Ramsey 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.

Tamarack Nature Center Exhibits – 2005-07 biennium. The Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Department plans to use this grant from the Trust Fund to develop interactive ecological exhibits at the Tamarack Nature Center north of White Bear Lake.

Big Rivers Partnership: Helping Communities to Restore Habitat - 2001-03 biennium. Led by Great River Greening, the Big Rivers Partnership brings together nonprofit organizations, government and private landowners to restore river valley habitat in the Twin Cities area. The benefits of this project include actual restoration work, identifying high-priority restoration project areas and creating a landowner stewardship support program. The primary tool for disseminating information from this project is the Great River Greening website: www.greatrivergreening.org.

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.

On the other side of the project, research scientists found that leaf beetles can provide long-term control of Purple Loosestrife and that these biological agents do not have a detrimental effect on two non-invasive species of loosestrife native to Minnesota. Their study results show these agents can move through a wetland in less than three years and disperse and colonize other wetlands as far as 20 kilometers away.

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 Ramsey County, Trust Fund money helped the City of Maplewood purchase a conservation easement for 9 acres of land that will provide a continuous corridor and public access along the creek that connects Beaver Lake with a 100-plus acre complex of prairie, forest and wetlands in Oakdale. It also helped the City of St Paul purchase a 30-acre former rail yard site west of I-35E south of Maryland Avenue and place a conservation easement on 7 acres of land where Trout Brook will be un-trenched and brought back up to the earth’s surface.

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 two in Ramsey County: the first phase of construction to rehabilitate the Como Conservatory’s fern room and growing house in St. Paul and work on the Grass-Vadnais-Snail Lake Regional Park picnic area at Sucker Lake in Vadnais Heights.

Uncommon Ground: An Educational Television Series - 2001-03 biennium. The University of Minnesota’s Institute for Sustainable Natural Resources is completing a 4- part video series that chronicles the vast changes in Minnesota’s landscape over the last 200 years. This appropriation will fund the production of episodes III and IV. The series will air statewide in 2004. Episodes I and II were also partially financed through a grant from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund in the 1999-01 biennium.

Waterscapes: Outdoor Nonpoint Source Pollution Education - 2001-03 biennium. Water quality in both urban and rural areas is adversely affected by runoff from many diverse sources. Through this project, the Science Museum of Minnesota will develop outdoor exhibits that illustrate the ways our water becomes polluted and demonstrate methods to improve water quality.

Development and Assessment of Oak Wilt Control - 1999-01 biennium. The University of Minnesota’s Department of Plant Pathology will have four research projects that are designed to mitigate inevitable impacts of urbanization on oak wilt spread through improved management techniques.

Diversifying Agriculture for Environmental, Economic and Social Benefits - 1999-01 biennium. Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Saint Paul Campus studied new strains and planting schedules of cover crops, evaluating their ability to suppress weeds, recycle nutrients, control disease, decrease erosion and increase wildlife habitat. Projects in other parts of the state examined hybrid hazelnuts as a crop alternative and the use of Illinois Bundleflower and False Indigo for livestock grazing. The diversification of agricultural products shows great promise for improving both the state’s environment and its farm economy.

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.

Improved Minnesota Fungus Collection and Database - 1999-01 biennium. The University of Minnesota will use this appropriation to consolidate and preserve fungus specimen collections and computerize the data for use in agriculture, forestry and recreation management. The database will provide information on the distribution, ecology and history of the fungi of the state. The information obtained will be linked to an existing website for vascular plants.

Landscaping for Wildlife and Nonpoint Pollution Prevention - 1999-01 biennium. Landscape design can pay great benefits for wildlife and pollution reduction, especially in urban and suburban areas. The St Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium used this appropriation to promote these benefits to residents of the east metro area and conduct workshops on landscaping and the use of native plants. Many of the participants took advantage of the professionally-designed landscape models and the reduced cost of native vegetation.

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 Ramsey County, grants were received by Natural Resources Restoration, Inc. to remove woody exotic and invasive native species at Battle Creek and the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, by the North Oaks Homeowners Association for buckthorn control and habitat restoration, by the City of St. Paul Department of Public Works to develop a rain garden to treat storm water runoff at Lake Como and to teach people about the restored Phalen Lake wetlands, by the Community Design Center of Minnesota to establish a garden at the intersection of 3rd & Maria in St. Paul, by Ramsey County Parks and Recreation for an exotic species inventory, by the St Paul District 1 Council to enhance and restore native plant communities on a west facing Mississippi River bluff overlooking Pigs Eye Lake, by the St. Paul Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhoods to develop and disseminate a six-page educational handbook detailing the vision and opportunities involved in the Lower Phalen Creek Watershed and for the restoration of natural communities at Swede Hollow Park, by the Boys and Girls Club of St. Paul to purchase and plant native prairie and forest species at the Sackett Park Forest, by St. Paul Parks and Recreation for a survey of herbs in St. Paul and Ramsey County parks and by the St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium to create 1,000 square feet of native habitat at the intersection of Selby and Dale streets in St. Paul.

Management and Restoration of Natural Plant Communities on State Trails - 1999-01 biennium. This Department of Natural Resources’ project will enhance the ecological value of these recreation corridors and, thereby, contribute to the sustainability of the native landscape, to heighten the quality of the recreation experience and foster environmental education. Statewide, 20 interpretive exhibits and kiosks will be established. In Ramsey County, a prescribed burn and seeding will take place on the Gateway segment of the Willard Munger State Trail.
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 Ramsey County, Trust Fund money was spent to complete the restoration of the Harriet Island Regional Park picnic pavilion in St. Paul and partially financed the lighting for a 5 kilometer ski trail, the construction of a trail bridge over Battle Creek Road plus develop new trails, improve parking and restore oak savannah and prairie at Battle Creek Regional Park.

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 the Minnesota River and 22 sites on the Mississippi River in Ramsey County during June of 2000 and July of 2001.

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.

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’s 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 Ramsey County, a 84-foot fishing pier was installed at Langton Lake in Roseville in 2000.

Restoring Ecological Health to St. Paul’s Mississippi River Bluffs - 1999-01 biennium. This project, organized by Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County, used Trust Fund money to inventory the plants and topography of 5.5 miles of the Mississippi River bluffs from Emerald Street (where the Mississippi crosses from Minneapolis into St. Paul) to Highway 5. More than 500 volunteers removed exotic invasive plants from 156 acres in the area, including 12 acres in Desnoyer Park, 59 acres at Hidden Falls, 19 acres near Shadow Falls, 22 acres along the walking path from Goodrich Avenue to Ford Parkway and 34 acres near the Ford plant. As part of the process, area residents learned about exotic invasive plants like buckthorn and a management plan was developed for the area.

According to the project manager, “Invasive plants crowd out native plants and destroy wildlife habitat. Restoration of the native plant community will enhance critical wildlife habitat in this vital migratory corridor, significantly control erosion and complement the scenic beauty of the Mississippi River corridor.” To find out more about Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County or download a copy of the management plan, visit www.friendsoftheparks.org.

Science Outreach and Integrated Learning on Soil - 1999-01 biennium. This appropriation is to develop a SOILS Experiment Center including demonstration plots at the Science Museum of Minnesota’s new riverfront facility to increase the awareness of soil science and soil health. This project will also include information about the St. Croix Watershed Research Station’s work on fingerprinting sediment sources in agricultural watersheds. Also included are SOILS Youth Programs in which 8th grade students will serve as interpreters in the Experiment Center and at the demonstration plots.

The SOILS Project: Science Outreach and Integrated Learning on Soil - 1999-01 biennium. The chief part of this grant was used to help design and construct a 1,500 square foot structure at the Science Museum of Minnesota’s new site on the Mississippi River near downtown St Paul. Named ‘Science House’, the space is a laboratory, a classroom and an office as well as a research project with a goal of using solar power to provide all the energy it needs to heat, cool and power itself during the year. Trust Fund money was also used to purchase lab equipment, build exhibits, landscape the Big Back Yard and help fund the SOILS Youth Programs for this project.

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.

Biological Control of Agricultural Pests - 1997-99 biennium. Pest control in farming and urban landscaping continues to depend heavily on chemicals which can threaten nearby water sources. The University of Minnesota’s College of Agriculture is studying biological pest control which pits one organism against another. Four areas are being studied: filth flies (pests of livestock and poultry), aphid transmitted potato viruses, cover crops to control weeds and insects that damage cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Crop Management to Minimize Pesticide Use - 1997-99 biennium. Controlling agricultural pests can be done using chemicals, other organisms or crop management strategies which are what the University of Minnesota’s Department of Plant Pathology 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.

Electronic Environmental Education Raptor Network - 1997-99 biennium. The University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center is using a satellite tracking system to study 20 raptors for a year through migrations and winter locations. This information will be available on the internet and through printed materials for students. Teachers will be trained on how to use this information in their classrooms.

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. That 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.

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. In Ramsey County, this grant is being used for roads, parking lots and lighting at Harriet Island Regional Park and for road relocation, public boat access and expansion of the beach at Bald Eagle Otter Lake Regional Park.

Minnesota Frog Watch - 1997-99 biennium. Amphibians function as an early-warning system for environmental problems. So, when deformed frogs were found in 56 counties since 1995, the Minnesota Frog Watch was created. The Department of Natural Resources now is teaming up with the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University to enhance statewide frog monitoring, both visual and auditory, and to create educational materials for kids and families.

Minnesota Rare Mussel Conservation - 1997-99 biennium. This University of Minnesota project is attempting to improve freshwater mussel conservation and to protect them from invading Zebra mussels. In Ramsey County, mussel life history research will take place in the Mississippi River.

New Models for Land-Use Planning - 1997-99 biennium. Washington and Chisago Counties are two of the fastest growing counties in the country. The Department of Natural Resources and the Land Stewardship Project are leading an effort to protect about 1,500 acres of land in a 10,000 acre “green” corridor through those two counties to link land that has already been protected and preserved for its environmental value. The corridor will feature agricultural land, open space, wildlife habitat and natural areas. The money spent in Ramsey County was to develop an inventory, maps and plan for implementation.

Oak Savannah Restoration in St. Paul Regional Parks - 1997-99 biennium. The City of St. Paul is restoring natural oak savannahs to three of its regional parks: Indian Mounds (25 acres), Battle Creek (14 acres) and Phalen (2 acres). The city is removing existing trees, shrubs and turf and replacing them with oak trees and native prairie and woodland grasses. The savannahs will reduce rain run-off, eliminate the need for pesticides and fertilizers and increase the number of bird species. The work will include turf removal and burning in preparation for planting, removal of buckthorn and other non-native plant species and replanting of the sites with native species.

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.

Metropolitan Area Groundwater Model to Predict Containment Movement - 1995-97 biennium and 1997-99 biennium. Estimates are that 230 billion gallons of groundwater are contaminated in the Twin Cities including 16 percent of the most commonly used groundwater source. The Pollution Control Agency is refining and improving its model that tracks the movement of contaminated groundwater. The model will also be able to evaluate the impact of increased use of groundwater as urban pressures increase.

Phalen Wetland Restoration - 1995-97 biennium and 1997-99 biennium. A vacant shopping center adjacent to St. Paul’s Lake Phalen Park is being restored to a wetland by the City of St. Paul. The Ames Lake wetland will be a national model to demonstrate how an urban wetland can be used to manage storm water. The wetland will filter and clean storm water while providing wildlife habitat and a neighborhood amenity.

RIM Accelerate Critical Habitat Match Program - 1995-97 biennium and 1997-99 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has matching funds available for anyone who wants to buy or improve critical fish, wildlife and native plant habitats. Projects must emphasize habitat for endangered species, uncommon or diminishing ecological communities, existing fish and wildlife populations and fish and wildlife recreation. Under this program, the DNR established the “Greening the Great River Project” and implemented a management plan for the threatened Blanding’s turtles. This project has been extended to the 1997-99 biennium with matching funds available for the “Greening the Great River Project”.

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 distances of the school buildings. At Roseville Area Middle School, seventh grade students converted an area of lawn into a nature area. At Edgerton Elementary School in Maplewood, a vacant city-owned lot was turned into wildlife habitat. At North St. Paul’s Cowern Elementary School and White Bear Lake’s Centerpoint Elementary School, students, teachers and community members created new prairie areas.

Environmental Education Teacher Training - 1995-97 biennium. Minnesota universities that train students to be teachers do not offer environmental educational 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, Concordia College and Hamline University received grants for the participation of their educators.

Metropolitan Regional Park System - 1995-97 biennium. This appropriation is to the Metropolitan Council for development of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Regional Park system and regional trails. Eight projects were funded in Ramsey County:

- 8 acres of prairie at the Battle Creek Regional Park Nature Reserve.
- 11 acres of land at Long Lake Regional Park.
- Bald Eagle-Otter Lake Park acquisition.
- Keller Park play area ADA retrofit.
- Battle Creek Park Trail.
- Harriet Island Park parking/harbor facilities relocation.
- Snail Lake Park development (Phase 4).
- Como Conservatory main entrance and utilities.

RIM Fisheries, Statewide 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, lake aeration was installed at Lake Como in St. Paul.

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 Ramsey County, a fishing pier was constructed for use on White Bear Lake.

Wetland Restoration and Enhancement to Create Community Amenity and Form - 1995-97 biennium. The University of Minnesota will work with five communities and around the state to create restored wetlands thus creating wildlife habitat, improving water quality and improving recreational opportunities. In North St. Paul, the project demonstrated how a wetland could be the basis for environmental education.

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 Ramsey County, this grant allowed installation of piers and shoreline improvements to fishing sites at Spoon Lake in Maplewood and Lake Phalen in St. Paul. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Birch Lake Regional Bikeway/Walkway - 1993-95 biennium. This project is a 3.3-mile recreational trail in White Bear Lake linking the State Highway 96 Regional Trail with the Tamarack Nature Center and area business centers. It includes signs along the trail that identify plants and animals. Lead agency: City of White Bear Lake.

Como Park Lakeshore Reclamation - 1993-95 biennium. This project restored the east shoreline of St. Paul's Lake Como to provide erosion control, landscaping and relocated parking areas and walking paths. Lead agency: City of St. Paul.

Gateway Segment of the Willard Munger Trail - 1993-95 biennium. This program allowed the match in federal funds for acquisition and development of the segment of the Willard Munger Trail from downtown St. Paul to Stillwater. The trail will eventually stretch from downtown St. Paul to Duluth. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Green Street: An Urban Environmental Awareness Project - 1993-95 biennium. Each year, more than 300,000 Science Museum of Minnesota visitors experience Green Street, an exhibit that links modern lifestyles and major environmental issues through interactive displays.

Lilydale/Harriet Island Regional Park Trail - 1993-95 biennium. The City of St. Paul is developing a recreational trail in Lilydale/Harriet Island Regional Park to take advantage of the park's unique natural resources including the Mississippi River, bluffs and wetlands.

Retrofitting Regional Parks - 1993-95 biennium. Regional parks in the Twin Cities are being made more accessible for disabled people through this program. In Ramsey County, the program allowed the upgrade of the Tamarack Nature Center Trail in Bald Eagle-Otter Lake Regional Park and the upgrade of the picnic pavilion toilet in Lilydale-Harriet Island Regional Park. Lead agency: Metropolitan Council.

The On-Line Museum: Computer and Interactive Video - 1993-95 biennium. The Science Museum of Minnesota used this grant for a touch-screen video console that allowed users to retrieve environmental information such as lists of endangered and threatened species, biological extinction and cultural diversity in plant and animal populations.

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 two trails in Ramsey County: a portion of the Burlington Northern Regional Trail from Frost Avenue north to Beam Avenue and the Mississippi River Boulevard Regional Trail upriver to the City of Minneapolis boundary.

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 Ramsey County, the program is used for bat habitat management.

Clean Water Partnership Grants to Local Units of Government - 1991-93 biennium. This program seeks to control nonpoint sources of pollution through watershed management to protect and improve surface and groundwater in Minnesota. The project provides matching grants and technical assistance to local units of government. The Ramsey County grant was for improvements in the Lambert Creek Watershed. Lead agency: Pollution Control Agency.

County Geologic Atlas and Groundwater Sensitivity Mapping - 1991-93 biennium. This project resulted in expanded production of county geologic atlases and creation of a new Atlas Service office. The Ramsey County appropriation led to expanded production of county geologic atlases. Lead agency: Minnesota Geological Survey.