| ENRTF ID # | Last Name | First Name | Project Title | Organization | $ Requested | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (RECEIVED: 26 Proposals / Subtotal - $22,766,000) |
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| 2022-031 | Haus | Jacob | Efficacy of Urban Archery Hunting to Manage Deer | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Bemidji State University | $329,000 | Several municipalities across Minnesota conduct special deer hunts within city-limits, but the efficacy is unknown. An analysis of deer survival and habitat use will improve management practices in these regions. |
| 2022-076 | Kloiber | Steve | Modernizing Minnesota’s Digital Lake Inventory | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $787,000 | Enhance lake conservation planning of state and local partners with a comprehensive update of Minnesota’s lake and pond GIS data as well as streamlining future maintenance. |
| 2022-081 | Van Offelen | Henry | Strategic Framework to Guide Local Water Storage Implementation | Board of Water and Soil Resources | $220,000 | Framework to prioritize water storage projects strategically throughout the state. The framework will use existing data, local stakeholder input, be scalable, and emphasize multi-benefit water storage (water quality, flooding, habitat). |
| 2022-091 | Wagenius | Stuart | How Do Prescribed Fires Affect Native Prairie Bees? | Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action at the Chicago Botanic Garden | $421,000 | Pollinators are declining in Minnesota's tallgrass prairies. We will investigate how prescribed fire affects the nesting habitat, food resources, and diversity of ground-nesting bees to make recommendations for prairie management. |
| 2022-102 | Anderson | Pamela | Public Portal for Algae Blooms in Lakes | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $846,000 | Provides a public portal for lake users as well as researchers and resource managers showing and predicting the locations of harmful algae blooms. |
| 2022-106 | Putzier | Paul | WITHDRAWN - County Groundwater Atlas ML2022 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $1,400,000 | This project supports continuing development of the County Groundwater Atlases. The goal is to provide this valuable water and resource management “information infrastructure” to every county in Minnesota. |
| 2022-108 | Noe | Ryan | Walleye or Water Clarity? Evaluating Alternative Lake Futures | U of MN, Humphrey School of Public Affairs | $207,000 | Scenarios, models, and stakeholder workshops to assess tradeoffs between water quality, fisheries, recreation, and other lake values. Recommendations for more efficient and equitable targeting of lake restoration and protection activities. |
| 2022-114 | Grinde | Alexis | WITHDRAWN - EAB: Maintaining Forests and Benefits-Resubmission | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $800,000 | Utilize ongoing experiments to determine impending EAB impacts on water, vegetation, and wildlife; optimal replacement species and practices for forest diversification; develop indicators and criteria for prioritization of mitigation activities. |
| 2022-119 | Arends | Heather | Mapping Construction Resources for Recreation and Transportation Infrastructure | MN DNR, Lands and Minerals Division | $776,000 | To sustainably manage resources needed for publicly-funded transportation and recreation projects, DNR will provide St. Louis County with aggregate maps to inform decisions on land use and natural resource conservation. |
| 2022-122 | Joyce | Michael | Distribution and Movements of Fishers in Southern Minnesota | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $347,000 | We will determine the distribution, status, and habitat use of fishers in the southern half of Minnesota to provide the information needed to manage fishers in this region. |
| 2022-123 | Joyce | Michael | WITHDRAWN - Bobcat and Fisher Habitat Use and Interactions | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $447,000 | We will describe habitat use, diet, and activity patterns of bobcats and fishers to understand why bobcats kill female fishers and identify potential solutions to reverse the fisher population decline. |
| 2022-148 | Bump | Joseph | WITHDRAWN - Voyageurs Wolf Project - Phase II | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $694,000 | Wolf predation in summer is almost unknown but critical to deer, moose, wolf, and disease management. We’ll measure wolf predation rates on these species and promote Voyageurs’ region wildlife. |
| 2022-149 | Bump | Joseph | Offal Wildlife Watching: How Do Hunters Provision Scavengers? | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $531,000 | This is a citizen-science project driven by hunters. We'll recruit hunters statewide and provide remote cameras to deploy at field-dressed deer gut piles to study scavengers, hunter provisioning, and CWD. |
| 2022-172 | Fulton | David | Addressing Conflict between Wild Canids and People | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $326,000 | The project will study resident's beliefs, attitudes and behaviors toward coyotes and foxes in the Metro and Central Regions to develop outreach activities and strategies for human-carnivore conflict management. |
| 2022-173 | Lusardi | Barbara | WITHDRAWN - Geologic Atlases for Water Resource Management | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | $4,122,000 | Geologic atlases provide maps/databases essential for improved management of ground and surface water. This proposal will complete current projects and start new projects to equal about 10 complete atlases. |
| 2022-182 | McCann | Nicholas | Determining Effectiveness of Donkeys for Nonlethal Wolf Deterrence | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $349,000 | Wolf damage management costs Minnesota 7% of its wolves and >$750,000 annually. We will determine if guard donkeys (which attack canids) deter wolves from livestock, thereby reducing these costs. |
| 2022-187 | Forester | James | Mapping the Ecology of Urban and Rural Canids | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $550,000 | We will determine how disease prevalence, diet, habitat use, and inter-species interactions of coyote and red fox populations change from urban to rural areas along the Mississippi River corridor. |
| 2022-200 | Windmuller-Campione | Marcella | Maximizing Lowland Conifer Ecosystem Services: Phase 2 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $500,000 | Continue monitoring forested peatland network for hydrology and wildlife including a new species, bog lemming. Add measures to quantify above and below ground carbon by age and forest type. |
| 2022-204 | Shaw | Ruth | Healthy Prairies III: Restoring Minnesota's Prairie Plant Diversity | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $531,000 | We will collect native seed throughout Minnesota's prairie region, study microbial effects on plant survival, estimate the geographic scale and rate of adaptation, and communicate results aiding restoration and propagation. |
| 2022-215 | Tri | Andrew | What’s Causing Declines in Black Bear Reproduction | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $553,000 | We will examine why bear reproduction has declined in central and northwestern Minnesota using citizen-science to collect samples from hunters to assess reproduction, health, and exposure to disease and pesticides. |
| 2022-217 | Larsen | Peter | Establishing a Center for Prion Research and Outreach | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | $4,356,000 | Responding to the immediate need for cohesive research efforts focused on a prion disease that is spreading across Minnesota through the formation of an innovative and multidisciplinary research center. |
| 2022-226 | Carstensen | Michelle | Neonicotinoid Impacts on Minnesota Deer and Prairie Chickens | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $1,060,000 | We will examine impacts of neonicotinoid exposure on game species in Minnesota by collecting samples from deer and prairie chickens where low and high neonicotinoid concentrations were previously determined. |
| 2022-238 | Rowe | Erika | Expanding the Minnesota Ecological Monitoring Network | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $800,000 | This project proposes to expand the Ecological Monitoring Network by establishing an additional 250 plots to inform the conservation and management of Minnesota’s native forests, wetlands, prairies. |
| 2022-247 | Whitfeld | Timothy | Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas - Phase 3 | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | $593,000 | We propose to expand the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas, an online natural resource management tool, to include 2.5 million records by integrating expert observations and specimen records from multiple organizations. |
| 2022-266 | Anderson | Neil | Sweetening the Crop: Perennial Flax for Ecosystem Benefits | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $791,000 | We will produce, select, and evaluate how perennial flax provides ecosystem (pollinator) services for the environment while enhancing yield for oilseed, fiber, and nectar/honey production. |
| 2022-275 | Duncan | Nancy | Beavers, Trees and Climate - Increasing Floodplain Forest Resilience | National Park Service, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area | $430,000 | Climate change, beaver herbivory and Emerald Ash Borer are significant threats to upper Mississippi floodplain forests. Our extensive partnership is identifying solutions to save floodplain wildlife habitat before it disappears. |
| Subtotal | $22,766,000 | |||||
| A. Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 14 Proposals / Subtotal - $2,571,000) |
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| 2022-043 | Grinde | Alexis | Improving Golden-Winged Warbler Conservation and Habitat Restoration | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $197,000 | Assess Golden-winged Warbler productivity throughout the breeding season and inform habitat restoration to conserve Minnesota’s biodiversity. |
| 2022-045 | Huberty | Brian | Charting Minnesota’s Future Natural Resources | SharedGeo | $142,000 | Create a recommendation report to coordinate and collaborate future collections of aerial and satellite imagery to help Minnesotans make better decisions for natural resource management and emergency response. |
| 2022-048 | Harris | Fred | Enhancing Natural Resource Conservation through Species Distribution Modeling | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $200,000 | Create Species Distribution Models (SDMs) for rare species in Minnesota to provide new tools for natural areas conservation and rare species surveys. |
| 2022-068 | Moen | Ron | Minnesota Mammal Atlas | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $116,000 | The Minnesota Mammal Atlas will be a one-stop solution for knowledge on all Minnesota mammal species |
| 2022-069 | Moen | Ron | Effects of Road Mortality on Minnesota Wildlife | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $183,000 | Study road mortality of wildlife species in Minnesota and identify ways to reduce frequency of animal-vehicle collisions to conserve wildlife and improve safety on Minnesota roads |
| 2022-109 | Gross | Briana | Status of Minnesota Blueberries and Relatives | U of MN, Duluth | $191,000 | Northeastern Minnesota is home to several native, edible blueberries and related berries. This project will assess how land management practices impact the reproductive and genetic health of four key species. |
| 2022-138 | Stanton | Daniel | Moss and Lichens of Minnesota Prairies and Meadows | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $160,000 | Mosses, lichens and cyanobacteria are an overlooked part of our prairies and meadows as "biocrusts". This project will document this forgotten diversity and its important functions. |
| 2022-153 | Bracey | Annie | WITHDRAWN - Conserving Black Terns and Forster's Terns in Minnesota-Resubmission | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $199,000 | Black and Forster’s tern populations have declined. Comprehensive assessment of distribution and breeding status will identify population limiting factors to inform best management practices and prioritize conservation and restoration. |
| 2022-163 | Wickert | Andrew | Land-Use and Climate Impacts on Minnesota's Whitewater River | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $199,000 | Augment, digitize and disseminate repeat topographic surveys of the Whitewater River valley since 1939, which provide critical information for sustainable land and water management. |
| 2022-185 | Aukema | Brian | Protecting Minnesota's Spruce-Fir Forests from Tree-Killing Budworm | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $189,000 | Spruce budworm is native to Minnesota and the most significant tree killer in spruce-balsam fir forests. This project studies why populations increase to improve management opportunities in affected forests/regions. |
| 2022-193 | David | Andrew | Restoration of Eastern Hemlock; Minnesota's Endangered Tree Species | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $199,000 | This project will develop planting guidelines for eastern hemlock, Minnesota's only endangered tree species from four different seed sources planted on four different sites across northeast and north central Minnesota. |
| 2022-208 | Salomon | Christine | Characterizing Microbial Diversity of Ephemeral Minnesota Wetlands | U of MN, College of Pharmacy | $200,000 | Collection of foundational information about unique microbial species associated with plants, animals, insects and sediments in vernal (ephemeral) wetland pools throughout Minnesota that serve as critical and threatened habitat |
| 2022-225 | Breidenbach | Virginia | Native Plant Community Data in City of Duluth | Minnesota Land Trust | $198,000 | Develop Native Plant Community data and maps for the City of Duluth and St. Louis River estuary to support conservation and restoration activities. |
| 2022-254 | Petersen | Jessica | WITHDRAWN - Tools for Supporting Healthy Ecosystems and Pollinators | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $198,000 | Create a pollination companion guide to MNDNR’s Field Guides to Native Plant Communities for conservation practitioners to better integrate plant-pollinator interactions into natural resource planning and decision-making. |
| Subtotal | $2,571,000 | |||||
| B. Water Resources (RECEIVED: 34 Proposals / Subtotal - $17,503,000) |
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| 2022-046 | Jordan | Nicholas | Scaling A Market-Driven Water-Quality Solution for Row-Crop Farming | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $835,000 | Adding a year of grain/winter camelina production to Minnesota crop rotations provides a highly scalable market-driven clean-water solution; our pilot supply chains will accelerate wide adoption of this solution. |
| 2022-053 | Ruan | Roger | Advanced Anaerobic Digestion for Organic Waste Utilization | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $523,000 | Overcome technical issues faced by anaerobic digestion industry through blending and pretreatment of organic wastes, adjusting carbon/nitrogen ratio, optimizing operating parameters, effluent processing, ensuring complete treatment /utilization of wastewater. |
| 2022-056 | Montgomery | Brandon | Unsewered Area Pilot Program: NE MN Project Facilitator | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $450,000 | Currently, Minnesota has 975 unsewered areas. This pilot project focuses on the 258 unsewered areas in NE MN and tests whether in-community facilitators can generate, and accelerate, wastewater solutions. |
| 2022-059 | Kang | Peter | Site Suitability for Aquifer Storage and Recovery | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $394,000 | We develop a GIS-based, site suitability mapping tool for aquifer storage and recovery; use it to evaluate several aquifers; and demonstrate it with field tests in a controlled setting. |
| 2022-063 | Groten | Joel | Website Development: Statewide Sediment Estimates Improves River Restoration | US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center | $250,000 | Develop a publicly accessible website tool to estimate sediment in Minnesota's Rivers lacking sampled data. This website is needed by the public and resource managers for river protection and restoration. |
| 2022-079 | Griffin | Daniel | Rainfall History Recovered from Old Oak Tree Rings | U of MN, College of Liberal Arts | $570,000 | We will use tree rings to recover rainfall history over the last 250-300+ years. We will organize workshops and multimedia resources to communicate our findings with stakeholder communities across Minnesota. |
| 2022-086 | Baker | Lawrence | Can We Turn Our Cities' Green Lakes Blue? | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $632,000 | This project seeks to find new ways to reduce impairment of Minnesota's urban lakes in ways that are more effective and less expensive, moving upstream to the source of pollution. |
| 2022-087 | LaPara | Timothy | High Temperature Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $302,000 | This research project will demonstrate that high temperature anaerobic digestion is highly effective at treating sewage sludge, particularly with respect to destroying disease-causing microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes. |
| 2022-095 | Breneman | Dan | Evaluating Locally Sourced BIOCHAR for Restoring Impaired Waterbodies | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $278,000 | Laboratory research on St. Louis River sediments will evaluate biochar as an amendment for managing moderate-level contamination in aquatic habitats, introducing potential market opportunities for Minnesota’s wood product industries. |
| 2022-098 | Hozalski | Raymond | Assessing Prevalence of Brain-Eating Amoeba in Minnesota Lakes | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $487,000 | This research project will determine the presence and concentration of the brain-eating amoeba (Naegleria fowleri) in Minnesota Lakes and identify lake characteristics that correlate with occurrence of the amoeba. |
| 2022-099 | Yang | Judy | Mitigating Cyanobacterial Blooms and Toxins Using Clay-Algae Flocculation | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $366,000 | We plan to develop a clay-algae flocculation method to mitigate cyanobacterial blooms, which produce toxins that contaminate drinking water and cause mass mortalities in fishes and other animals in Minnesota. |
| 2022-103 | Ozersky | Ted | Changing Winters and Game Fish in Minnesota Lakes | U of MN, Duluth - Large Lakes Observatory | $267,000 | Winter is a critical period for game fish recruitment and survival, yet little is known about winter lake ecology. We will determine how changing winter conditions affect Minnesota’s fish resources. |
| 2022-116 | Baker | Anna | Rainy River Drivers of Lake-of-the-Woods Algal Blooms | US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center | $683,000 | Guiding management for reduction of phosphorus inputs to Lake of the Woods by examining sources, mobility, and storage of sediment-bound phosphorus within Rainy River. |
| 2022-129 | Hansen | Gretchen | Causes and Consequences of Lake Water Quality Change | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $397,000 | Understanding causes and consequences of changing water clarity in Minnesota’s lakes can enable effective conservation and prioritize actions to locations where it will have the highest impact for fish habitat |
| 2022-141 | Novak | Paige | Enhancing Biodegradation of Emerging Contaminants via Microbial Starvation | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $263,000 | Our research will provide concrete data to improve the design of waste-, storm-, or drinking water systems to biodegrade mixtures of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other contaminants of emerging concern |
| 2022-152 | Twine | Tracy | Water and Climate Information to Enhance Community Resilience | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $564,000 | To support Minnesota’s climate resiliency investments, we will generate critical water resources information and share it with impacted communities and individuals to guide adaptation planning and water resources management. |
| 2022-155 | Ulrich | Bridget | Catch and Reveal: Discovering Unknown Fish Contamination Threats | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $276,000 | Harmful “forever chemicals” were recently discovered in rainbow smelt- what else are we missing? We seek to protect anglers and their families by uncovering unknown contamination threats to Minnesota fish. |
| 2022-164 | Beck | Brian | Leveraging Innovations in Data Analytics for Project Implementation | Minnehaha Creek Watershed District | $791,000 | Integrating local and statewide datasets into a 21st-century planning tool, widely called for by our communities, that forecasts the impacts of changing precipitation patterns and quantitatively compares cost-effective solutions. |
| 2022-175 | Keegan | Bill | WITHDRAWN - Innovative PFAS Solution to Protect Minnesota Natural Resources | Dem-Con | $750,000 | Protection of State’s drinking water resources and natural resources by eliminating a new Contaminant of Emerging Concern (CEC) known as Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from point source discharges. |
| 2022-184 | Penn | Lee | Microplastics from Paint Chips: Impact on Contaminant Transport | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $471,000 | Paint chips release microplastics into the environment. We propose to determine how microplastics from paint chips impact the fate and transport of contaminants of concern in Minnesota waters. |
| 2022-191 | Cui | Tianhong | Solar Powered Sensor for Monitoring Pesticide in Water | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $300,000 | The project aims to develop a small, cheap, solar-powered sensor with data storage to continuously monitor pesticide pollutants in very large areas of lakes and rivers in Minnesota. |
| 2022-192 | Cui | Tianhong | Smart Purification System for Clean Drinking Water | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $352,000 | We propose to develop a smart system to purify drinking water while monitoring pollutants with tiny sensors. The purification system is very efficient, small, cheap, simple, and easy to use. |
| 2022-201 | Novak | Paige | WITHDRAWN - Technology for Energy-Generating Onsite Industrial Wastewater Treatment | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $352,000 | We will advance an “off the shelf” technology to treat industrial wastewater onsite, turning pollutants into energy and treated water. This will lead to water quality benefits and cost savings. |
| 2022-206 | Arnold | William | Mapping Pollutant Sources across Land Use Gradients | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $420,000 | The relative importance of sources of nutrients and emerging contaminants to the Twin Cities Metropolitan area will be quantified to help make better decisions for water quality protection and improvement. |
| 2022-218 | Erickson | Andy | Removing CECs from Stormwater with Biofiltration | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $646,000 | This project will optimize a treatment practice design for removing contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) from stormwater runoff using biofiltration media. Guidance will be developed for stormwater managers statewide. |
| 2022-224 | Phelps | Nicholas | Is the Tire Chemical 6PPDq Killing Minnesota's Fish? | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $491,000 | A newly discovered and highly toxic tire-derived chemical (6PPDq) may be impacting Minnesota's fish populations - we will optimize detection methods, determine occurrence in the environment, and evaluate risk statewide. |
| 2022-230 | Wright | Natasha | WITHDRAWN - Managing Highly Saline Waste from Municipal Water Treatment | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $266,000 | We aim to develop a cost- and energy-efficient method of managing concentrated saline waste from municipal desalination plants, increasing the economic feasibility of centralized water softening and sulfate removal. |
| 2022-235 | Downing | John | Different Causes=Different Cures for Murky Lakes | U of MN, Duluth - Sea Grant | $769,000 | We build on recent ENTRF-funded work showing decreased clarity in north-central lakes, leveraging a unique dataset and a unique team to diagnose causes, prescribe cures and stop or reverse it. |
| 2022-257 | Sattar | Junaed | Automated Weed Management for Herbicide Water Runoff Reduction | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $816,000 | This project will quantify the effect of herbicide use in precision agriculture on water quality using observations from autonomous underwater and aerial vehicles towards environmental sustainability and cost-effective weed control. |
| 2022-264 | Edlund | Mark | WITHDRAWN - Unprecedented Change Threatens Minnesota’s Pristine Lakes | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | $850,000 | Why are Minnesota's nicest lakes turning green? We determine what’s causing this change and which lakes are most at risk. |
| 2022-265 | Deng | Shaobo | Innovative Technology for PFAS Destruction in Drinking Water | U of MN, Southern Research and Outreach Center | $500,000 | Develop and demonstrate a novel and efficient process based on continuous liquid-phase plasma discharge technology to decompose /destroy Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. |
| 2022-269 | Stapleton | Seth | WITHDRAWN - Expanding Restoration and Promoting Awareness of Native Mussels | Minnesota Zoological Society | $415,000 | The Minnesota Zoo will improve mussel conservation by rearing juvenile mussels for reintroduction, researching methods to improve growth and survival in captivity, and encouraging public action to benefit water quality. |
| 2022-272 | Edlund | Mark | Salt Threatens Minnesota Water Quality and Fisheries | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | $1,228,000 | Salt levels are rising in Minnesota lakes, and biological impacts may be worse than we think. We determine effects on water quality and foodwebs, and how to save our lakes. |
| 2022-286 | St. Lawrence | Mark | Emerging PFAS Contaminant Mitigation Using Hybrid Engineered Wetlands | St. Louis County | $501,000 | This project will result in the design, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative method for protection of water resources and mitigation of emerging water contaminants in landfill leachate; specifically, PFAS. |
| Subtotal | $17,503,000 | |||||
| B. Water Resources H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 11 Proposals / Subtotal - $1,892,000) |
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| 2022-049 | Ruan | Roger | Destruct Per/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Landfill Leachates | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $200,000 | Develop and examine physical, biological, thermochemical, and photochemical methods for destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in landfill leachate. |
| 2022-094 | Boser | Sarah | Comprehensive Management Plan - Big Birch Lake | Sauk River Watershed District | $25,000 | Development of a Comprehensive Lake Management Plan, complete with an adaptive management strategy, communications and outreach strategy and materials, and actions required to meet goals identified in Comprehensive Management Plan. |
| 2022-134 | Ishii | Satoshi | Algal Granule Bioreactors for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $200,000 | This project will develop novel algae bioreactors to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in agricultural runoff, thereby improving surface water quality. |
| 2022-157 | Luke | Charlene | Enhanced Protection and Preservation of Lake Fourteen Waters | Lake Fourteen Clear Water Alliance (LFCWA) | $136,000 | This proactive project will provide baseline data critical for efficient and effective resource management decisions focused on maintaining and enhancing water quality in, and beneficial uses of Lake Fourteen. |
| 2022-166 | Ulrich | Jason | Increased Intense Rain and Flooding in Minnesota's Watersheds | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | $192,000 | The causes of increased flooding and the most cost-effective solutions for reducing flood risk will be determined for the Cottonwood River watershed and nine other agricultural watersheds in southern Minnesota. |
| 2022-213 | Simon | Terrence | Toxic Algae Removal System Powered by Solar Energy | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $200,000 | We propose to develop a cheap and efficient water purification system powered by solar energy that can simultaneously remove algae and organic pollutants from lakes and rivers in Minnesota. |
| 2022-219 | Herb | William | Big Waves and Their Impact on Lake Shorelines | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $199,000 | This project will develop information and tools needed to manage large boat waves and wind waves impacting shorelines on typical Minnesota lakes. |
| 2022-234 | Hill | Craig | Monitoring Wind and Boat Waves Using IoT Technology | U of MN, Duluth | $196,000 | This project demonstrates low-cost long-range IoT sensor and telemetry technology, providing Minnesota communities opportunities to implement affordable methods to monitor water and wave conditions influenced by weather and recreational activity. |
| 2022-242 | Hill | Kimberly | Freeze-Thaw and Flood-Drought Cycling on Streambank Erosion | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $199,000 | This project will study streambank erodibility as it varies with embankment materials, vegetation, and freeze-thaw / drought-flood cycling toward reducing sediment loading and protecting near-bank infrastructure and habitat. |
| 2022-251 | Tallaksen | Joel | Mitigations Strategies for Agroplastic PFAS and Microplastic Contamination | U of MN, WCROC | $169,000 | This project examines strategies to reduce water and land contamination from microplastics, PFASs, and other contaminants due to plastics use in agriculture (agroplastics) and their limited recycling options |
| 2022-285 | Kiesling | Richard | Trace Metal Benchmarks for NE Minnesota Lakes | US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center | $176,000 | This project will establish baseline trace metal accumulation rates and pre-industrial and pre-mining sediment trace metal benchmarks for a chain of lakes downstream of proposed copper-nickel mining area in Minnesota. |
| Subtotal | $1,892,000 | |||||
| C. Environmental Education (RECEIVED: 16 Proposals / Subtotal - $9,311,000) |
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| 2022-007 | Remucal | David | Cultivating Minnesota's Next Generation of Natural Heritage Protectors | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | $480,000 | Create a long-term appreciation for Minnesota’s natural heritage through immersive leading-edge research in diverse grade school classrooms, brought together across MN to engage and work with professional conservation researchers. |
| 2022-026 | Born | Patty | Teacher Field School: Stewardship through Nature-Based Education | Hamline University | $500,000 | We create an immersive, research-backed field school addressing a gap in teachers’ preparedness and willingness to use nature-based education to benefit student well-being and academic outcomes while increasing stewardship habits. |
| 2022-029 | Wood | Bryan | Increasing K-12 Student Learning to Achieve ENRTF's Goals | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | $1,800,000 | Minnesota's six accredited residential environmental learning centers (RELCs) will provide life-changing, immersive multi-day environmental learning experiences to a minimum statewide distribution of 25,000 K-12 students, achieving ENRTF's goals. |
| 2022-066 | Cariveau | Alison | Expanding Access to Wildlife Learning Bird by Bird | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $276,000 | Bird by Bird engages young people in wildlife conservation with three approaches: 1. Bird watching in schools, 2. Young adult outdoor leadership training, 3. Neighborhood bird walks inspiring community engagement. |
| 2022-083 | Thompson | Seth | Connecting Minnesotans to Water through Informal Environmental Education | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $445,000 | The primary goal of this project is to cultivate a new generation of environmental stewards by providing informal hands-on learning opportunities in the environmental sciences to Minnesotans across the state. |
| 2022-084 | Thompson | Seth | Sparking Curiosity through Hands-On Environmental Education in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $298,000 | We will provide teacher professional development, inquiry-based classroom activities, and sustained mentorship to deliver high quality environmental education to high school students in both the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. |
| 2022-100 | Dorn | Cindy | WITHDRAWN - Statewide Environmental Education via PBS Outdoor Series | Pioneer Public Television | $300,000 | Pioneer PBS will produce 26 new episodes of a statewide television series designed to inspire Minnesotans to connect with the outdoors and to restore and protect our valuable natural resources. |
| 2022-104 | Gagner | Alyson | Illuminate the Natural World and Inspire Its Conservation | YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities | $492,000 | Provide scholarships for 450 young people from areas of persistent poverty and support transportation to bring them to camp for science outdoors and to gain understanding of conservation and preservation. |
| 2022-160 | Hobbs | Joy | LCCMR Stories: Sharing Minnesota's Biggest Environmental Investment | Science Museum of Minnesota | $604,000 | The Science Museum of Minnesota will relay the results of LCCMR-funded research to public audiences; dissemination will include a free online interactive map, in-depth videos, and public events. |
| 2022-169 | Schmitt | Lee | ESTEP (Earth Science Teacher Education Project) | Minnesota Science Teachers Association | $495,000 | The Earth Science Teacher Education Project (ESTEP) will provide statewide professional development for Minnesota science teachers in Environmental and Earth Science content and pedagogy to strengthen environmental education in schools. |
| 2022-240 | Loon | Deborah | WITHDRAWN - Mentoring the Next Generation of Conservation Professionals | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust Inc | $708,000 | Internships and apprenticeships on the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge will introduce 52 diverse young people over two years to careers in the conservation field. |
| 2022-241 | Thompson | Molly | North Shore Private Forestry Outreach Education and Implementation | Sugarloaf The North Shore Stewardship Association | $375,000 | The North Shore Forest Collaborative (via Sugarloaf) seeks to contract foresters to perform a concerted private land forestry outreach to restore ecological health to Minnesota’s North Shore forest landscape. |
| 2022-249 | Lenczewski | John | Strengthening Watershed Stewardship through Outdoor Youth Education | Minnesota Trout Unlimited | $298,000 | Hands-on learning outdoors will focus on water quality, groundwater, aquatic life and students’ role as watershed stewards. Angling and volunteer opportunities for students and families will foster a conservation ethic. |
| 2022-280 | Rice | Rebecca | Trees for Equity | Metro Blooms | $598,000 | Pilot project engaging residents in environmental justice areas of concern in three cities statewide to plant native trees in bioswales to maximize environmental benefits and stewardship and to measure impact. |
| 2022-282 | Edmiston | Julie | WITHDRAWN - Minnesota Freshwater Quest: Environmental Education for 30,000 Youth | Wilderness Inquiry | $1,432,000 | 30,000 diverse and underserved Minnesota youth (grades 6-12) participate in place-based, STEM environmental education to explore and preserve local ecosystems and waterways through the Minnesota Freshwater Quest online program. |
| 2022-283 | Cleary | Pete | Dodge Nature Center Naturalist for Outreach and Inclusion | Dodge Nature Center | $210,000 | Through a new naturalist position for outreach, Dodge Nature Center will improve inclusive practices and extend environmental education to students and communities we’ve not previously engaged. |
| Subtotal | $9,311,000 | |||||
| C. Environmental Education H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 15 Proposals / Subtotal - $2,607,000) |
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| 2022-022 | Capel | Paul | Reaching Minnesota’s Recent Immigrant Community with Environmental Education | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $177,000 | With Minnesota’s recent immigrant high school students as liaisons, this will identify the priority needs for environment education for their local communities, help develop, and communicate these educational materials. |
| 2022-060 | Zimmermann | Candice | Enhancing Outdoor Education and Conservation Awareness | Paul Bunyan Arboretum | $154,000 | This project will enhance and expand the nature-based educational opportunities for all ages, including at-risk youth, in partnership with the school district, local nonprofit organizations, daycare centers, and homeschool families. |
| 2022-085 | Thompson | Seth | Supporting Community-Based Water Conservation through Public Engagement | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $125,000 | To cultivate community-based water conservation, we will host a series of events focused on facilitating conversation about environmental sustainability and water conversation, specifically integrating western science and Indigenous perspective. |
| 2022-093 | Heneghan | Natalie | Statewide Deconstruction Education Program | Preservation Alliance of Minnesota d.b.a Rethos: Places Reimagined | $186,000 | Rethos: Places Reimagined and Better Futures MN will conduct statewide training on the practice and environmental benefits of building deconstruction, providing hands-on, accessible education to Minnesota contractors and property owners. |
| 2022-096 | Furuseth | Lee | Mobile Lab Science Comes to You | Headwaters Science Center | $134,000 | A mobile science lab and off-site programs allow structured process for informal education presenting children (students) and adults opportunities to think, formulate, organize, and present science phenomena. |
| 2022-107 | Kilgore | Amy | Engaging a Diverse Public in Environmental Stewardship | Great River Greening | $200,000 | We will increase community awareness of natural resources through directed outreach and engagement targeting a diverse audience that more accurately reflects the community in which we are restoring natural areas. |
| 2022-162 | Swenson | Rebecca | Bugs Below Zero: Engaging Citizens in Winter Research | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $198,000 | Bugs Below Zero raises awareness about the winter life of bugs, inspires citizens and classrooms to unlock secrets of stream food webs, and engages new citizen scientists in research. |
| 2022-196 | Montgomery | Maggie | WITHDRAWN - Engaging Minnesotans with Phenology: Radio, Podcasts, Citizen Science | Northern Community Radio, Inc. | $198,000 | This education project will build the next generation of conservationists in Minnesota by engaging youth and adults in science and outdoor learning through radio, podcasts, citizen science and schoolyard exploration. |
| 2022-210 | Watkins | Eric | Lawn Sustainability through a Pilot Lawn Ambassador Program | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $136,000 | We will train a group of lawn ambassadors in the Twin Cities to deliver knowledge about sustainable lawn care through existing personal and neighborhood social networks. |
| 2022-212 | Swazee | Stephen | Emergency Location Markers for Minnesota's Parks and Trails | SharedGeo | $198,000 | Improve the enjoyment and safety of Minnesota’s trails and outdoor recreational areas by accelerating installation of Emergency Location Markers (ELM) on these public lands. |
| 2022-236 | Foster | Shelli-Kae | YES! Students Take Action-Complete 80+ Eco Projects | Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center | $199,000 | YES! (Youth Eco Solutions) will empower 300 Minnesota youth to connect with natural resource experts, identify ecological challenges in over 50 communities, and TAKE ACTION to complete 80+ innovative projects. |
| 2022-250 | Daniel | Mimi | Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers | MN DNR, Operational Services Division (OSD) | $182,000 | This collaborative project creates a college to workforce pathway for under-represented students interested in pursuing Natural Resources careers by reducing barriers that inhibit successful educational attainment. |
| 2022-259 | Caldwell | Wendy | Partnering for Pollinator Protection | Monarch Joint Venture | $123,000 | The Monarch Joint Venture will increase the efficiency and scale of pollinator conservation across the state by fostering an organized network of stakeholders in a multi-sector conservation consortium. |
| 2022-273 | Pulscher | MaryLynn | BioBlitzes Engaging Community in Scientific Efforts | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | $198,000 | MPRB will work strategically with allies and volunteers to collect baseline biodiversity data for neighborhood and regional parks to inspire stewardship and inform habitat restoration work. |
| 2022-279 | Safiq | Alexandrea | Diversity and Access to Wildlife Related Opportunities | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $199,000 | We will research : 1) interest in and preferences for experiences with nature and wildlife among diverse communities, and 2) barriers to more robust engagement with wildlife resources and activities. |
| Subtotal | $2,607,000 | |||||
| D. Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (RECEIVED: 6 Proposals / Subtotal - $15,376,000) | ||||||
| 2022-019 | McClannahan | Valerie | WITHDRAWN - Protect Community Forests by Managing Ash for EAB | MN DNR, Forestry Division | $5,930,000 | Project will reduce EAB through community developed management (inventory, canopy assessment, management plan, removal, non-neonicotinoid treatment) and improve their community forest by involving citizens and planting a diversity of trees. |
| 2022-067 | Koop | Heather | Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center | U of MN, MITPPC | $7,000,000 | The MITPPC requests $7 million to fund up to 20 new research projects to protect Minnesota's natural and agricultural resources from terrestrial invasive species. |
| 2022-186 | Abrahamson | Mark | Noxious Weed Grants for Local Governments / Tribal Nations | Minnesota Department of Agriculture | $1,000,000 | A continuation of M.L. 2019, First Special Session, Chp. 4, Art. 2, Subd. 6c Noxious Weed Detection and Eradication to provide critical funding to local governments and Tribal Nations for noxious weed prevention and management. |
| 2022-207 | Salomon | Christine | WITHDRAWN - White Nose Bat Syndrome Biological Control: Phase 3 | U of MN, College of Pharmacy | $449,000 | Testing of best biocontrol microbes for controlling white nose syndrome (WNS) in bats: Mapping of fungal pathogen, field testing, and assessment of a WNS-free cave with healthy bats |
| 2022-237 | Clark | Mark | Evaluating Bowfishing for Invasive Carp Control | U of MN, Duluth | $519,000 | Invasive fish degrade freshwater ecosystems. Recreational bowfishing has the potential to reduce carp populations. We will evaluate whether educational workshops combined with regulated bowfishing can effectively reduce carp numbers. |
| 2022-281 | Nerbonne | Brian | WITHDRAWN - Applying New Tools and Techniques Against Invasive Carp | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $478,000 | This project will enhance the current MN DNR Invasive Carp program by integrating new control and detection methods to manage invasive carp expansion in Minnesota waterways. |
| Subtotal | $15,376,000 | |||||
| D. Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 5 Proposals / Subtotal - $844,000) |
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| 2022-089 | Sickmann | Katie | Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Citizen Science Program | St. Croix River Association | $174,000 | Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Citizen Science Program aims to prevent and reduce purple loosestrife by engaging, educating and empowering citizens in using a biocontrol to protect and restore native ecosystems. |
| 2022-136 | Ruhland | Christopher | Photosynthetic Temperature Response of Parrot Feather (Myriophyllum Aquaticum) | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | $151,000 | Parrot feather is potentially invasive to Minnesota waters. Little is known about its ability to photosynthesize and survive under ice, and as such its ability to expand its invasive range. |
| 2022-139 | Brady | Valerie | WITHDRAWN - How Effective and Protective are AIS Removal Methods? | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $122,000 | The best way to prevent aquatic invasive species spread is to stop the transfer of water and living material between lakes. We will test how well boat cleaning methods work. |
| 2022-256 | Edlund | Mark | WITHDRAWN - Invasive Rock Snot Threatens North Shore Streams | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | $197,000 | We examine the recent spread, origin, cause, and economic and ecological threat of nuisance rock snot formation in North Shore streams and Lake Superior to inform management and outreach. |
| 2022-261 | Sadowsky | Maurice | Commercialization Safe, Selective and Low-Cost Carp Piscicide | MJSTI Corp. | $200,000 | The project commercializes a proved-on Koi and patented (US 10,617,119,) a safe (FDA additives), selective by digestion and low-cost piscicide with the goal of controlling invasive carps. |
| Subtotal | $844,000 | |||||
| E. Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (RECEIVED: 18 Proposals / Subtotal - $9,651,000) | ||||||
| 2022-028 | Hamilton | Patrick | Advanced Aquifer Heat Transfer Technology for Buildings | Science Museum of Minnesota | $606,000 | Pilot project to document the efficacy of new, advanced aquifer heat transfer technology that uses the earth to reduce dramatically the costs and carbon emissions of heating and cooling buildings. |
| 2022-054 | Ruan | Roger | Nitrogen Fixation and Nitrate Concentration for Land Crops | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $802,000 | Develop a novel technology to produce high-concentration nitrogen fertilizers from water and air using catalytic non-thermal plasma coupled with a nitrate concentration system |
| 2022-055 | Ruan | Roger | Chemical and Molecular Recycling of Environmental Plastics | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $910,000 | Develop a novel pyrolysis-reforming technology to convert waste plastics to high quality naphtha for new plastic production and recover the non-condensable pyrolytic gas for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hydrogen production. |
| 2022-071 | Barry | Brian | Using Minnesota Timber to Mitigate Landfill Methane Emissions | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $1,235,000 | Develop a landfill cover that sustainably reduces greenhouse gas emissions through natural biological processes. Test pods will be used to simulate landfill covers and demonstrate emission reductions in Minnesota’s climate. |
| 2022-072 | Wilson | David | Merging lidar and Satellite Imagery for Carbon Estimation | MN DNR, Forestry Division | $344,000 | We will use lidar and Landsat data to provide spatially and temporally discrete estimates of biomass and carbon flux for disturbed and undisturbed forest landscapes. |
| 2022-077 | Singsaas | Eric | Biochar Soil Amendment to Improve Urban Tree Survival | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $397,000 | We will demonstrate opportunities to turn waste wood from dying trees into biochar to supplement soils for urban tree plantings. Biochar stores carbon and helps to improve sapling establishment. |
| 2022-090 | Wright | Christopher | Reforestation Projects for Carbon Markets | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $247,000 | With a modest public investment we will build the technical and institutional infrastructure required for a substantial tree planting effort to address climate change as a Minnesota-based, "Natural Climate Solution". |
| 2022-092 | Toan | Sam | Reducing Greenhouse Gases through CO2 Conversion to Ethanol | U of MN, Duluth | $400,000 | To mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota, we propose CO2 capture and conversion to ethanol with nano-fluids as the sorbent and electrolyte, enhanced by a non-noble metal single-atom three-dimensional graphene electrocatalyst. |
| 2022-117 | Cotner | James | How Do Lakes Influence Minnesota's Carbon Budget? | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $499,000 | Minnesota has inventoried the major sources of greenhouse gases but lakes have not been included. We will fill that gap by measuring the release of three greenhouse gases from them. |
| 2022-177 | Gerber | James | Pathways to Reduced Emissions while Improving Land Use | U of MN, Institute on the Environment | $597,000 | Develop pathways and assessment tools with stakeholder input to help MN reach zero greenhouse gas emissions goals in agriculture and land use. |
| 2022-180 | Leighton | Chris | Green Solar Cells from a Minnesota Natural Resource | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $756,000 | Recent U of M breakthroughs will be built upon to realize the first truly environmentally friendly solar cells, simultaneously unlocking exciting new renewable energy opportunities for the MN Iron Range. |
| 2022-190 | Li | Jiayu | Quantify Air Exposure Levels of Different Demographic Groups | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $360,000 | We plan on evaluating indoor air quality and estimate pollution exposure levels of the population with low-cost air quality sensors. This proposal can advance environmental justice. |
| 2022-199 | Li | Jiayu | Quantify On-Farm Methane Emissions with Low-Cost Sensor Networks | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $425,000 | We will characterize and deploy a suite of low-cost methane sensors for quantifying on-farm methane emissions. |
| 2022-211 | Watkins | Eric | Climate Resilient Lawns for Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $479,000 | There is a need to develop turfgrasses for Minnesota greenspaces that are more resilient to warming winters, hotter summers, and increased flooding rains. |
| 2022-231 | Kortshagen | Uwe | Minnesota Renewable Energy Jobs through Technology Commercialization | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $332,000 | The program will support a fellowship program that trains graduate students in the commercialization of renewable energy technologies developed at the University of Minnesota. |
| 2022-232 | Shen | Lian | Study of Fog in Minnesota Climate and Environment | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $340,000 | We will study the generation of fog and its life cycle in Minnesota environment, its effects on snow melting, climate change influences, and traffic and health hazards caused by fog. |
| 2022-239 | Ferry | Vivian | Transparent Solar Panes for Agrivoltaics | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $404,000 | This project will create solar panes for greenhouses that simultaneously generate electricity from sunlight and promote plant growth. |
| 2022-252 | Li | Jiayu | Quantify Indoor Air Quality Improvement with Air Purifiers | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $518,000 | This proposal will characterize various air purifiers to examine how they can improve indoor air quality and ventilation conditions. |
| Subtotal | $9,651,000 | |||||
| E. Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 7 Proposals / Subtotal - $1,306,000) |
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| 2022-050 | Ruan | Roger | Remove Pollutants from Landfill Air Emissions | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $200,000 | Develop and evaluate catalytic nonthermal plasma based process to compose hazardous gaseous compounds in landfill emissions. |
| 2022-051 | Ruan | Roger | Nitrogen Fixation from Atmosphere for Urban Hydroponics | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $200,000 | Develop a novel technology to produce nitrogen fertilizers from water and air using catalytic non-thermal plasma for urban food production. |
| 2022-052 | Ruan | Roger | Produce Carbon Nanotube and Hydrogen from Waste Plastics | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $200,000 | Develop a catalytic chemical vapor deposition (cCVD) technology to produce high quality carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hydrogen from non-condensable pyrolytic gas recovered from waste plastic pyrolysis. |
| 2022-120 | Tucker | Rebecca | Biochar Implementation in Habitat Restoration: Pilot | Great River Greening | $176,000 | Implement the use of biochar kilns as a low carbon emitting, biologically beneficial alternative to woody material disposal in habitat restoration projects. |
| 2022-179 | Bazurto | Jannell | Employing the Plant Microbiome to Protect Minnesota Plants | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $162,000 | We will isolate beneficial plant microbes, characterize their ability to protect plants from temperature stress, and employ them to protect various plant hosts from extreme temperatures associated with climate change. |
| 2022-189 | Sarkanen | Simo | Processing Biodegradable Plastics from Cloquet Pulp Mill Lignin | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $198,000 | Pollution from conventional plastics will be reduced by creating biodegradable replacements from pulp-mill byproduct lignins. Successful compounding and injection-molding conditions for these biodegradable plastics will attract industrial interest. |
| 2022-291 | Hill | Blaine | Morris GHG Emissions Inventory and Mitigation Strategies | City of Morris | $170,000 | Conduct GHG emissions inventory of City and County operations within the operational boundary of the Morris Model partnership, implement policy to achieve regional targeted reductions, and document and disseminate findings |
| Subtotal | $1,306,000 | |||||
| F. Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat (RECEIVED: 27 Proposals / Subtotal - $32,218,000) | ||||||
| 2022-006 | Remucal | David | Minnesota’s Volunteer Rare Plant Conservation Corps | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | $859,000 | Establish a volunteer corps to survey, monitor and bank seed for rare plant populations around the state, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiencies of conservation efforts of multiple stakeholders across Minnesota. |
| 2022-018 | Smith | Brittany | Rare Species Habitat Restoration | River Bend Nature Center | $223,000 | Preserve and restore rare species habitat and diversity in the Big Woods and Prairies of River Bend Nature Center by managing invasive species, establishing pollinator habitat, and increasing habitat connectivity. |
| 2022-034 | Miller | Brian | Conservation Corps Veterans Service Corps Program | Conservation Corps Minnesota | $1,504,000 | To provide more and better natural resource restoration to Minnesota and create workforce development opportunities for the state’s veterans, Conservation Corps proposes to create a Veterans Service Corps program. |
| 2022-047 | Bruse | Tanner | Conservation Cooperative for Working Lands | Pheasants Forever Inc | $4,993,000 | Increasing federal conservation dollars coming to Minnesota by expanding technical expertise for working lands programs available to landowners. This project enhances our natural resources providing public benefits for every Minnesotan. |
| 2022-058 | Pederson | Eric | Pollinator Habitat Pilot Project at Closed Landfills | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $1,375,000 | Create the maximum acres of pollinator habitat at five Closed Landfill Program sites. These sites will act as pilot projects to inform future pollinator habitat reconstruction projects in the program. |
| 2022-062 | Foehrenbacher | Colleen | Root River Habitat Restoration Project | Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center | $790,000 | The Root River Restoration project is 3,300 linear feet of stream bank and instream habitat restoration located within Eagle Bluff and state owned land north of Lanesboro, Minnesota. |
| 2022-065 | Jenkins | Chris | Hastings Lake Rebecca Park Area | City of Hastings, Parks & Recreation | $2,000,000 | Lake Rebecca Park Area Redevelopment & Restoration |
| 2022-137 | Hogan | Christopher | Minnesota Center for Agricultural Spray Drift Reduction | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $1,090,000 | The University of Minnesota will establish a center devoted to developing and implementing protocols and technologies to mitigate the impacts of pesticide spray drift on water and land habitats. |
| 2022-142 | Winter | Colleen | RDB | City of Melrose | $1,105,000 | The Sauk River Channel Restoration project includes 1,000 linear feet of channel realignment and instream habitat restoration located adjacent to the Sauk River Dam within the City of Melrose Minnesota. |
| 2022-145 | Gordon | Brad | Restoring Forests and Savannas Using Silvopasture- Phase 2 | Great River Greening | $618,000 | Demonstrate, evaluate, and increase adoption of silvopasture - the combined use of tree, forage, and grazing management - as a method to restore and manage forests and savannas across Minnesota |
| 2022-146 | Weiss | Eric | Minnesota Green Schoolyards | The Trust for Public Land | $1,088,000 | Environmentally-focused renovation of three schoolyards, designed through student- and community-centered design process, to be park-like spaces that demonstrate water, air, and habitat improvements and foster next-generation stewards. |
| 2022-167 | Snell-Rood | Emilie | Pollinator Plantings and the Redistribution of Soil Toxins | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $610,000 | This research will test whether plantings for pollinators can remediate soils impacted by metals (like lead) and emerging contaminants (like microplastics) through the redistribution of toxins to safer areas. |
| 2022-174 | Tucker | Rebecca | WITHDRAWN - Pollinator Central: Habitat Improvement with Citizen Monitoring | Great River Greening | $981,000 | Restore / enhance 500 acres of pollinator habitat on 20 traditional and nontraditional sites, from Hastings to St. Cloud, to benefit pollinators and build knowledge of the impacts through citizen monitoring. |
| 2022-181 | Luokkala | Lisa | Mitigating the Effects of Visitor Use Patterns | Superior Hiking Trail Association | $485,000 | Rehabilitate and renew the Trail for a more resilient future in the midst of unprecedented use. Employ modern-day sustainable trail maintenance and design strategies to address an aged trail system. |
| 2022-209 | Ferrington | Leonard | Winter Dynamics of Trout Streams: Southeast/Southcentral Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $497,000 | Warming temperatures resulting from climate change will affect trout populations in Minnesota. Streams of Minnesota are particularly vulnerable. We will model winter dynamics to identify the most vulnerable headwater streams |
| 2022-214 | Hu | Bo | Phytoremediation for Extracting Deicing Salt | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $507,000 | We propose to develop application methods to apply native plants that can adsorb salts to be planted on the roadside to address the environmental concerns over deicing road salts. |
| 2022-221 | Beyer | Jamie | Mustinka River Fish and Wildlife Habitat Corridor Rehabilitation | Bois de Sioux Watershed District | $3,025,000 | The Mustinka River Fish and Wildlife Habitat Corridor project will permanently rehabilitate a 5-mile straightened reach of the Mustinka River to a naturally functioning stream channel and floodplain. |
| 2022-223 | Yavarow | Matthew | Phelps Mill Wetland and Prairie Restoration | Otter Tail County | $792,000 | Restoration of 28 acres of prairie and 20 acres of wetland along 3/4 miles of the Otter Tail River. |
| 2022-233 | Shen | Lian | Wave-Vegetation Interaction Research for Shoreline Protection and Environment | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $300,000 | We will conduct experiments and computer simulations to study the roles of vegetation in lakeshore limnology and ecology, to guide the revegetation for shoreline protection and wetland restoration in Minnesota. |
| 2022-244 | Arvidson | Adam | Bohemian Flats Savanna Restoration | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | $286,000 | This project will restore approximately 5.5 acres of compacted urban turf adjacent to the Mississippi River to a vibrant oak savanna ecosystem. |
| 2022-246 | Arvidson | Adam | Roberts Bird Sanctuary and Lyndale Gardens | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | $995,000 | Environmental restoration and accessibility improvements at Roberts Bird Sanctuary and Lyndale Gardens, with implementation of sustainability practices and chemical reduction at the gardens, to protect the sanctuary and Lake Harriet. |
| 2022-258 | Delong | Michael | Stream Ecosystems: Are Restorative Efforts Effective? | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Winona State University | $533,000 | Assess stream habitat improvement projects. Using various catchment features (geomorphology, habitat conditions, present biological communities), we will be able to describe a successful restoration project. |
| 2022-260 | Ekola | Lindberg | Watershed and Forest Restoration: What a Match! | Board of Water and Soil Resources | $3,728,000 | This project builds capacity in soil water conservation districts and Mille Lacs Band with BWSR and DNR to accelerate tree planting for water quality and carbon sequestration by private landowners. |
| 2022-267 | Zentner | Dave | Educating and Supporting Farmers to Implement Regenerative Agriculture | Izaak Walton League of America, Minnesota Division | $550,000 | We will form a cohort of 20-30 farmers and provide continued education on regenerative agricultural practices, including seasonal workshops led by farmer mentors and agricultural experts to troubleshoot challenges faced in this difficult transition. |
| 2022-271 | Kohno | Satomi | Perfluorinated Pollutants and Raising Temperature Exterminate Turtles | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, St. Cloud State University | $348,000 | Many Minnesota turtle species are considered threatened or of special concern. The proposed study elucidates how known feminizing factors, Perfluorinated pollutants, and rising temperatures, impact the sexes of turtle offspring. |
| 2022-274 | Arvidson | Adam | WITHDRAWN - Mississippi River Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Mussel Reintroduction | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | $2,538,000 | This project will restore lost Mississippi River habitat and reintroduce mussels above St. Anthony Falls on four river islands and along approximately 6,000 linear feet of shoreline. |
| 2022-287 | Aukema | Brian | WITHDRAWN - Native Eastern Larch Beetle (FY2020 pending recommendation 219-F) | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $398,000 | Eastern larch beetle, native to Minnesota, is suddenly decimating Minnesota’s tamarack forests. This proposal develops insect management techniques and determines how bad this problem may remain in the future. |
| Subtotal | $32,218,000 | |||||
| F. Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 12 Proposals / Subtotal - $2,183,000) |
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| 2022-011 | Blumentritt | Tony | Pickwick Mill Dam Repair | Pickwick Mill, Inc. | $197,000 | The repair of Pickwick Mill dam deficiencies noted by the Minnesota DNR Ecological and Water Resources Division Dam Safety Unit. |
| 2022-061 | Ritchie | Alan | Seed Collection of Early-Blooming Plants for Pollinators | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $200,000 | We will establish new populations of early-season flowers by hand harvesting and planting species that are currently lacking in prairie restorations and are essential to pollinator health. |
| 2022-113 | Jennings | Carrie | Water, Wildlife and Weather Friendly Funds | Freshwater Society | $195,000 | Research and stakeholder input to design program to target lands for perennials that provide co-benefits to water, habitat and carbon sequestration using funds from product-labeling, piloted by two Minnesota companies. |
| 2022-124 | Barney | Brett | Developing a Novel Biodegradable Plastic to Replace Polyethylene | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $172,000 | Our project seeks to develop a novel biodegradable plastic produced by microbes that is naturally biodegradable and can serve as a replacement for polyethylene. |
| 2022-125 | Arvidson | Adam | Connecting the Mississippi Flyway to Urban Open Space | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | $175,000 | A pilot project that will connect neighborhood parks and the Mississippi Flyway through habitat restoration and implementation of identified habitat corridors in the urban core. |
| 2022-132 | Swenson | John | Monitoring Post-Nourishment Beach Evolution on Minnesota Point | U of MN, Duluth | $99,000 | Following significant storms, we will obtain topographic / bathymetric / grain-size data from recently nourished beach areas on Minnesota Point. These data will document post-nourishment beach evolution and inform sediment-transport models. |
| 2022-151 | Schrank | Amy | WITHDRAWN - Increase Golden Shiner Production To Protect Aquatic Communities | U of MN, Duluth - Sea Grant | $197,000 | We propose four strategies to increase in-state Golden Shiner (bait) production because angler demand exceeds production. Out-of-state importation creates a high risk of introducing aquatic invasive species and disease. |
| 2022-188 | Zhang | Jiwei | PFAS Fungal-Woodchip Filtering System | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $189,000 | Develop and implement a fungal filtering system that combines the benefits of both waste wood chips and soil fungi to sequester and degrade PFAS leachate from contaminated waste sites. |
| 2022-205 | PIrkl | Anthony | Lake of the Woods Angler Biosolids Feasibility Study | Lake of the Woods County | $195,000 | Feasibility study for handling human excrement generated on Lake of the Woods in the winter ice fishing season in a safe, clean, and environmentally friendly manner. |
| 2022-216 | Kaproth | Matthew | Shifting Savannas: Assessing Management of At-Risk Sites | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | $194,000 | We propose to survey unmapped Central and Southern Minnesota savannas to develop localized management recommendations for habitats at risk of degradation due to climate change and invasive species. |
| 2022-248 | Van Natta | Steven | Wetland Restoration of UMLA’s New Gateway Entry | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | $174,000 | County/MnDOT improvements expand Highway 5 by 2025, addressing traffic/safety concerns. UMLA must move its gateway entry to “Wetlands 14 and 15”, requiring restoration to these newly prominent areas. |
| 2022-293 | Meagher | Jen | Lake Koronis Water Quality and Restoration Action Plan | Koronis Lake Association | $196,000 | Analyses leading to an action plan to prevent and reduce phosphorus levels and improve Lake Koronis water quality. Identify mix of solutions promoting short-term effects, and long-term benefits and partnerships. |
| Subtotal | $2,183,000 | |||||
| G. Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation (RECEIVED: 25 Proposals / Subtotal - $59,278,000) | ||||||
| 2022-005 | Manzoline | Robert | Mesabi Trail: Wahlsten Road (CR 26) to Tower | St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority | $1,980,000 | The construction of an approximately 6.5 mile long segment of the Mesabi Trail beginning at the intersection of Wahlsten Road (CR 26) and Benson Road in Embarrass to Tower. |
| 2022-008 | Yoho | Marla | The Missing Link: Gull Lake Trail, Fairview Township | Fairview Township, Fairview Trail North Portion - Gull Lake Trail | $2,362,000 | This 3.7-mile portion of the Fairview Township Trail is the missing link that completes the Gull Lake Trail master plan for this recreational amenity in the Brainerd Lakes area. |
| 2022-038 | Johnson | Donna | Redhead Mountain Bike Park | Minnesota Discovery Center | $1,977,000 | The Redhead Mountain Bike Park will add an additional 14 miles of trail and accommodations to Redhead Mountain Bike Trail System at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm, Minnesota. |
| 2022-057 | Mularie | Audrey | Local Parks, Trails and Natural Areas Grant Programs | MN DNR, Grants Unit | $4,000,000 | Provide approximately 19 matching grants for local parks, trail, acquisition of natural areas and trails to connect people safety to desirable community locations and regional or state facilities. |
| 2022-088 | Knettel | Cliff | St. Louis River Re-Connect | City of Duluth | $2,000,000 | Acquire, preserve and enhance strategic quality natural resources and expand outdoor recreational access to the St. Louis River through additions and connections to state, regional, and local parks and trails. |
| 2022-101 | Schulte | Judy | Native Prairie Stewardship and Prairie Bank Easement Acquisition | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $1,520,000 | Native Prairie Bank (NPB) will help landowners conserve native prairie though multiple outreach methods, restoration and enhancement of 470 acres, and protection of 120 acres through conservation easements. |
| 2022-111 | Kok | Shelby | Minnesota State Parks and State Trails Acquisitions | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | $4,250,000 | Acquire top priority in-holdings within legislatively established boundaries of Minnesota’s 75 State Parks and State Recreation Areas and 26 State Trails from willing sellers. |
| 2022-127 | Fralich | Lana | Silver Bay Multi-Modal Trailhead Project | City of Silver Bay | $3,000,000 | Development of a Multi-Modal Trailhead Center that provides ample parking, safe access to non-motorized and motorized trails, a multi-use building with lavatories/showers, picnic/playgrounds, and conveniently located. |
| 2022-128 | Markle | Jami | Gateway Wildlife Management Area Pilot Project | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $2,862,000 | The Gateway wildlife management area (WMA) pilot project will allow wildlife managers to acquire and design inclusive WMAs with an emphasis on outreach and engagement with new audiences. |
| 2022-135 | Skaar | Kent | Minnesota State Trails Development | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | $8,300,000 | This project proposes to expand recreational opportunities on Minnesota State Trails through the rehabilitation and enhancement of existing state trails and replacement or repair of existing state trail bridges. |
| 2022-140 | Melin | Kaycee | Brookston Campground, Boat Launch and Outdoor Recreational Facility | City of Brookston | $925,000 | The City of Brookston will be building a campground, boat launch, and outdoor recreation area on the banks of the St. Louis River in northeastern Minnesota. |
| 2022-143 | See-Benes | Britt | Silver Lake Trail Connection | City of Virginia | $1,275,000 | This project consists of construction of a multi-use trail that will connect to the existing Silver Lake Trail. The trail will begin at Lakeside Park and end at Twelfth Avenue. |
| 2022-144 | Geissler | John | Preserving the Avon Hills with Reverse-Bidding Easements | Saint Johns Arboretum and University | $2,507,000 | Use the MMAPLE reverse-bid and conservation easement ranking system to permanently protect 650 acres and restore/enhance 400 acres of priority permanently protected lands in the Avon Hills area. |
| 2022-150 | Suonvieri | Corinne | Floodwood Campground Improvement Project | City of Floodwood | $1,600,000 | The City of Floodwood will be upgrading their existing campground. Improvements include additional camping sites, a fishing pier, RV dump station, electrical services, river access and park buildings. |
| 2022-158 | Roske | Molly | SNA Habitat Restoration, Public Engagement, and Protection | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $3,110,000 | Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) habitat restoration/enhancement (800+ acres), increased public involvement, and strategic acquisition (100+ acres) will conserve Minnesota’s most unique and rare resources for everyone's benefit. |
| 2022-165 | Gautreaux | Sherril | Ranier Safe Harbor/Transient Dock Phase 2 | City of Ranier | $2,100,000 | The City of Ranier will be constructing a safe harbor/transient dock on Rainey Lake to accommodate watercraft of all sizes. |
| 2022-170 | Langowski | Harold | Prospector ATV Trails | City of Ely | $1,851,000 | The City of Ely and the Prospector ATV Club will be upgrading several sections of their trail system and extending the trails to connect to regional trails. |
| 2022-183 | Simonson | Ryan | WITHDRAWN - Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park Acquisition | Crow Wing County | $405,000 | Acquire private land surrounding a historic fire tower to protect and provide a buffer to the tower itself while creating interpretive walking trails on the newly acquired property. |
| 2022-195 | Terrill | Tim | WITHDRAWN - Whiskey Creek and Mississippi River Water Quality, Habitat | Mississippi Headwaters Board | $500,000 | Project will acquire 13.8 acres and construct water quality, habitat, and recreational improvements to protect the Mississippi River from contaminants in the 400-acre, highly impervious watershed in Baxter Minnesota. |
| 2022-222 | Yavarow | Matthew | WITHDRAWN - Perham to Pelican Rapids Regional Trail (West Segment) | Otter Tail County | $2,836,000 | Construction of the West Segment (6.83 miles) of the 32-mile Perham to Pelican Rapids Regional Trail that will connect the City of Pelican Rapids to Maplewood State Park. |
| 2022-253 | Jacobson | Jeff | City of Biwabik Recreation Area | City of Biwabik | $1,414,000 | Reconstruction & renovation of amenities and multi-modal pathways to, and within, the Biwabik Recreation Area which consists of the city campground, beach, boat access, fishing pier, and walking/biking trails. |
| 2022-262 | Arvidson | Adam | WITHDRAWN - Above the Falls Regional Park Acquisition and Restoration | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | 950,000 | This project would acquire 3.25 acres of industrial land along the Mississippi River within the Above the Falls Regional Park. |
| 2022-263 | Forbes | DJ | WITHDRAWN - Turning Back to Rivers: Environmental and Recreation Protection | The Trust for Public Land | $3,804,000 | This project will help communities acquire priority land along the Mississippi, St. Croix, and Minnesota Rivers, and their tributaries, protecting the environment and water quality while creating much-needed recreational opportunities. |
| 2022-276 | Monson | Kjersti | WITHDRAWN - Early Enhancements: Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock | Friends of the Lock and Dam | $2,800,000 | Acquire, preserve, and improve land on the Central Riverfront in Minneapolis abutting the Upper Lock (but not the Lock structure itself) for recreation, conservation, natural restoration, and education. |
| 2022-292 | Welle | Ron | Brooten Land Acquisition | Midwest Outdoors Unlimited | $950,000 | We would maintain what has been done so beautifully already but may add some ponds to attract more ducks-geese etc. |
| Subtotal | $59,278,000 | |||||
| G. Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation H. Proposals seeking $200,000 or less in funding (RECEIVED: 3 Proposals / Subtotal - $460,000) |
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| 2022-027 | Otremba | Bob | Pierz Park and Campground Expansion Project | City of Pierz | $200,000 | Purchase land adjacent to city owned park and campground for the purpose of expansion. Create a master park plan to serve as more regional park, campground and trail system. |
| 2022-041 | Engebritson | Reggie | Environmental Learning Classroom with Trails | Independent School District #712, Mountain Iron Buhl Public Schools | $82,000 | We will build an outdoor classroom and an additional 2.5+ miles of accessible trails, including a foot bridge connecting the School Forest Trail System. |
| 2022-074 | Langowski | Harold | Pioneer Mine Site Restoration/Trezona Trail Preservation | City of Ely | $178,000 | This project seeks funding to repair the Pioneer Mine Retaining Wall to protect the popular Trezona Trail, Miners Lake access and structures at the Pioneer Mine site. |
| Subtotal | $460,000 | |||||
| I. Administration (RECEIVED: 1 Proposal / Subtotal - $210,000) | ||||||
| 2022-121 | Sherman-Hoehn | Katherine | ML 2022 Contract Agreement Reimbursement | MN DNR, Grants Unit | $210,000 | Provide contract management to ENRTF pass-through appropriation recipients for approximately 70 open grants. Ensure funds are expended in compliance with appropriation law, state statute, grants policies, and approved work plans. |
| Subtotal | $210,000 | |||||
| Total | $178,176,000 | |||||