Itasca County 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.

Mesabi Trail – 2003-05 and 2005-07 biennia. These grants from the Trust Fund will help the St Louis and Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority acquire and develop parts of the Mesabi Trail. When completed, this paved recreational trail will run 132 miles and connect more than 25 communities between Grand Rapids and Ely. At the end of 2005, 97 miles of the trail are already open including a 51 mile segment from Nashwauk to Eveleth.

County Biological Survey - 2001-03 biennium. 2001 marks the start of the eighth biennium of this ambitious twelve biennia 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. Fifteen counties are being surveyed in 2002, including Itasca County.

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 Itasca County, Trust Fund money was used to purchase and install a 104-foot fishing pier near Grand Rapids at Pokegama Lake in 2002.

Accelerated Transfer of New Forest-Research Findings - 1999-01 biennium. With its roots in the 1993 Generic Environmental Impact Study on Timber Harvesting and Forest Management and the 1995 Minnesota Sustainable Forest Resources Act, the Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative used this appropriation to host an international conference in Duluth and continuing education workshops for natural resource professionals in Winona, Grand Rapids and Cloquet. The cooperative, supported by public and private members, encourages an approach to resource management where social, economic and ecological values work together to sustain healthy, productive forest systems.

By-Products Application to Agricultural, Mineland and Forest Soils - 1999-01 biennium with an extension to June 30, 2002. During the past few decades, there has been increased awareness of the importance of incorporating recycling into our everyday lives. It is equally important to support the idea of recycling on a large-scale, industrial level. One way of achieving this goal is to find environmentally-sound, socially-acceptable and economically-feasible methods to beneficially use municipal and industrial byproducts.

In northeastern Minnesota where this study took place, major byproducts include bio-solids (a byproduct from city wastewater treatment plants), ash from wood-fired boilers and leftover sludge from paper production. These substances have the potential to improve growing conditions on cropland, mineland reclamation projects and forest soils. Experiments with these materials in the lab, greenhouse and field gathered data on plant growth and the chemical composition of plants, soils and groundwater.

The Pollution Control Agency (PCA) administered this project in conjunction with the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District in Duluth and cooperation from the University of Minnesota and many other individuals and corporations. Findings from this study will help refine PCA guidelines for byproduct application and co-application, especially for mineland and forest soils where data is often lacking. Using these byproducts as soil amendments provides an opportunity for their utilization as a resource as opposed to their disposal as waste.

Interpretive Boat Tours of Hill Annex Mine State Park - 1999-01 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources will use this appropriation to acquire and outfit a boat to give interpretive boat excursion tours of the mine. The appropriation also allows for the design and construction of a dock site and parking area.

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 Itasca County, a workshop was held on September 23, 2000, in Grand Rapids and a demonstration site was completed on Sugar 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 Itasca County, grants were received by the Jessie Lake Watershed Association for the restoration of walleye habitat, water quality and shore land management; by the City of Coleraine to help control erosion of the Bluffland Pathway at Trout Lake; by the Itasca County Resort and Tourism Association for a resort naturalist program; and by the Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District to develop a Black Spruce Bog interpretation.

Mesabi Iron Range Water and Mineral Resource Planning Project - 1999-01 biennium. Water flow estimates from the abandoned Canisteo iron ore open-pit mine near Coleraine indicate that it will fill up and possibly overflow by the end of this decade. This project, coordinated by the Range Association of Municipalities and School Districts, predicted where the water would go and recommended how to minimize the changes this would cause in the landscape. The Minnesota Geological Survey created and updated maps to support this effort. Also, the location and content of rock piles left behind by the mining industry near Calumet, Marble and Virginia were catalogued for future use as gravel mines and their potential for iron ore.

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.

Winter Severity Index for Deer - 1999-01 biennium. With assistance from the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, the Department of Natural Resources used this appropriation to conduct research on the relationship between winter weather and the health of white-tailed deer in northeastern Cass and southwestern Itasca Counties during the winters of 2000, 2001 and 2002. The objective of this research was to determine the feasibility of building a better indicator of when emergency feeding should begin during a severe winter.

Minnesota’s Forest Bird Diversity Initiative - 1999-01 biennium, 1997-99 biennium, 1995-97 biennium, 1993-95 biennium and 1991-93 biennium. Forest birds are key indicators of the health of Minnesota’s forest ecosystem. To address concerns of forest sustainability, the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Research Institute (at the University of Minnesota, Duluth) launched Minnesota’s Forest Bird Diversity Initiative in 1991. The Initiative’s goal is to develop landscape management tools to maintain the state’s unique diversity of forest birds through long-term monitoring of bird populations, research, modeling and education. This initiative relies on more than 1,600 bird count locations in Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, Olmsted, Pine, Rice, St Louis, Wabasha and Winona Counties. For more information about this project, including other sponsors, visit www.nrri.umn.edu/mnbirds.

Crop Management to Minimize Pesticide Use - 1997-99 biennium. Controlling agricultural pests can be done using chemicals, other organisms or crop management strategies that the University of Minnesota is studying with this grant. The University is researching the effects that organic mulching, crop rotation, green manure and animal grazing have on potatoes, soybeans, wild rice and strawberries. The Grand Rapids’ Agricultural Experiment Station is one of three sites for this project.

Loons: Indicators of Mercury in the Environment - 1997-99 biennium. Loons are excellent early warning indicators of mercury contamination because they eat fish, live 20 to 30 years and are easily captured. The University of Minnesota is studying more than 150 loons to analyze mercury levels in their bodies including Itasca County populations. This information will be used to better understand mercury contamination in Minnesota’s rivers and lakes and to determine the relationship between mercury and loon reproduction and behavior.

Minnesota Rare Mussel Conservation - 1997-99 biennium. This University of Minnesota project is attempting to improve freshwater mussel conservation and protect them from invading Zebra mussels. In Itasca County, fish and mussel surveys will take place in the Big Fork River to determine which fish can serve as hosts for Minnesota’s three threatened freshwater mussels.

Restoring White Pine in the Minnesota Landscape - 1997-99 biennium. Through 1900, white pine was a major forest component in much of Minnesota including Itasca 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.

Sustainable Lake Plans - 1997-99 biennium. What should your lake look like in two generations? That is the question the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs is focusing on as it develops plans for managing five lakes including Deer Lake north of Grand Rapids. The plans will address land use, water management and quality issues and will be used by other lake managers or associations to develop their own plans.

Environmental Action Grant for Minnesota Schools - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources is working with St. Olaf College’s School Nature Area Project to conduct a pilot program in which 40 K-12 schools receive matching grants to establish or enhance nature areas within walking distances of the school buildings. Students at Connor-Jasper Middle School in Bovey used one of these grants to restore native woodland plants on city property at the edge of town. Long-range plans include development of trails and interpretive signs.

RIM Accelerate Critical Habitat Match Program - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources matched funds for those who wanted to buy or improve critical fish, wildlife and native plant habitats. Projects emphasize habitat for endangered species, uncommon or diminishing ecological communities, existing fish and wildlife populations and fish and wildlife recreation. Itasca County used this grant to improve and protect priority nongame species including the common loon.

RIM Fisheries Habitat Development, Hatchery Rehabilitation and Stream Flow Protection - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources 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, improvements were made to warm water fisheries as well as the re-establishment of bulrushes at various sites in Itasca County.

State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition - 1995-97 biennium. This project is to acquire new lands for state parks and to develop and rehabilitate existing state parks. Scenic Park underwent trail rehabilitation. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Water Access - 1995-97 biennium. This appropriation will allow acquisition and development of boat-access sites, fishing piers and shoreline access. Itasca County acquired and constructed a water access site at the LaRue Pit near Nashwauk. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Access to Lakes and Rivers - 1993-95 biennium. Fishing piers, boat ramps and shoreline access sites are being built around the state to provide boaters and anglers with more access to popular Minnesota lakes and rivers. In Itasca County, new fishing piers were installed on O’Brien Reservoir and Club House Lake. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

RIM 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. In Itasca County, this grant was used for brush land development and forest stand development.