2006 PROJECT ABSTRACTS

MN Laws 2006, Chapter 243, Section 19 & Section 20  (beginning June 2006) 

The following documents are short abstracts for projects funded during the 2006 Legislative Session. The final date of completion for these projects is listed at the end of the abstract. When available, we have provided links to a projects web site. The sites linked to this page are not created, maintained, or endorsed by the LCMR/LCCMR office or the Minnesota Legislature. 


                    Section 19

                         Administration

                     Section 20

                         Fish & Wildlife Habitat

                         Water Resources

                         Land Use and Natural Resource Information

                         Energy

                         Environmental Education


Section 19

     Administration

          Sec. 19    Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources

 

Section 20

     Fish & Wildlife Habitat

          Subd. 8    Land Exchange Revolving Fund for Aitkin, Cass, and  

                          Crow Wing Counties

          Subd. 9    Riparian Land Acquisition

          Subd. 11  Forest Legacy

 

     Water Resources

          Subd. 6    Lake Superior Research - Research

          Subd. 7    Impacts on Minnesota's Aquatic Resources from Climate

                          Change - Research

 

     Land Use and Natural Resource Information

          Subd. 5    Land Cover Mapping for Natural Resource Protection

          Subd. 10  Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan

 

     Energy

          Subd. 3    Phillips Biomass Community Energy System* 

                       *DECLINED - TRANSFERRED TO 2008 RECOMMENDATIONS

          Subd. 4    Laurentian Energy Authority Biomass Project

 

     Environmental Education

          Subd. 2    Enhancing Civic Understanding of Groundwater

Funding Sources: (**note:  all projects are TF, unless otherwise noted)

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (TF) 
Great Lakes Protection Account (GLP)


ADMINISTRATION


Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources

Section 19    $550,000

 

John Velin, Director

LCCMR

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

65 - State Office Building

St. Paul, MN  55155

 

Phone:  (651)296-2406

Fax:  (651)296-1321

E-mail:  lcmr@commissions.leg.state.mn.us 

Web:  http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/lcmr/lcmr.htm

 

For administration as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 116P.09, subdivision 5.


Fish and Wildlife Habitat


Land Exchange Revolving Fund for Aitkin, Cass, and Crow Wing Counties

Section 20, Subd. 8    $290,000

Mark Jacobs

Aitkin County  

209 - 2nd Street NW

Aitkin, MN 56431

 

Phone:  218-927-7364

Fax218-927-7249

E-mailmjacobs@co.aitkin.mn.us  

Web:  www.co.aitkin.mn.us 

To establish a six-year revolving loan fund for Aitkin, Cass, and Crow Wing Counties to improve public and private land ownership patterns, increase management efficiency, and protect critical habitat.

Project due to be completed: 6/30/2011


Riparian Land Acquisition

Section 20, Subd. 9    $640,000

 

Mike Halverson

DNR

500 Lafayette Rd

St. Paul, MN  55155

 

Phone:  (651) 259-5209

Fax:  (651) 297-4916

E-mail:  mike.halverson@dnr.state.mn.us  

 

Overall Project Outcome and Results
Through leverage created by this funding, this project resulted in a grand total of approximately 149 acres and 2.13 miles of lake and stream shoreline being acquired in fee title.  Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund dollars directly acquired 52.2 acres of the total, including 0.85 miles of lake and stream shoreline.  Outside funds ($527,980) and other state monies ($2,025,220) leveraged with Trust Fund dollars totaled $2,553,200.  These contributions helped acquire the remaining acres of the grand total including 79.4 acres and 1.05 miles using other state dollars, and 17.4 acres and 0.23 miles from outside funds.

This project complemented parcel acquisitions funded in the past with capital bonding, Trout Stamp, and Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund dollars.  The acquisition of aquatic management areas adjacent to lakes and streams ensures the protection of critical riparian habitat areas within sensitive watersheds and headwater areas, as well as angler and management access.  Acquisition under this project occurred in the following Counties:  Bottle Lake in Hubbard, Rum River (Chuck Davis) in Mille Lacs, Dead Lake in Otter Tail, and Maple Lake in Douglas.

 

Project completed:  7/16/2007


Forest Legacy

Section 20, Subd. 11    $500,000   

Incorporated into M.L. 2005, First Special Session, Chp. 1, Art. 2, Sec. 11, Subd. 9c work program.

 

Doug Anderson

DNR - Division of Forestry

500 Lafayette Rd

St. Paul, MN  55155

 

Phone:  651-259-5251

Fax:  651-296-5954

E-mail:  doug.anderson@dnr.state.mn.us/forestry 

Web:  www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry 

 

To acquire easements as described under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84C (Conservation Easements), on private lands. The conservation easements must guarantee public access, including hunting and fishing.

 

Project completed:  6/30/2008 (See 2005 Abstracts for more information)


Water Resources


Lake Superior Research

Section 20, Subd. 6    $295,000 ($267,000 TF + $28,000 GLP)

 

Steven M. Colman

Large Lakes Observatory, UMD

2205 E. 5th Street

Duluth, MN  55812

 

Phone218-726-8128

Fax:  218-726-6979

E-mail:  scolman@d.umn.edu

Web:  www.d.umn.edu/llo 

 

RESEARCH

For research on Lake Superior waters.

Project due to be completed: 6/30/2009


Impacts on Minnesota's Aquatic Resources from Climate Change

Section 20, Subd. 7    $250,000

Lucinda Johnson

UMD - Natural Resources Research Institute

5013 Miller Trunk Hwy.

Duluth, MN 55811

 

Phone218-720-4251

Fax218-720-4328

E-mail:  ljohnson@nrri.umn.edu 

Web:  www.nrri.umn.edu/cwe/staff/ljohnsonintro.htm 

 

RESEARCH

To quantify climate, hydrologic, and ecological variability and trends and identify indicators of future climate.

Project due to be completed: 6/30/2009



Land Use and Natural Resource Information


Land Cover Mapping for Natural Resource Protection

Section 20, Subd. 5    $250,000

Roel Ronken

Hennepin County - Environmental Services  

417 North 5th Street, #200

Minneapolis, MN 55401

 

Phone612-596-1172

Fax:  612-348-8532

E-mailroel.ronken@co.hennepin.mn.us 

Web:  www.hennepin.us


Overall Project Outcome and Results
Much of the land cover within the five Twin Cities metropolitan county partners on this project (Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Scott, and Washington) has been converted from historic native plant communities to human-disturbed systems. However, remnant natural plant communities persist and their protection remains critical, while significant opportunities also exist for the restoration of other cover types in these landscapes. Restoration within these areas will increase the extent and connectivity of remnant natural areas, provide ecological benefits such as improved wildlife habitat and reduced soil erosion, and present many opportunities for landowners and other citizens to engage in improving the natural resource base in their own communities. Large-scale restoration will be more possible with landscape-scale planning that provides methods for identifying and prioritizing opportunities based on the best available information.

Over a period of years, significant public funding has been invested in land cover mapping as part of a natural resource inventory to help determine regional priorities for wildlife habitat protection and restoration using the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCSS). The purpose of this project was to create a GIS-based model following MLCSS that the five participating counties could use as a tool for identifying opportunities for ecological restoration at a landscape-scale in their urbanized landscapes. 

This project completed identified land cover mapping for the five partner counties and used it along with other data – e.g. soils, slope, and aspect – to develop prioritization criteria to identify and rank potential restoration sites. The Restoration Prioritization and Prediction Model (RePP) was the resulting computer model developed to identify these sites.  After the initial categorization of approximately 1.5 million acres, the model was run on approximately 837,000 acres defined as having restoration potential. 

Land cover data and an electronic version of the RePP including appendices are available by reviewing the “Restoration Prioritization and Prediction Model” located at the following Minnesota Department of Natural Resources .ftp site: ftp://ftp.dnr.state.mn.us/pub/gisftp/barichar/restoration_model/Workshop%20Materials/

Additional background data is available at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Data Deli: http://deli.dnr.state.mn.us/

Project Results Use and Dissemination
Increasingly, land cover data is referenced and used as a tool for planners and government officials. Cities and other local forms of government can benefit from the model and understanding how it can be used in planning efforts.  A training session with the staff of county partners was conducted. A presentation of the model was made to a partnership of local nonprofit organizations and other entities that promotes protection of open space in the Twin Cities region. Further dissemination will occur through the Data Deli, through project partners familiar with the model, and through planners that find the publicly available model. 


Project completed:
6/30/2008


Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan

Section 20, Subd. 10    $300,000

 

LCCMR

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

65 - State Office Building

St. Paul, MN  55155

 

Phone:  (651)296-2406

Fax:  (651)296-1321

E-mail:  lccmr@lccmr.leg.mn