area. In all, 15 projects were financed during the biennium including several in Hennepin County. At the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park in Minneapolis, 650 feet of historic plank road was rebuilt, a pedestrian path system was constructed along the river and the historic ruins in the Mill Ruins portion of the park were stabilized and restored. At Theodore Wirth Regional Park in Minneapolis, work to replace the beach bathhouse and seating terrace got underway and work began on a boardwalk trail and path connections. At the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, work continued to rebuild trails and restore the shoreline of Lake of the Isles. At the Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Park Reserve in Bloomington, one-half acre of land was purchased, a play structure was replaced, 300 trees were planted and a trail between the East and West Bush Lake areas was constructed. Three sections of the North Hennepin Regional Trail were developed: the portion from Elm Creek Park Reserve to Fish Lake Regional Park in Maple Grove, the portion from U.S. Highway 169 to Theodore Wirth Regional Park in Minneapolis and the portion from the Luce Line State Trail to West Medicine Lake in Plymouth. Also in Hennepin County, 9.3 miles of paved trail and boardwalk originally constructed in 1978 at Elm Creek Park Reserve near Osseo were rebuilt and 7 miles of paved trail at Baker Park Reserve in Medina, also originally constructed in 1978, were rehabilitated Sustainable Inner-City Communities Through Environmental Literacy - 2001-03 biennium. The Sabathani Community Center in south Minneapolis will develop environmental education and youth outreach programs for the inner city. 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 Hennepin County, Trust Fund money helped purchase and install fishing piers at Long Lake, Lake Minnetonka at Kings Point and Whaletail Lake in Minnetrista. Accessible Outdoor Recreation - 1999-01 biennium. Wilderness Inquiry of Minneapolis surveyed 58 state parks and forests for a Universal Guidebook of Minnesota’s Recreation Areas and developed a web-based clearinghouse of inclusive outdoor recreation information. Wilderness Inquiry staff also worked with organizers of community-based outdoor celebrations in Minnesota to make the events more accessible to and inclusive of people with disabilities and provided inclusive outdoor recreation to more than 16,000 people as part of this project. Conservation-Based Development Program - 1999-01 biennium. The Minnesota Land Trust - a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Minnesota’s land and water resources - used this appropriation to improve conservation practices for new housing developments throughout Minnesota. A sample of this new style of building is Wild Meadows, a 345 acre development in Medina that includes prairie and wetland restorations, a storm water treatment system, walking trails and 200 acres of open space. Evaluate Biodiesel made from Waste Fats and Oils - 1999-01 biennium with an extension to June 30, 2002. “Biodiesel” - fuel produced from renewable biological sources - shows great promise in reducing dependence on nonrenewable petroleum products and providing new markets for agricultural products. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, working in cooperation with the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, formulated a new biodiesel fuel for this project. A product containing 20 percent biodiesel (10 percent produced from waste grease and 10 percent produced from soy oil) and 80 percent petroleum diesel was chosen as the best fit for Minnesota winters and cost of production. This “B20” blend was tested successfully at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Diesel Research and in four road maintenance trucks used by the Hennepin County Department of Public Works during the winter of 2000 - 2001. For more information, visit: www.mnsoybean.org or www.mda.state.mn.us. Fort Snelling State Park/Upper Bluff Implementation-Continuation - 1999-01 biennium. This appropriation is the continuation of the development of the Upper Bluff area of Fort Snelling State Park. The Department of Natural Resources will take the Reuse Study from the 1997-99 biennium into the implementation stage. Results of the project will be: establishment of a project management team to develop the implementation strategy, development of a master plan for the site and buildings including improvements and marketing the site to potential tenants and stakeholders. Greening the Metro Mississippi-Minnesota River Valleys - 1999-01 biennium. Great River Greening organized more than 1,500 citizen volunteers to complete habitat restoration projects on approximately 1,500 acres of land along segments of the Minnesota and Mississippi River Valleys located in Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, Carver, Scott and Dakota Counties. These sites vary in their quality, but through the restoration process, their ecological value for buffering, connecting, and hosting natural remnants has greatly increased. Many of the sites are critical for enhancing the last large remnants of native plants in the metro river corridor. For more information, visit http://www.greatrivergreening.org. Groundwater Flow in the Prairie du Chien Aquifer - 1999-01 biennium. The Prairie du Chien and underlying Jordan Aquifers supply drinking water to more than 15,000 wells in the Twin Cities, Rochester and other parts of southeastern Minnesota. Groundwater in this part of the state has been contaminated at specific locations including a landfill in northern Olmsted County, the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Ramsey County and beneath sewage treatment ponds in Wabasha and Winona Counties. This project by the University of Minnesota Geological Survey is studying the structure and flow of the aquifers to better predict how contamination will travel through these underground waterways so better prevention plans can be developed. Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality Initiative - 1999-01 biennium. This Department of Natural Resources program helped lakeshore homeowners learn how to use native plants on the shoreline and in the water to enhance wildlife habitat and improve water quality in their lake. With assistance from the Minnesota Lakes Association, the department conducted a series of workshops for property owners and constructed demonstration sites throughout the state. In Hennepin County, a workshop was held on October 7, 2000 in Orono and a demonstration site was completed on Fish Lake. 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 Hennepin County, grants were received by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to enhance and restore wetland habitats adjacent to Bassett Creek in the Bryn Mawr neighborhoods, Focus on the Adventure in our Magical Environment (a youth environmental learning and outdoor skill building program) and stabilize approximately 860 linear feet of eroded shoreline at Lake Nokomis with native vegetation, by Weaver Lake Elementary to plant a 700 square foot butterfly garden, by The Green Institute to coordinate community gardening efforts in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis, by the East Calhoun Community Organization to stabilize four acres of eroded hillside on the east side of Lake Calhoun with native grasses and forbs, by Hamline University to develop interpretive signs about the nature and culture of Lake Minnetonka, by Sunset Hill Elementary in Plymouth to re-establish native plant communities on a 10 acre school nature center, and by the city of St Louis Park to plant over 2,000 native woodland, wetland, and prairie forbs and ferns along the Wildflower Trail at Westwood Hills Nature Center. Management and Restoration of Natural Plant Communities on State Trails - 1999-01 biennium. This Department of Natural Resources’ project will enhance the ecological value and contribute to the sustainability of the native landscape, heighten the quality of the recreation experience and foster environmental stewardship and education. In Hennepin County, a crew of three worked for 22 days to remove heavy infestations of common buckthorn along a mile of the Luce Line State Trail and plant it with native plants, shrubs and trees. This work, near the Wakefield Rest Area in Orono, was completed during the spring of 2001 and will serve as a demonstration site for future projects. Measuring Children’s Exposure to Environmental Health Hazards - 1999-01 biennium. The University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health will use this appropriation to augment a federal study of exposure of children to multiple environmental hazards, to evaluate comparative health risks and to design intervention systems. The environmental hazards in and around the residences of 100 school children will be monitored. Metropolitan Regional Parks Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Development - 1999-01 biennium and an extension of funding from the 1997-99 biennium. For this project, Trust Fund money was combined with a partial match from bonds issued by the Metropolitan Council to finance the highest priority acquisition, redevelopment and development projects of the metropolitan regional park system. In Hennepin County, Trust Fund money was spent on design and engineering work to match a federal grant for 3.3 miles of trail in the Hyland-Bush Anderson Lakes Park Reserve in Bloomington. The Trust Fund also partially financed the rebuilding of 7 miles of paved bike and pedestrian trial in the Baker Park Reserve in Medina. In Minneapolis, the Trust Fund paid for the design and engineering work for new bicycle and pedestrian trails, to make some street modifications, and to do the landscape work and provide signs at Lake of the Isles. Trust Fund money also helped finance the historic and interpretive displays in the “Mill Ruins” portion of the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park in Minneapolis. Minnesota River Basin Initiative: Local Leadership - 1999-01 biennium with an extension to June 30, 2002. The Minnesota River has been the subject of many studies and many projects over many years. This project, administered by the Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Board, was designed to encourage local leadership within each of the 13 major Minnesota River watersheds, implement projects on a cost-sharing basis to improve the river’s water quality, and display the results on the Minnesota River Basin Data Center Web site. Visit http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/index.html for more information about this project. Mussel Resource Survey - 1999-01 biennium. During the first two years of this project (this biennium), biologists and other staff from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources sampled 886 sites in 32 Minnesota rivers, 64 tributaries and 12 lakes, including three sites on Minnehaha Creek, two sites on the Minnesota River and 33 sites on the Mississippi River in Hennepin County during November of 1999, June, July and August of 2000 and July and August of 2001. According to the website for this project, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/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. Nongame Wildlife Management - 1999-01 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources’ Nongame Wildlife Program used this grant from the Trust Fund to help carry out more than 65 wildlife conservation projects during the biennium. Among the research, habitat management, information and education and planning activities were planting of lakescaping sites, development of bald eagle management plans, surveys of loon, hawk and owl populations, habitat improvements for endangered and threatened species, and wildlife management workshops. Projects in Hennepin County included a survey of cricket frog populations at Bloomington’s Nine Mile Creek - the only site in the state where this endangered species is found - and waterbird monitoring and land cover studies at French and Diamond lakes. The Web site for the Minnesota DNR Nongame Wildlife Program is http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/index.html Organic Farming Training Project - 1999-01 biennium. The Minnesota Food Association of Arden Hills and Cooperative Development Services of St Paul developed an ongoing mentoring program for farmers who want to use organic farming methods. Training farms for this project were established in Chaska, Rosemount, Hamel, Stillwater, Faribault, Owatonna, Waconia and at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. Training sessions were also held in Lamberton, Browerville, Stillwater and St. Paul. The project trained over 1,000 farmers during the biennium, many of them recent immigrants to Minnesota. Public Boat Access and Fishing Piers - 1999-01 biennium. With help from the Minnesota Future Resources Fund and donations from local contributors, Trust Fund money was put to work building and extending fishing piers, developing boat access sites and purchasing land for future access sites. In Hennepin County, fishing piers were installed at Lake Cornelia in Edina, Bush Lake in Bloomington, Eagle Lake in Maple Grove, Lake Minnetonka at St Alban’s Bay and Lake Riley near Eden Prairie during the biennium. State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition, Development, Betterment and Rehabilitation - 1999-01 biennium. This project provided funds to acquire 155 acres of critical private land within the current boundaries of six of our state parks – 11 acres at Fort Snelling in Hennepin and Dakota counties, 2 acres at Frontenac in Goodhue County, 11 acres at Moose Lake in Carlton County, 10 acres at Nerstrand Big Woods in Rice County, 81 acres at Sibley in Kandiyohi County and 40 acres at Whitewater in Winona County. This project also provided development funds for a municipal sewer connection at Banning State Park in Pine County, design funding for the new visitor center at Forestville Mystery Cave State Park in Fillmore County and a portion of the development cost for the Itasca Suites guest lodging at Itasca State Park in Clearwater County. Tracking Sources of Fecal Pollution Using DNA Techniques - 1999-01 biennium. Elevated levels of fecal bacteria are found in many watersheds due to inadequate septic systems, runoff from pastures, manure treated agricultural land, and wildlife. University of Minnesota scientists are working to discover an effective way of identifying the source of E. coli bacteria in samples drawn from the Rush River in Sibley County, the Grindstone River in Pine County, Prairie Creek in Rice County and the Mississippi River above Lock and Dam #1 in Hennepin County. To find out more about this project, visit. Twin Cities Environmental Service Learning - Continuation - 1999-01 biennium. Students in Minneapolis and St Paul public schools got to learn first-hand about environmental projects in their own neighborhoods. That’s because they were the ones doing them, with guidance from their teachers and money from the Environmental Trust Fund. Eco Education initiated this project, showed the teachers how to use service learning as a teaching methodology and the students did the rest. Projects included buckthorn removal in Battle Creek Regional Park, the restoration of a wetland at Ames Lake on St. Paul’s East Side, prevention of point source pollution, public awareness around the redevelopment of Iris Park in St Paul, public education about visual pollution, the effect of storm sewer runoff on water quality, storm drain stenciling in Highland Park, and planting native vegetation at four different urban locations.Eco Education is a non-profit organization based in St Paul. Their web site is: www.ecoeducation.org. Updating Outmoded Soil Surveys - 1999-01 biennium. The Board of Water and Soil Resources used this appropriation to begin the multi-year process of updating outmoded soil surveys in southeastern Minnesota and helped Hennepin County officials complete their process during the biennium as well. The update was needed so that current soil survey maps, descriptions and database are available for managing agriculture, forestry, urban growth, recreation, and wildlife land. Metropolitan Regional Parks Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Development - 1997-99 biennium. The Metropolitan Council is expanding, improving or developing regional parks, including constructing recreational trails and picnic shelters, expanding beaches and parking lots and improving boat ramps, campgrounds and park lighting in the Twin Cities. Also, all parks and trails in the metro area are being digitized for mapping. Hennepin County projects include continued construction of the North Hennepin Regional Trail from French Lake Regional Park to Theodore Wirth Regional Park, an amphitheater at Normandale Lake and a trail shelter at Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Regional Park. Minneapolis’ Chain of Lakes Lakeshore Restoration - 1997-99 biennium. Minneapolis’ Chain of Lakes - Calhoun, Harriet, Isles and Cedar - is one of the most heavily used park systems in the Twin Cities. Public use and erosion have damaged the shorelines, thereby reducing water quality. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is restoring native plants on lakeshores to reduce erosion and improve water quality and wildlife habitat. Protecting Rural Historic Landscapes in High Development Areas - 1997-99 biennium. The Rochester-Twin Cities-St. Cloud corridor still has significant rural landscape features - windbreaks, barns and farmhouses - that reflect the state’s agricultural history. The Minnesota Historical Society is identifying these features and working with land planning agencies to protect them. State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition, Development, Betterment and Rehabilitation - 1997-99 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources is expanding and improving state parks and recreation areas by building new facilities, repairing and upgrading existing facilities and buying privately owned land within park boundaries. In Hennepin County, this program will allow the addition of 11 acres to Fort Snelling State Park. Metropolitan Area Groundwater to Predict Contaminant Movement - 1995-97 biennium and 1997-99 biennium. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is developing a computer model using the latest information on soil, hydrogeology, surface-groundwater interactions and water use to improve prediction of groundwater contamination at contamination sites in the Twin Cities. Minnesota County Biological Survey - 1995-97 biennium and 1997-99 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources is collecting information on plants and animals throughout Minnesota to identify the location of natural areas and rare plants and animals. This information will be used to better manage areas that have native species of plants and animals. Hennepin County’s survey was begun in the 1995-97 biennium and will be completed during 1997-99. Assessing Wetland Quality with Ecological Indicators - 1995-97 biennium. For Minnesota to comply with the Wetland Conservation Act of 1991 that requires a plan to replace most wetlands destroyed within the state, the University of Minnesota is identifying plants and animals that indicate wetland quality and establishing guidelines that use those species to monitor and assess wetland quality throughout the state. In Hennepin County, the grant was used at Basset Creek to demonstrate how wetland can connect a neighborhood to the city and was used in Crystal to show how a wetland can be a generator of economic growth. Environmental Action Grants for Minnesota Schools - 1995-97 biennium. Minnesota universities that train students to be teachers do not offer environmental education courses because it is a new field of study and is not required for teacher licensure. The Office of Environmental Assistance is working with universities to develop four such courses that can be required for students and offered to teachers as in-service programs. Under this program, grants were given to the University of Minnesota for the participation of their educators. Environmental Action Grants for Minnesota Schools - 1995-97 biennium. St. Olaf College's School Nature Area Project is conducting a pilot program in which 40 K-12 schools will receive matching grants to establish or enhance nature areas within walking distance of the school buildings. Students at Eden Prairie’s Eden Lake Elementary School restored native spring wildflowers, trees and shrubs to their school nature area. At Alice Smith Elementary School in Hopkins, Meadow Lake Elementary School in New Hope and Benilde St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, “outdoor classrooms” were created in school courtyards. Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School in Minneapolis has a new nature area complete with bee, butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Metropolitan Regional Park System - 1995-97 biennium. This project improved some of the Twin Cities’ regional parks with natural habitat areas and new or renovated picnic facilities, recreational trails, playground equipment, maintenance buildings and parking lots. Some of the funding helped the parks meet the Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. Lead agency: Metropolitan Council. - Lake Rebecca Park Reserve - 20 acre woodland restoration. Partners in Accessible Recreation and Environmental Responsibility - 1995-97 biennium. Minneapolis-based Wilderness Inquiry, through the Department of Natural Resources, is working with students, parents and teachers from several school districts statewide to develop environmental education programs that will be accessible to all students, especially minorities and students with disabilities. RIM Accelerate Critical Habitat Match Program - 1995-97 biennium. This Department of Natural Resources’ program sought to acquire and improve habitats for game and nongame fish, wildlife and native plants. Under this program, five acres were added to the Wood Rill Scientific and Natural Area in Orono and rare species management programs were established for the red-shouldered hawk and the spotted skunk. RIM Fisheries Habitat Development, Hatchery Rehabilitation and Stream Flow Protection - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is increasing fish populations in Minnesota by: 1) improving fish habitat with lake aeration systems, erosion-free shorelines and new in-water structures; 2) enhancing stocking efforts by improving six stocking facilities; and 3) collecting information about streams and their fish to predict changes in habitat as the flow changes. Under this program, the DNR installed a fish barrier at Lake Rebecca near Rockford. State Park Betterment - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources acquired new lands for state parks and developed and rehabilitated existing state parks. In Hennepin County, Fort Snelling State Park underwent the following improvements: office rehabilitation, trail rehabilitation, construction of a new interpretive/visitor center as well as historic building restoration. State Trail Rehabilitation and Acquisition - 1995-97 biennium. New recreational trails are being added while existing trails are being improved. Under this program, major repairs and replacements were made to two bridges on the Luce Line State Trail in Hennepin County. Lead Agency: Department of Natural Resources. Water Access - 1995-97 biennium. This project is for the acquisition and development of boating access sites, fishing piers and shoreline access. Under this program, fishing piers were installed on Lake Minnetonka and Powderhorn Lake while shoreline improvements were made to Lake Minnetonka. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources. Access to Lakes and Rivers - 1993-95 biennium. Boat ramps and fishing piers are being built around the state to provide boaters and anglers more access to popular Minnesota lakes and rivers. The project also includes shoreline improvements to Twin Cites’ area lakes to increase fishing opportunities. In Hennepin County, piers installed on Bush Lake, Weaver Lake, Crystal Lake and Lake Minnetonka; shoreline improvements at Lakes Calhoun, Harriet and Minnetonka; and acquiring and developing water access sites on the Minnesota River. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources. Acquisition of Palace Restaurant Site on the Mississippi River - 1993-95 biennium. The site of the old Palace Restaurant on the East Bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis is being acquired for river access and recreational opportunities including connections with local, regional and national park systems. Lead agency: Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. Cedar Lake Park Trail Development - 1993-95 biennium. A 4.1-mile recreational trail is being developed between Highway 100 and downtown Minneapolis. The trail connects with the Chain of Lakes Trail and involves two, one-way bike paths and a walking path. Lead agency: Metropolitan Council. Fisheries Habitat Development - 1993-95 biennium. Part of the Reinvest in Minnesota Program, this project is improving habitat for game fish throughout the state. In Hennepin County, the project has allowed the installation of aerators in Bloomington’s Hyland Lake to reduce the winterkill of game fish. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota River Implementation Project - 1993-95 biennium. This project works with landowners and governmental agencies to reduce the high amounts of pollution in the Minnesota River. The goal is to use land management practices that reduce the amount of pollutants and runoff that empty into the river from a 30-county area. The project includes an educational program being used by 15 high schools that brings attention to water quality. Lead agency: Pollution Control Agency. Retrofitting Regional Parks - 1993-95 biennium. Regional parks in the Twin Cities are being made more accessible for disabled people through this program. Lead agency: Metropolitan Council. - Lake of the Isles underpass improvements. Shingle Creek Trail Improvement - 1993-95 biennium. Minneapolis' Shingle Creek Trail is being improved with better signs and path connections, enhanced wildlife habitat and more access to picnic facilities and other park amenities. These improvements are being made between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center and will include connections to Hennepin County regional trails. Lead agency: Metropolitan Council. Trail Linkages, Metropolitan Regional Network - 1993-95 biennium. New recreational trails are being developed and existing ones are being improved to connect regional, state and local parks and trails around the Twin Cities. The Metropolitan Council is developing four trail linkages in Hennepin County: - West Hennepin route, Shingle Creek to demonstration segment. Minnehaha Park Environmental Center - 1991-93 biennium. The Longfellow House in Minneapolis' Minnehaha Park was renovated and converted into an interpretive center that provides cultural, historical and environmental programs. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota River Basin Water Quality Monitoring - 1991-93 biennium. This project sought to identify the sources of nonpoint pollution threatening the water quality and uses of the Minnesota River and its tributaries. The results are used to direct state and local pollution programs. Lead agency: Pollution Control Agency. Restoration of Thomas Sadler Roberts Sanctuary - 1991-93 biennium. This project funded restoration and development of boardwalks and trails for greater public use at this sanctuary on the north side of Lake Harriet. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources. Sealing Abandoned Wells - 1991-93 biennium. Sixty-nine Hennepin County wells were sealed through this Board of Water and Soil Resources project matching state and county funds.
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