Koochiching 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.

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 by-products.

In northeastern Minnesota, where this study took place, major by-products include bio-solids (a by-product 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, mine-land 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 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) 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 MPCA guidelines for by-product application and co-application, especially for mine land and forest soils where data is often lacking. Using these by-products as soil amendments provides an opportunity for their utilization as a resource as opposed to their disposal as waste.

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 Koochiching County, a grant was received by the Koochiching County Environmental Services Department for water quality monitoring and environmental education on the Rainy River.

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 Koochiching County, an access site was developed for boaters on the Rainy River at the Ron Hall Site in 2000.

Minnesota’s Forest Bird Diversity Initiative - 1999-01biennium, 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 Minnesota 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.

Minnesota Rare Mussel Conservation - 1997-99 biennium. This University of Minnesota project establishes and monitors refugia in the St. Croix River to improve freshwater mussel conservation and to protect them from invading Zebra mussels. In Koochiching County, fish and mussel surveys will take place in the Big Fork River to determine host fish for Minnesota’s three threatened freshwater mussels.

Water Access - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources is improving access to some of the state’s most popular lakes and rivers for anglers and boaters by building new boat ramps, fishing piers and shoreline structures. In Koochiching County, shoreline improvements were made to Gleason Lake. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

RIM 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, education and nature observation; and help restore waterfowl populations to their 1970s level. In Koochiching County, this program was used to acquire 40 acres of peatland at the North Black River Scientific and Natural Area and for Pine Island State Forest development. 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. The Koochiching County grant was used for forest opening development.