Dear True,
Perhaps you and others have been following with dismay the reports of kidney failure in cats and dogs due to poison in their foods. Cats have suffered most, because of their special sensitivities to pollutants.
It has been at least 25 years since I have fed my companion animals anything except the highest quality foods, thanks to working for a visionary veterinarian in the Cities. Nonetheless, even supposedly high quality producers like Nutro Max and Iams have bought wheat gluten from the besieged Canadian company thought to have introduced rat poison and/or plastics into their product.
This is perhaps a tragic accident. However, my own little ones will not suffer from it because I feed them only dry food from suppliers at the Whole Foods Coop, or human-quality foods from the grocery store.
You might be surprised that canned fish such as tuna, mackeral and salmon don't cost more than canned moist pet foods. And for puppy training (a monumental task I am engaged in), small bits of cheese and Triscuit crackers are as effective as the often-sugar loaded treat biscuits by Alpo, Milk Bone, etc...
It's like everything else: huge corporate farming has increased the risk of bacterial poisoning, hormonal or antibiotic poisoning, and if that were not enough, has caused untold suffering to every animal bred for food.
My own little loves will never suffer death on account of their food. Please consider buying either human-quality moist food or coop dried food.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
True Exclusive: Lutsen town plan
Lutsen Meeting Minutes from Tuesday 3-27-07
Thank you to everyone who attended Tuesday night's meeting!
We have just posted our concepts/drawings on our server. Follow this link:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~cland/
There will be two folders labeled 11x11 and 8x8. This refers to the size of the drawing so you can either print them out on 11x17 or 81/2x11 if you wish. Inside the folders will be pdf files of all of our boards. Let me know if you have any technical difficulties. Please remember that this work is preliminary. We have posted it so people can refer back to it and ask any additional questions or give us additional comments on the work. For those who could not attend the meeting the drawings will help you have a better understanding of the meeting minutes. We will will be re-shaping the work for a final presentation that will be scheduled for sometime in June.
I have attached the meeting minutes in a word document and also pasted it below.
Again, if you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to call or email.
Nichole Schlepp
Design Coordinator
Center for Changing Landscapes
University of Minnesota
612-624-2976
schl0482@umn.edu
Lutsen Meeting Minutes 3.27.07:
A steering committee workshop was held in February. In that meeting we received many comments/inputs on the Gitchi Gami Trail alignment through Lutsen , discussed some town center concepts, and received feedback on what people saw as the character of Lutsen and the potential character of a future town center. Based on that meeting we were able to refine our concepts and present them Tuesday night at a preliminary design meeting held in the Lutsen Church basement. Here are the topics that were presented/discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting:
1. Gitchi Gami Trail:
-An existing regional trail map was shown that spanned from the Poplar River to the Caribou Trail. The DNR has funding for the trail and an alignment with property owners’ consent to Arrowhead Electric. This portion of the trail was shown as a solid line on the map. It is in the power line corridor after crossing Poplar River and then makes its way to the right-of-way along Highway 61 before reaching Arrowhead Electric.
From this point the trail was shown as a dashed line and split into two options along the right-of-way: one is on the north side and one is on the south side of the highway.
2. Zoning and Linear Systems:
-A map of the existing town center from Arrowhead Electric to Lutsen Church was shown with dashed lines for the Gitchi Gami Trail on the north and south side of the highway.
-Town Center ‘Gateway’ locations were shown to the west of Arrowhead Electric and to the east Lutsen Church. This is where the speed could drop to 30 m.p.h,, town center signage would be placed, there could possibly be curb and gutter along the highway, ‘Town Center Plantings’ could be incorporated helping to signify that you are entering the town center of Lutsen.
-Zoning as specified from Lutsen’s town plan is also shown on this map. One of the only changes we would be suggesting is that in the ‘LGC’ area the density could be more than .25/acre with an option for single-family residential to enter this area as ‘Town Center Housing’.
-Within the ‘LGC’ area a thicker red line was drawn indicating our ‘Town Center Study” area. This line is carried out through the town center concept drawings as well.
-A section line (in red) was cut just to the east of Lutsen Church for studying the highway/frontage road/Gitchi Gami trail spacing.
3. Highway/Frontage Road/Gitchi Gami Trail Section Studies
-Section studies were cut at a pinch point east of the Lutsen Church where a home is approx. 12’ from the R.O.W.
The studies shown were: existing conditions, a very ‘bare minimum’ MNDOT typical rural section at 40 m.p.h., a curb and gutter option at 30 m.p.h., and a section showing the trail on the south side.
From these studies it was apparent that there is more room on the north side (100’ of R.O.W.) of the highway for a frontage road and/or trail. On the south side there are steeper slopes and there is only 50’ of R.O.W. causing the trail to be within 2’ of the road with guardrails on either side.
People responded well to the curb and gutter option because it allowed a separation between the trail, the highway, and the frontage road and allowed the plantings to come in closer to the highway creating a narrow visual corridor.
In terms of stormwater runoff, the rural section with its ditches works best. Curb and gutter eliminates the ditches and would require some other type of detention or treatment before moving into the creek.
For next time, more studies will be done that take a closer look at the stormwater for the curb and gutter option Discussions will continue with the DNR and with MNDOT to ensure we are meeting trail and highway requirements as well as having something that works well for Lutsen.
4. Town Center Concepts:
-Two concepts were shown for the town center. These drawings are meant to be a vision for the future, to help the community of Lutsen see what their zoning and town plan could possibly accomplish, and how having a plan for the future can help the community retain and protect the character of Lutsen and become an even greater resource along the North Shore. Both concepts worked to emphasize the feeling of community, to create a pedestrian-friendly cohesive town center, and to focus the town center and housing on amenities such as the creek or open green spaces as well as thinking about potential stormwater collection/treatment facilities.
-Town Square Concept- this concept focuses the town center core around a small square. (See Town Square axon drawing for a closer look at the square). It is a very traditional plan that would be pedestrian-friendly. “The square” uses the land quite efficiently and therefore allows for more commercial/retail buildings. As the design moves up the hill it changes to live/work units, small single-family tuck-unders and single-family rear attached that focus on a common green space. (See drawing of Town Center Housing Types 1&2). Beyond that the housing shifts to single-family residential rear detached on 60’x120’ lots. (See drawing of Town Center Housing Type 3)
-Town Green Concept- this concepts follows the same principles as the Town Square concept but focuses the town core commercial area around a single curving “Main Street” that frames a large central green. (see Town Green Axon drawing for a closer look of the green) This design is not as dense as the Town Square so there is less square footage of commercial/retail in this plan. A ring pattern emerges in this design where each ring is a different type of commercial building (all commercial/retail or live/work units) and then shifts to the different patterns and densities of housing types (again see Town Center Housing drawings)
Of course, before all of this could possibly happen a community septic system and water system would have to be in place as well as a stormwater plan. We discussed septic package plants and were they are located in the plan. Another big question was water. Water is a much larger issue that needs to be looked at by engineers but we will do what we can. Again, we will continue to develop our stormwater plan for these town center concepts.
There were also many questions about costs, funding, timelines, etc. These concepts are a vision and would be a very long term idea for Lutsen. This would not happen overnight but very gradually. Costs and funding are big questions as well as the market in Lutsen for this type of development. Some ideas about funding sources were discussed. We will explore some of these questions for next time.
The community decided that the final presentation should be before the busy season starts so we will be back sometime in June. We will continue to work on the details, the character of the buildings, and develop a signage and detail package for the town center. The Gitchi Gami trail/frontage road/highway sections will also be studied again.
Lutsen Meeting Minutes 3.27.07.doc
29K View as HTML Open as a Google document Download
Thank you to everyone who attended Tuesday night's meeting!
We have just posted our concepts/drawings on our server. Follow this link:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~cland/
There will be two folders labeled 11x11 and 8x8. This refers to the size of the drawing so you can either print them out on 11x17 or 81/2x11 if you wish. Inside the folders will be pdf files of all of our boards. Let me know if you have any technical difficulties. Please remember that this work is preliminary. We have posted it so people can refer back to it and ask any additional questions or give us additional comments on the work. For those who could not attend the meeting the drawings will help you have a better understanding of the meeting minutes. We will will be re-shaping the work for a final presentation that will be scheduled for sometime in June.
I have attached the meeting minutes in a word document and also pasted it below.
Again, if you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to call or email.
Nichole Schlepp
Design Coordinator
Center for Changing Landscapes
University of Minnesota
612-624-2976
schl0482@umn.edu
Lutsen Meeting Minutes 3.27.07:
A steering committee workshop was held in February. In that meeting we received many comments/inputs on the Gitchi Gami Trail alignment through Lutsen , discussed some town center concepts, and received feedback on what people saw as the character of Lutsen and the potential character of a future town center. Based on that meeting we were able to refine our concepts and present them Tuesday night at a preliminary design meeting held in the Lutsen Church basement. Here are the topics that were presented/discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting:
1. Gitchi Gami Trail:
-An existing regional trail map was shown that spanned from the Poplar River to the Caribou Trail. The DNR has funding for the trail and an alignment with property owners’ consent to Arrowhead Electric. This portion of the trail was shown as a solid line on the map. It is in the power line corridor after crossing Poplar River and then makes its way to the right-of-way along Highway 61 before reaching Arrowhead Electric.
From this point the trail was shown as a dashed line and split into two options along the right-of-way: one is on the north side and one is on the south side of the highway.
2. Zoning and Linear Systems:
-A map of the existing town center from Arrowhead Electric to Lutsen Church was shown with dashed lines for the Gitchi Gami Trail on the north and south side of the highway.
-Town Center ‘Gateway’ locations were shown to the west of Arrowhead Electric and to the east Lutsen Church. This is where the speed could drop to 30 m.p.h,, town center signage would be placed, there could possibly be curb and gutter along the highway, ‘Town Center Plantings’ could be incorporated helping to signify that you are entering the town center of Lutsen.
-Zoning as specified from Lutsen’s town plan is also shown on this map. One of the only changes we would be suggesting is that in the ‘LGC’ area the density could be more than .25/acre with an option for single-family residential to enter this area as ‘Town Center Housing’.
-Within the ‘LGC’ area a thicker red line was drawn indicating our ‘Town Center Study” area. This line is carried out through the town center concept drawings as well.
-A section line (in red) was cut just to the east of Lutsen Church for studying the highway/frontage road/Gitchi Gami trail spacing.
3. Highway/Frontage Road/Gitchi Gami Trail Section Studies
-Section studies were cut at a pinch point east of the Lutsen Church where a home is approx. 12’ from the R.O.W.
The studies shown were: existing conditions, a very ‘bare minimum’ MNDOT typical rural section at 40 m.p.h., a curb and gutter option at 30 m.p.h., and a section showing the trail on the south side.
From these studies it was apparent that there is more room on the north side (100’ of R.O.W.) of the highway for a frontage road and/or trail. On the south side there are steeper slopes and there is only 50’ of R.O.W. causing the trail to be within 2’ of the road with guardrails on either side.
People responded well to the curb and gutter option because it allowed a separation between the trail, the highway, and the frontage road and allowed the plantings to come in closer to the highway creating a narrow visual corridor.
In terms of stormwater runoff, the rural section with its ditches works best. Curb and gutter eliminates the ditches and would require some other type of detention or treatment before moving into the creek.
For next time, more studies will be done that take a closer look at the stormwater for the curb and gutter option Discussions will continue with the DNR and with MNDOT to ensure we are meeting trail and highway requirements as well as having something that works well for Lutsen.
4. Town Center Concepts:
-Two concepts were shown for the town center. These drawings are meant to be a vision for the future, to help the community of Lutsen see what their zoning and town plan could possibly accomplish, and how having a plan for the future can help the community retain and protect the character of Lutsen and become an even greater resource along the North Shore. Both concepts worked to emphasize the feeling of community, to create a pedestrian-friendly cohesive town center, and to focus the town center and housing on amenities such as the creek or open green spaces as well as thinking about potential stormwater collection/treatment facilities.
-Town Square Concept- this concept focuses the town center core around a small square. (See Town Square axon drawing for a closer look at the square). It is a very traditional plan that would be pedestrian-friendly. “The square” uses the land quite efficiently and therefore allows for more commercial/retail buildings. As the design moves up the hill it changes to live/work units, small single-family tuck-unders and single-family rear attached that focus on a common green space. (See drawing of Town Center Housing Types 1&2). Beyond that the housing shifts to single-family residential rear detached on 60’x120’ lots. (See drawing of Town Center Housing Type 3)
-Town Green Concept- this concepts follows the same principles as the Town Square concept but focuses the town core commercial area around a single curving “Main Street” that frames a large central green. (see Town Green Axon drawing for a closer look of the green) This design is not as dense as the Town Square so there is less square footage of commercial/retail in this plan. A ring pattern emerges in this design where each ring is a different type of commercial building (all commercial/retail or live/work units) and then shifts to the different patterns and densities of housing types (again see Town Center Housing drawings)
Of course, before all of this could possibly happen a community septic system and water system would have to be in place as well as a stormwater plan. We discussed septic package plants and were they are located in the plan. Another big question was water. Water is a much larger issue that needs to be looked at by engineers but we will do what we can. Again, we will continue to develop our stormwater plan for these town center concepts.
There were also many questions about costs, funding, timelines, etc. These concepts are a vision and would be a very long term idea for Lutsen. This would not happen overnight but very gradually. Costs and funding are big questions as well as the market in Lutsen for this type of development. Some ideas about funding sources were discussed. We will explore some of these questions for next time.
The community decided that the final presentation should be before the busy season starts so we will be back sometime in June. We will continue to work on the details, the character of the buildings, and develop a signage and detail package for the town center. The Gitchi Gami trail/frontage road/highway sections will also be studied again.
Lutsen Meeting Minutes 3.27.07.doc
29K View as HTML Open as a Google document Download
Sawtooth Cottages on WTIP Friday AM
Announced by WTIP today:
Tune in to the AM Community Calendar Program at 9am on Friday, March 30 for a special interview with Sarah Hannigan, housing development director for Northern Communities Land Trust. Hannigan has been representing NCLT at recent public hearings regarding the Sawtooth Cottages affordable housing development project in Grand Marais.
Another public hearing will take place tomorrow afternoon in the city hall council chambers at 4pm in which the EDA will decide weather or not to move forward on an amended and restated development agreement with NCLT. If adopted, the agreement would allow for the sale or gifting, parcels will be sold for one dollar a piece, of 10 lots in a 37 lot development. In addition to taking public input on the current proposal during Friday’s public hearing, the EDA is also expected to officially terminate the original draft agreement.
That’s 90.7fm and 91.7fm Gunflint Trail! You can also stream us online. Go to www.wtip.org and click on the moose!
To read up on the issue, click here.
Always tuned to WTIP,
True
Tune in to the AM Community Calendar Program at 9am on Friday, March 30 for a special interview with Sarah Hannigan, housing development director for Northern Communities Land Trust. Hannigan has been representing NCLT at recent public hearings regarding the Sawtooth Cottages affordable housing development project in Grand Marais.
Another public hearing will take place tomorrow afternoon in the city hall council chambers at 4pm in which the EDA will decide weather or not to move forward on an amended and restated development agreement with NCLT. If adopted, the agreement would allow for the sale or gifting, parcels will be sold for one dollar a piece, of 10 lots in a 37 lot development. In addition to taking public input on the current proposal during Friday’s public hearing, the EDA is also expected to officially terminate the original draft agreement.
That’s 90.7fm and 91.7fm Gunflint Trail! You can also stream us online. Go to www.wtip.org and click on the moose!
To read up on the issue, click here.
Always tuned to WTIP,
True
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
AE: will you send your post to the local papers?
Sarah Hannigan
to True
Thank you to A.E. for the recent post about Sawtooth Cottages. Is there a chance that the author would be willing to forward this to the local papers? Widespread distribution of this letter would go a long way toward dispelling the many myths surrounding the proposed development.
Many thanks,
Sarah
Sarah Hannigan
Northern Communities Land Trust
206 West Fourth Street
Duluth, MN 55806
218/727-5372
218/727-3646 (fax)
www.landtrustduluth.org
to True
Thank you to A.E. for the recent post about Sawtooth Cottages. Is there a chance that the author would be willing to forward this to the local papers? Widespread distribution of this letter would go a long way toward dispelling the many myths surrounding the proposed development.
Many thanks,
Sarah
Sarah Hannigan
Northern Communities Land Trust
206 West Fourth Street
Duluth, MN 55806
218/727-5372
218/727-3646 (fax)
www.landtrustduluth.org
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sawtooth Cottages
The Sawtooth Cottages development is still under scrutiny by the EDA and interested parties, and the discussion is not being helped by the misinformation being put out in the print media and to the community in general. Those who are trying to derail this project are not helping the community or the families who will be able to buy some relatively decent, low cost housing. The Sawtooth Cottages project may not be perfect, but it should be dealt with honestly; the community does not deserve to be misinformed.
The facts are that Northern Community Land Trust was the only organization that responded to the RFP the EDA put out. Others had ample time to put in their own plan, but failed to do so. Even now though, they can bid on the contracting, should the project get the go ahead it deserves, or they can come up with a project of their own. Hopefully everyone will try to come together to do something positive for the community.
It is important that the community have all the facts on this project. Here they are as they are generally understood:
The NCLT builds quality homes and has so for some time. It has built over 135 so far. These homes have helped over 150 low income folks own their own home.
The NCLT started work on this development over a year ago. There has been ample time for critics to review the proposal and to offer ones of their own. One of the present critics was part of the team that helped review the RFP and the NCLT proposal and endorsed it.
The present discussions have 10 homes being developed. The will be about 1450 square feet in terms of living space.
Bids will be sought from local contractors for their construction and it is yet to be determined if they will be framed on site or if there will be modular or panelized components. NCLT will bid out all techniques and the most cost effective solution will be selected. The purpose of this project is to deliver the best value to the home buyer, not to make the most money for a builder or a developer!
A local general contractor will be selected to super the job, should a qualified one apply, and local subs will be part of the project.
As for the homes and the homeowners’ equity, and the community’s equity in the project, the goal is to create homes that are permanently affordable TO THE COMMUNIITY. Because of the land trust involvement they will remain affordable to future buyers. The land trust owns the land and leases it for a small fee to the homeowner.
If a buyer sells their home, they will get the price they paid plus 30% of any appreciation. In a “normal” development, the buyer would be expected to realize the entire gain. In this case the buyer is buying the house, not the land, and so 70% of the appreciation stays off the table to keep the home affordable for future housing needs in the community.
In effect, the initial public subsidy is recycled for the benefit of future buyers and the community as a whole. If this approach was abandoned, and the project's critics were to get control, they would pocket the subsidy and there would be no “affordability” left in the development.
The land trust reports that so far about 22 of their homes have resold at about three years of ownership and the original buyers gained about $8500 in equity. The retained appreciation coupled with the affect of the other subsidies kept about $1,000,000 in equity in the community for the benefit of future buyers and the community as a whole.
What this means is that even though price increases in housing are greater than wage increases in the economy, there is still a great degree of affordability retained by the project.
These homes are going to be sold below current market prices because the land trust has gotten $167,000 in assistance to help make them affordable and will likely be able to combine that with $432,500 in affordability gap aid along with $1,000,000 in no and low interest mortgage money - all of this because the land trust is a non profit.
There is help from the EDA. They will be offering ten lots at $1. These lots have a $20,000 value as real estate and about $35,000 in improvements – would have, were there a more solid home market at this time. This subsidy is a whopping $1,000,000 less than what was written in a recent letter carried in the local papers.
This all results in $210,000 homes being sold for about $140,000 - all to the benefit of the buyer and to the community as a whole.
These will be quality homes, built to the building code to ensure lasting value, durability and safe housing for our families.
Even though the whole project is geared to delivering affordable housing solutions to the community, could it be a better proposition? Certainly!
• The homes could have been smaller. Their size makes them unaffordable for the truly needy.
• The community could have been better represented and better informed throughout the process, especially those who are in genuine need of real low cost housing options.
• There could have been an emphasis on infill housing – vacant lots could have been identified within the community as a first option for home sites.
• A better job could have been done to protect the site in terms of the environment and access.
Sawtooth Cottages is certainly not the last word in affordable housing for Grand Marais. There are local developers, property owners and builders who have not been heard from who can likely deliver even more creative and affordable housing solutions, but they are on the sidelines and have yet to come forward. In the meanwhile, the present deal is the best deal that can be gotten at this time and, considering everything, it is an overall good deal for the home buyer and for the entire community.
A. E., Grand Marais
The facts are that Northern Community Land Trust was the only organization that responded to the RFP the EDA put out. Others had ample time to put in their own plan, but failed to do so. Even now though, they can bid on the contracting, should the project get the go ahead it deserves, or they can come up with a project of their own. Hopefully everyone will try to come together to do something positive for the community.
It is important that the community have all the facts on this project. Here they are as they are generally understood:
The NCLT builds quality homes and has so for some time. It has built over 135 so far. These homes have helped over 150 low income folks own their own home.
The NCLT started work on this development over a year ago. There has been ample time for critics to review the proposal and to offer ones of their own. One of the present critics was part of the team that helped review the RFP and the NCLT proposal and endorsed it.
The present discussions have 10 homes being developed. The will be about 1450 square feet in terms of living space.
Bids will be sought from local contractors for their construction and it is yet to be determined if they will be framed on site or if there will be modular or panelized components. NCLT will bid out all techniques and the most cost effective solution will be selected. The purpose of this project is to deliver the best value to the home buyer, not to make the most money for a builder or a developer!
A local general contractor will be selected to super the job, should a qualified one apply, and local subs will be part of the project.
As for the homes and the homeowners’ equity, and the community’s equity in the project, the goal is to create homes that are permanently affordable TO THE COMMUNIITY. Because of the land trust involvement they will remain affordable to future buyers. The land trust owns the land and leases it for a small fee to the homeowner.
If a buyer sells their home, they will get the price they paid plus 30% of any appreciation. In a “normal” development, the buyer would be expected to realize the entire gain. In this case the buyer is buying the house, not the land, and so 70% of the appreciation stays off the table to keep the home affordable for future housing needs in the community.
In effect, the initial public subsidy is recycled for the benefit of future buyers and the community as a whole. If this approach was abandoned, and the project's critics were to get control, they would pocket the subsidy and there would be no “affordability” left in the development.
The land trust reports that so far about 22 of their homes have resold at about three years of ownership and the original buyers gained about $8500 in equity. The retained appreciation coupled with the affect of the other subsidies kept about $1,000,000 in equity in the community for the benefit of future buyers and the community as a whole.
What this means is that even though price increases in housing are greater than wage increases in the economy, there is still a great degree of affordability retained by the project.
These homes are going to be sold below current market prices because the land trust has gotten $167,000 in assistance to help make them affordable and will likely be able to combine that with $432,500 in affordability gap aid along with $1,000,000 in no and low interest mortgage money - all of this because the land trust is a non profit.
There is help from the EDA. They will be offering ten lots at $1. These lots have a $20,000 value as real estate and about $35,000 in improvements – would have, were there a more solid home market at this time. This subsidy is a whopping $1,000,000 less than what was written in a recent letter carried in the local papers.
This all results in $210,000 homes being sold for about $140,000 - all to the benefit of the buyer and to the community as a whole.
These will be quality homes, built to the building code to ensure lasting value, durability and safe housing for our families.
Even though the whole project is geared to delivering affordable housing solutions to the community, could it be a better proposition? Certainly!
• The homes could have been smaller. Their size makes them unaffordable for the truly needy.
• The community could have been better represented and better informed throughout the process, especially those who are in genuine need of real low cost housing options.
• There could have been an emphasis on infill housing – vacant lots could have been identified within the community as a first option for home sites.
• A better job could have been done to protect the site in terms of the environment and access.
Sawtooth Cottages is certainly not the last word in affordable housing for Grand Marais. There are local developers, property owners and builders who have not been heard from who can likely deliver even more creative and affordable housing solutions, but they are on the sidelines and have yet to come forward. In the meanwhile, the present deal is the best deal that can be gotten at this time and, considering everything, it is an overall good deal for the home buyer and for the entire community.
A. E., Grand Marais
An Alternate ATV Strategy
ATV use on county roads could be bad news for some residents and I have a couple of proposals to eliminate the problem.
I think a few of us might be in for some unpleasant surprises in the future if the county ATV ordinance comes to pass. Imagine a young family living out near Pike Lake, or up the Caribou Trail or Sawbill trail, or any of the county roads for that matter.
Families might have two people working different schedules, both driving to a town or work. The children will be taking the school bus twice a day during the school year, but there are still after school things that require extra trips. When school isn't in session, extra trips are required to get the kids to friends, the pool, special events, etc.
My point is that most of us who live out of town spend a lot of time driving to and from town. It is unfortunately part of our lifestyle. Now imagine that this ATV ordinance goes through. We will be facing groups of ATV riders on our county roads traveling at no more that 30 MPH. There could be a lot of groups and they could travel in packs of up to a dozen machines. Passing these groups could be a dangerous proposition due to lack of visibility on many of our roads, or oncoming traffic.
Think of this over and over as you go about your busy life driving to work or hauling your children. Most county gravel roads can accommodate vehicle traffic at up to 50 MPH safely and the black top sections 55 or 60 MPH. Now we will all be forced to slow to 30 MPH, perhaps more than anybody realizes. (I know the ATV clubs says this is just for the locals but they want this to pass for their own selfish reasons and don't want to explore the consequences.)
Of course this bodes well for some of the business community who will love the extra business that these out of town ATV riders will bring. Other businesses that cater to a different type of outdoor enthusiasts will see business decline due to the turn off factor of seeing these machines buzzing around which destroys the esthetics of the region.
Imagine if you live on a county road that becomes a connection to a larger trail system up over the hill. The ATV traffic on these stretches is hard to predict. The business people in Tofte want the Sawbill Trail to provide this connection. Prepare to waste a lot of time following ATV dust and plan a little extra time to get to town.
Now I have an answer on how to accommodate the ATV community. Why not build hard surface trails along side the roads like they are doing for bicycles along highway 61. The only reason I can think that this can't be done is that the majority of the Minnesota population support bike riders and don't support ATV use.
Another solution would be for ATV users to learn how to balance and take up riding motorcycles.
This ordinance is a bad idea and has wasted a lot of time and energy and I can't believe the county is even entertaining the idea. It is going to detract from the quality of life for many of us, and we vote.
Pike Lake Jake
I think a few of us might be in for some unpleasant surprises in the future if the county ATV ordinance comes to pass. Imagine a young family living out near Pike Lake, or up the Caribou Trail or Sawbill trail, or any of the county roads for that matter.
Families might have two people working different schedules, both driving to a town or work. The children will be taking the school bus twice a day during the school year, but there are still after school things that require extra trips. When school isn't in session, extra trips are required to get the kids to friends, the pool, special events, etc.
My point is that most of us who live out of town spend a lot of time driving to and from town. It is unfortunately part of our lifestyle. Now imagine that this ATV ordinance goes through. We will be facing groups of ATV riders on our county roads traveling at no more that 30 MPH. There could be a lot of groups and they could travel in packs of up to a dozen machines. Passing these groups could be a dangerous proposition due to lack of visibility on many of our roads, or oncoming traffic.
Think of this over and over as you go about your busy life driving to work or hauling your children. Most county gravel roads can accommodate vehicle traffic at up to 50 MPH safely and the black top sections 55 or 60 MPH. Now we will all be forced to slow to 30 MPH, perhaps more than anybody realizes. (I know the ATV clubs says this is just for the locals but they want this to pass for their own selfish reasons and don't want to explore the consequences.)
Of course this bodes well for some of the business community who will love the extra business that these out of town ATV riders will bring. Other businesses that cater to a different type of outdoor enthusiasts will see business decline due to the turn off factor of seeing these machines buzzing around which destroys the esthetics of the region.
Imagine if you live on a county road that becomes a connection to a larger trail system up over the hill. The ATV traffic on these stretches is hard to predict. The business people in Tofte want the Sawbill Trail to provide this connection. Prepare to waste a lot of time following ATV dust and plan a little extra time to get to town.
Now I have an answer on how to accommodate the ATV community. Why not build hard surface trails along side the roads like they are doing for bicycles along highway 61. The only reason I can think that this can't be done is that the majority of the Minnesota population support bike riders and don't support ATV use.
Another solution would be for ATV users to learn how to balance and take up riding motorcycles.
This ordinance is a bad idea and has wasted a lot of time and energy and I can't believe the county is even entertaining the idea. It is going to detract from the quality of life for many of us, and we vote.
Pike Lake Jake
Sunday, March 25, 2007
C C Star Keeps Pushing ATVs, Sacrificing Credibility
The CC Star does it again. And again and again and again. This weeks edition contains a lead story about the ATV meeting at the county board: one certainly could came away thinking this was an event of millennial proportions, that we are on the cusp of a whole new era in transportation comparable to the dawn of the automobile society and perhaps on par with the invention of the wheel itself.
In fact one might get the impression that the wheel was invented FOR the ATV. One also might believe (if you weren't there) that the ATV crowd was overly generous in their hospitality to the tiny bunch of oddballs that just can't accept the inevitable progress of the "infernal" compression engine, and, oh yeah, we'll let "one" anti ATVer sit on the committee especially since it is otherwise so stacked with pro ATVers they couldn't possibly come up with even a compromise proposal.
If you believe THAT report, you probably could be convinced that the National Enquirer is a solid scientific journal, or that the world is flat.
Simply put, that article is one of the worst (or best?) examples of yellow journalism I've come across outside the National Review. It is advocacy journalism at its most stellar: the CC Star is not really a newspaper; rather it is the newsletter of the ATV club that happens to occasionally carry some news.
The paper's fact finding, use of made up statistics, and pseudo science are a monumental testimony to the misinformed, and yet they get to stuff it, wanted or not, into our mailboxes every week. Bill O'Reilly would cringe at calling it fair and balanced reporting; I'd need to get a caged bird to make appropriate use of it, or maybe I could go fishing.
Fastjerry
In fact one might get the impression that the wheel was invented FOR the ATV. One also might believe (if you weren't there) that the ATV crowd was overly generous in their hospitality to the tiny bunch of oddballs that just can't accept the inevitable progress of the "infernal" compression engine, and, oh yeah, we'll let "one" anti ATVer sit on the committee especially since it is otherwise so stacked with pro ATVers they couldn't possibly come up with even a compromise proposal.
If you believe THAT report, you probably could be convinced that the National Enquirer is a solid scientific journal, or that the world is flat.
Simply put, that article is one of the worst (or best?) examples of yellow journalism I've come across outside the National Review. It is advocacy journalism at its most stellar: the CC Star is not really a newspaper; rather it is the newsletter of the ATV club that happens to occasionally carry some news.
The paper's fact finding, use of made up statistics, and pseudo science are a monumental testimony to the misinformed, and yet they get to stuff it, wanted or not, into our mailboxes every week. Bill O'Reilly would cringe at calling it fair and balanced reporting; I'd need to get a caged bird to make appropriate use of it, or maybe I could go fishing.
Fastjerry
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Open Letter to Rhonda and CC Star
Benjamin Disraeli claimed that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damnedlies, and statistics. Someone else unknown said that 78% of all statistics are made up on the spot. The letter in this weeks Star from Steve and MaryKay Fleace attempts to prove both statements.
First, on the question on madeup statistics, a review of the sources cited does not substantially support the numbers provided in their letter: in the case of bicycle pedestrian accidents they report “47 fatalities and 1,948 total accidents among bicyclists and pedestrians.”, yet the source shows for bicycles alone 11,335 crashes from 1996 - 2005 with 81 deaths and 9,915 injuries in the same period. In a report by the MNDOT (The Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota 2004-50) there are 110,000 to 130,000 people riding bikes on a typical spring/summer day (low), suggesting an accident rate far lower than for other forms of transportation including ATVs. Conveniently left out is the number of ATV fatalities over a similar period: 114 killed (1995 thru 2004); considering that ATVs make up only a tiny fraction of the number of bicycles, the ATV rate of accident/death is appalling.
Second, concerning the third kind of lie, the use of an averaged 10 year period for ATV accidents is extremely misleading considering that the number of annual registrations in the first five years is less than half the number in the latter 5 years. Using that approach I can statistically claim that the fatalities in 2004 (24) compared to 1996 show a 6 fold increase and more than doubled the 2002 figure: ATVing doesn’t look quite as safe. Add in that the state effectively banned ATVs from the roads in 1985 and one should expect ATV accident numbers to drop dramatically.
When looking at the school bus figures the number of buses is said to be about 14,000 but left out of the equation is the fact that those 14,000 buses carried 843,083 kids (1999), the presence of which certainly needs to be factored into the fatality/injury figures.
Third, the authors make much of the application of the state statistics to the Cook County population base, simply overlooking the fact that the accident rate for motor vehicles is more than three times higher in rural counties than their urban counterparts.
Lastly, Rhonda, is your own impassioned plea for open use on the roads. You apparently have not been inconvenienced by the current status, having been able to drive to and from work and around town without restraint. In fact, if it was only for you or a couple of others that might claim some medical disabilities for not walking or bicycling, I might support granting a special permit allowing such use, but the truth is that the proposed county ordinance applies to everyone, yes everyone of the 223,714 (2004) recreational machines out there, and while not all of them are coming to Grand Marais, enough of them will come to make life less pleasant for the silent sports visitors that contribute much, much more to our local economy.
fastjerry
First, on the question on madeup statistics, a review of the sources cited does not substantially support the numbers provided in their letter: in the case of bicycle pedestrian accidents they report “47 fatalities and 1,948 total accidents among bicyclists and pedestrians.”, yet the source shows for bicycles alone 11,335 crashes from 1996 - 2005 with 81 deaths and 9,915 injuries in the same period. In a report by the MNDOT (The Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota 2004-50) there are 110,000 to 130,000 people riding bikes on a typical spring/summer day (low), suggesting an accident rate far lower than for other forms of transportation including ATVs. Conveniently left out is the number of ATV fatalities over a similar period: 114 killed (1995 thru 2004); considering that ATVs make up only a tiny fraction of the number of bicycles, the ATV rate of accident/death is appalling.
Second, concerning the third kind of lie, the use of an averaged 10 year period for ATV accidents is extremely misleading considering that the number of annual registrations in the first five years is less than half the number in the latter 5 years. Using that approach I can statistically claim that the fatalities in 2004 (24) compared to 1996 show a 6 fold increase and more than doubled the 2002 figure: ATVing doesn’t look quite as safe. Add in that the state effectively banned ATVs from the roads in 1985 and one should expect ATV accident numbers to drop dramatically.
When looking at the school bus figures the number of buses is said to be about 14,000 but left out of the equation is the fact that those 14,000 buses carried 843,083 kids (1999), the presence of which certainly needs to be factored into the fatality/injury figures.
Third, the authors make much of the application of the state statistics to the Cook County population base, simply overlooking the fact that the accident rate for motor vehicles is more than three times higher in rural counties than their urban counterparts.
Lastly, Rhonda, is your own impassioned plea for open use on the roads. You apparently have not been inconvenienced by the current status, having been able to drive to and from work and around town without restraint. In fact, if it was only for you or a couple of others that might claim some medical disabilities for not walking or bicycling, I might support granting a special permit allowing such use, but the truth is that the proposed county ordinance applies to everyone, yes everyone of the 223,714 (2004) recreational machines out there, and while not all of them are coming to Grand Marais, enough of them will come to make life less pleasant for the silent sports visitors that contribute much, much more to our local economy.
fastjerry
What a week in Cook County!
Dear True,
Snowbirds, beware. You may leave for the winter and return to find your scenic highway decimated of trees, your quiet roads invaded by ATVs, your family pets killed by trappers on your very doorstep, your property tax values doubled, and your taxes on lodging, recreation and just general stuff all increased to support the touts of the tourism industry. WHO say they need money to promote events, while they save thousands by laying off locals and hiring low-paid international workers in the short summer season.
Oh, look out, because nobody, nobody, is minded to preserve the fragile and beautiful ecosystem here, to keep our history alive for the many who would love to come visit and learn of it, or to promote eco-friendly, small scale economic ventures and affordable housing solutions for our young families and seniors.
Well... maybe not NOBODY, but nobody who votes with their dollars.
ALSO this week, the two county papers gave the most ink to the contractors protesting Sawtooth Cottages at the Grand Marais City Council meeting...
What does THAT mean? First of all, none of their facts were checked... second, over the last year and a half, many a person has braved the cameras to speak to the Council, but nary a one has achieved front-page coverage.
And last but not least, we meet the new Bidness Council, who declare their intention to "work with" the city in a "political" manner.... Who are these guys? They are not affiliated with GMATA. They are truly not representing anybody except themselves, themselves apparently being downtown bidness owners. Those same ones who don't want any restrictions on development of the properties that they own.
We have also seen new attacks on Harbor Friends for asking for a wetlands study of the harbor based on good historical records.
It's not enough to read the two papers. Or even to attend all the county, city, township, school, zoning, hospital, etc. meetings.... It's what is NOT said at the meetings that matters.
As dear Bill Moyers pointed out in a major speech this week, our so-called democratic elections are funded 95 percent by the richest five percent. Think about it. And don't believe everything, or maybe anything, you read in print.
An ordinary voter in Cook County
Snowbirds, beware. You may leave for the winter and return to find your scenic highway decimated of trees, your quiet roads invaded by ATVs, your family pets killed by trappers on your very doorstep, your property tax values doubled, and your taxes on lodging, recreation and just general stuff all increased to support the touts of the tourism industry. WHO say they need money to promote events, while they save thousands by laying off locals and hiring low-paid international workers in the short summer season.
Oh, look out, because nobody, nobody, is minded to preserve the fragile and beautiful ecosystem here, to keep our history alive for the many who would love to come visit and learn of it, or to promote eco-friendly, small scale economic ventures and affordable housing solutions for our young families and seniors.
Well... maybe not NOBODY, but nobody who votes with their dollars.
ALSO this week, the two county papers gave the most ink to the contractors protesting Sawtooth Cottages at the Grand Marais City Council meeting...
What does THAT mean? First of all, none of their facts were checked... second, over the last year and a half, many a person has braved the cameras to speak to the Council, but nary a one has achieved front-page coverage.
And last but not least, we meet the new Bidness Council, who declare their intention to "work with" the city in a "political" manner.... Who are these guys? They are not affiliated with GMATA. They are truly not representing anybody except themselves, themselves apparently being downtown bidness owners. Those same ones who don't want any restrictions on development of the properties that they own.
We have also seen new attacks on Harbor Friends for asking for a wetlands study of the harbor based on good historical records.
It's not enough to read the two papers. Or even to attend all the county, city, township, school, zoning, hospital, etc. meetings.... It's what is NOT said at the meetings that matters.
As dear Bill Moyers pointed out in a major speech this week, our so-called democratic elections are funded 95 percent by the richest five percent. Think about it. And don't believe everything, or maybe anything, you read in print.
An ordinary voter in Cook County
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
ATV Hearing Reviewed
The ATV hearing last night at the Cook County court house was well attended with a full house and about 80% being pro ATV. A proposed ordinance is set to be considered at the May 8 county board meeting with two other ordinance committee meetings to be scheduled prior to that. Mr. Harris Mills, a retired DNR ATV safety instructor was added to the ordinance committee.
Mr. Mills, during last nights session, spoke against the present ordinance, against opening roads because, he contends, ATVs are unsafe at high speeds.
Commissioner Jim Johnson reported that had received 128 messages against the proposed changes and 27 in favor.
Of note was the rudeness exhibited by the pro ATV crowd at last night's meeting. Out of character for what the Speak Your Peace folks had hoped to take root in our community, but fully consistent with the general attitude of ATV owners and consistent with the very idea of ATVs.
By the way Rhonda, who's truck was parked in the handicap only parking spot, without the required permit? Certainly not an ATVer's!
Keep in mind that this ordinance is only part of the picture. The DNR and the U. S. Forest Service, working with the ATV riders and the ATV industry are looking to add 257 miles of trails. All of this is intended to provide this vocal minority with a state wide network of interconnected trails.
True will try to pass on all relevant information coming this way regarding this issue. In the meantime, here is a recent news item from the State of Washington. It is an email from a sate senator decrying ATVs, dirt bikes, etc. and the damage they do in the name of "sport".
True
Read on:
Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle) became the focus of attention from all sides this week, with a blunt e-mail he sent to a constituent laying out his dislike of off-road vehicles. Here's a copy of Kline's e-mail:
Dear Mr. Helgeson,
I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehiclesthat have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow — it doesn't include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boatersand swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.
Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have been pleasantly surprised to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why, do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron.
There is nothing sporting — athletic, physically demanding — about riding any machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.
Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.
Adam Kline
Mr. Mills, during last nights session, spoke against the present ordinance, against opening roads because, he contends, ATVs are unsafe at high speeds.
Commissioner Jim Johnson reported that had received 128 messages against the proposed changes and 27 in favor.
Of note was the rudeness exhibited by the pro ATV crowd at last night's meeting. Out of character for what the Speak Your Peace folks had hoped to take root in our community, but fully consistent with the general attitude of ATV owners and consistent with the very idea of ATVs.
By the way Rhonda, who's truck was parked in the handicap only parking spot, without the required permit? Certainly not an ATVer's!
Keep in mind that this ordinance is only part of the picture. The DNR and the U. S. Forest Service, working with the ATV riders and the ATV industry are looking to add 257 miles of trails. All of this is intended to provide this vocal minority with a state wide network of interconnected trails.
True will try to pass on all relevant information coming this way regarding this issue. In the meantime, here is a recent news item from the State of Washington. It is an email from a sate senator decrying ATVs, dirt bikes, etc. and the damage they do in the name of "sport".
True
Read on:
Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle) became the focus of attention from all sides this week, with a blunt e-mail he sent to a constituent laying out his dislike of off-road vehicles. Here's a copy of Kline's e-mail:
Dear Mr. Helgeson,
I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehiclesthat have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow — it doesn't include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boatersand swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.
Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have been pleasantly surprised to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why, do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron.
There is nothing sporting — athletic, physically demanding — about riding any machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.
Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.
Adam Kline
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
ATV Hearing Tonight
There is a hearing on the controversial issue of allowing ATVs to travel on Cook County roads scheduled for 7 PM tonight at the Cook County court house.
Also, to follow True North's coverage of the ATV issue click here.
True
Also, to follow True North's coverage of the ATV issue click here.
True
Monday, March 19, 2007
DNR Cook County Forest Lands Being Reclassified
From True:
This is part of the MN DNR's push to open the state's forests to more unrestricted ATV and OHV travel.
_________________________________________________________________
From MN DNR:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Notice of Proposed Classification of State Forest LandsIn Cook County, Minnesota with Respect to Motor Vehicle Use
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to classify all State Forest Lands within Cook County, except for a 1,861-acre portion of the Finland State Forest in SW Cook County, with respect to motor vehicle operation.
The proposal is to assign all state lands lands under the authority of the Commissioner, to one of the following classes: (pursuant to MN Rules Chapter 6100.1950).1.
"Managed", in which forest roads and forest trails are open for motor vehicle use unless posted closed;2.
"Limited", in which forest roads are open to motor vehicle use unless posted closed and forest trails are closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open, or3.
"Closed", in which forest roads are open only to motor vehicles licensed for highway use. No OHVs are permitted, except for operation on frozen public waters. Snowmobiles may operate on designated trails only in closed forests.
This proposal covers the Pat Bayle and Grand Portage State Forests, and scattered forest lands under the authority of the Commissioner located outside of State Forest boundaries in Cook County.
In total, just over 100,000 acres of state forest land, and 175 miles of roads, trails and non-designated routes were evaluated with respect to motor vehicle use. In conjunction with the proposed classification, the DNR has developed a road and trail designation proposal that identifies roads and trails on state forest lands which will remain open to motorized vehicle use.
The DNR will hold a public meetings on the proposed forest classification and road and trail use designations at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The department will present information and receive comments on the proposal at this public meeting.
Superior National Forest and Cook County officials will also be present to respond to questions and to offer their views on access planning for public lands in Cook County.
The DNR's Forest Classification & Route Designation Proposal, supporting maps and other materials, are available at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Copies of the documents may also be viewed at the DNR's Grand Marais Area Forestry Office located at 1356 East Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN, or are available upon request from:
Brian McCann, PlannerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Box 52, 500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4052
Phone: (651) 259-5627
E-mail: brian.mccann@dnr.state.mn.us
Written comments on the proposal may be submitted to the above address until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday May 31, 2007.
Laurie H. Martinson, Deputy CommissionerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Published March 19, 2007
This is part of the MN DNR's push to open the state's forests to more unrestricted ATV and OHV travel.
_________________________________________________________________
From MN DNR:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Notice of Proposed Classification of State Forest LandsIn Cook County, Minnesota with Respect to Motor Vehicle Use
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to classify all State Forest Lands within Cook County, except for a 1,861-acre portion of the Finland State Forest in SW Cook County, with respect to motor vehicle operation.
The proposal is to assign all state lands lands under the authority of the Commissioner, to one of the following classes: (pursuant to MN Rules Chapter 6100.1950).1.
"Managed", in which forest roads and forest trails are open for motor vehicle use unless posted closed;2.
"Limited", in which forest roads are open to motor vehicle use unless posted closed and forest trails are closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open, or3.
"Closed", in which forest roads are open only to motor vehicles licensed for highway use. No OHVs are permitted, except for operation on frozen public waters. Snowmobiles may operate on designated trails only in closed forests.
This proposal covers the Pat Bayle and Grand Portage State Forests, and scattered forest lands under the authority of the Commissioner located outside of State Forest boundaries in Cook County.
In total, just over 100,000 acres of state forest land, and 175 miles of roads, trails and non-designated routes were evaluated with respect to motor vehicle use. In conjunction with the proposed classification, the DNR has developed a road and trail designation proposal that identifies roads and trails on state forest lands which will remain open to motorized vehicle use.
The DNR will hold a public meetings on the proposed forest classification and road and trail use designations at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The department will present information and receive comments on the proposal at this public meeting.
Superior National Forest and Cook County officials will also be present to respond to questions and to offer their views on access planning for public lands in Cook County.
The DNR's Forest Classification & Route Designation Proposal, supporting maps and other materials, are available at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Copies of the documents may also be viewed at the DNR's Grand Marais Area Forestry Office located at 1356 East Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN, or are available upon request from:
Brian McCann, PlannerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Box 52, 500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4052
Phone: (651) 259-5627
E-mail: brian.mccann@dnr.state.mn.us
Written comments on the proposal may be submitted to the above address until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday May 31, 2007.
Laurie H. Martinson, Deputy CommissionerMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
Published March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Highway 61 MN Dot Boos and Blues!
MN Dot exhibited a new low in governmental agency common sense with its clear cutting of innumerable trees along Highway 61 in Hovland and at Cascade. Scenic highway! Not with MN Dot in charge!
MN Dot's protestations that it was done to improve the efficacy of highway salt makes little sense when you look at what they cut and where they cut, particularly the cut in front of Cascade Lodge. That cut seems to be more to improve the lake views from the lodge than anything else, but the fact is that none of it seems to have any logical basis.
And, the daily drive past the cut area in Hovland has changed forever - not for the better.
More than an explanation is due, especially one that begs credulity, which is all we have been given so far. What needs to be done is to have this action thoroughly investigated and we need to have put in place an oversight system that does not allow such an egregious assault on the North Shore's Highway 61 to occur again.
True
MN Dot's protestations that it was done to improve the efficacy of highway salt makes little sense when you look at what they cut and where they cut, particularly the cut in front of Cascade Lodge. That cut seems to be more to improve the lake views from the lodge than anything else, but the fact is that none of it seems to have any logical basis.
And, the daily drive past the cut area in Hovland has changed forever - not for the better.
More than an explanation is due, especially one that begs credulity, which is all we have been given so far. What needs to be done is to have this action thoroughly investigated and we need to have put in place an oversight system that does not allow such an egregious assault on the North Shore's Highway 61 to occur again.
True
Quiet
The following is from an ad recently run by the Sustainable Recreation Coalition:
The Cook County commissioners are considering opening county roads to ATV use. Imagine trying to take a Sunday afternoon nap in you hammock when the neighbor's teenager is driving back and forth in front of your house, cutting "donuts" in the gravel. Feel yourself bouncing over those holes on every trip to town. Imagine your sadness at seeing where an ATV has turned off the road into your property or favorite wildflower patch, leaving ruts and crushed blooms.
Gas taxes from ATVs are dedicated to trail building and maintenance, so paying for repairing their damages to county roads will fall on property tax payers.
DNR research shows that 70% of ATVs are used exclusively on private property, so there is little need for road riding. Most ATVers are keeping their noise away from others, so why should the community give up its precious quiet?
Tell the county board to keep ATVs off county roads. Call your commissioner. Help keep Cook County safe, quiet and natural.
Sustainable Recreation Coalition
Join Your Neighbors in Promoting Sensible solutions to Protect the North Shore
Box 181, Grand Marais, MN 55604
blackdogcottage@hughes.net
_______________________________________________________
Click here for contact information for Cook County Commissioners.
_______________________________________________________
And from True North:
An aspect of this that has not seen much discussion is the cost of more or less unbridled ATV travel to Cook County taxpayers. Consider the taxpayer expense in terms additional impact on law enforcement budgets, road repair, signage, etc.
There are also many safety concerns among which is how does the proposed ordinance apply in terms of traversing bridges and other areas where there is little room to maneuver?
Another main concern has to be to the rights of all of us to the quiet enjoyment we have come to appreciate so much as an essential part of the quality of life in our part of the world. Why should we have to give that up so a privileged minority can tear up the countryside?
And, finally, just why are tax dollars going to support motorized outdoor toys of destruction - ATVs, OHVs and snowmobiles? These are "sports" that get dedicated funds and contribute nothing to the health and welfare of participants or the community. They damage field, forest and waterways; they pollute the air and the water; they deplete scarce energy resources; they disturb the peace and quiet of the North Woods; they divide communities; and, their ridership, the state's governor included, consistently violate existing rules and regulations supposedly controlling them and seem to do so with impunity. So why should bad behaviour be rewarded? Instead of adding to the problem by giving them more opportunities for destruction, the Cook County Commissioners should be seeking ways to restrict their use.
True
The Cook County commissioners are considering opening county roads to ATV use. Imagine trying to take a Sunday afternoon nap in you hammock when the neighbor's teenager is driving back and forth in front of your house, cutting "donuts" in the gravel. Feel yourself bouncing over those holes on every trip to town. Imagine your sadness at seeing where an ATV has turned off the road into your property or favorite wildflower patch, leaving ruts and crushed blooms.
Gas taxes from ATVs are dedicated to trail building and maintenance, so paying for repairing their damages to county roads will fall on property tax payers.
DNR research shows that 70% of ATVs are used exclusively on private property, so there is little need for road riding. Most ATVers are keeping their noise away from others, so why should the community give up its precious quiet?
Tell the county board to keep ATVs off county roads. Call your commissioner. Help keep Cook County safe, quiet and natural.
Sustainable Recreation Coalition
Join Your Neighbors in Promoting Sensible solutions to Protect the North Shore
Box 181, Grand Marais, MN 55604
blackdogcottage@hughes.net
_______________________________________________________
Click here for contact information for Cook County Commissioners.
_______________________________________________________
And from True North:
An aspect of this that has not seen much discussion is the cost of more or less unbridled ATV travel to Cook County taxpayers. Consider the taxpayer expense in terms additional impact on law enforcement budgets, road repair, signage, etc.
There are also many safety concerns among which is how does the proposed ordinance apply in terms of traversing bridges and other areas where there is little room to maneuver?
Another main concern has to be to the rights of all of us to the quiet enjoyment we have come to appreciate so much as an essential part of the quality of life in our part of the world. Why should we have to give that up so a privileged minority can tear up the countryside?
And, finally, just why are tax dollars going to support motorized outdoor toys of destruction - ATVs, OHVs and snowmobiles? These are "sports" that get dedicated funds and contribute nothing to the health and welfare of participants or the community. They damage field, forest and waterways; they pollute the air and the water; they deplete scarce energy resources; they disturb the peace and quiet of the North Woods; they divide communities; and, their ridership, the state's governor included, consistently violate existing rules and regulations supposedly controlling them and seem to do so with impunity. So why should bad behaviour be rewarded? Instead of adding to the problem by giving them more opportunities for destruction, the Cook County Commissioners should be seeking ways to restrict their use.
True
Friday, March 16, 2007
Trout Travels
George Wilkes of Angry Trout fame was recently in Lanesboro, MN rightfully extolling the virtues of cuisine based on local, green and organic sources. Click the above link to read the entire story.
True
True
Thursday, March 15, 2007
ATV Ordinance Hearing
On Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 7:30 PM there is a public hearing scheduled concerning the proposed county ordinance covering ATV travel on Cook County roads. The proposed ordinance can be viewed here:
http://www.co.cook.mn.us/attorney/DRAFT-ATV-ORDINANCE.pdf.
With very few exceptions - the Gunflint Trail and Devils Track Lake Road - ATV travel will be allowed everywhere on the extreme right side of all county roads.
ATVers see this as a fundamental right - to ride everywhere without restriction. Those in oppositon see it as an assualt on common sense and on the quiet enjoyment of the region. We see this as a bad ordinance that will only lead to further destruction of the Northland as we know it and hope that it does not pass. However, it appears that the local ATV club, with industry and DNR support, has the county board in its pocket and is willing to drive right over the wishes of the rest of the community.
All interested parties are urged to attend.
True
http://www.co.cook.mn.us/attorney/DRAFT-ATV-ORDINANCE.pdf.
With very few exceptions - the Gunflint Trail and Devils Track Lake Road - ATV travel will be allowed everywhere on the extreme right side of all county roads.
ATVers see this as a fundamental right - to ride everywhere without restriction. Those in oppositon see it as an assualt on common sense and on the quiet enjoyment of the region. We see this as a bad ordinance that will only lead to further destruction of the Northland as we know it and hope that it does not pass. However, it appears that the local ATV club, with industry and DNR support, has the county board in its pocket and is willing to drive right over the wishes of the rest of the community.
All interested parties are urged to attend.
True
Dance Down Pat this Sat in Hovland!
This Saturday, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day Dance and Dinner:
At the Hovland Town Hall with its great wood dance floor.
Music by a 7-member band will include original Swamp River members:
Jim Miller (guitar/vocals)
Andy Schmidt (guitar/mandolin)
Kim Carlsted-Gillis (vocals/rhythm)
PLUS the addition of :
Amy Baldwin (vocals/squeeze box)
Gavin Danfelt-Martin (bass/harmonica)
Russ Viton (lead guitar)
Joe Peterson (Hovland's own drummer).
$5.00 cover but young children free.
Food for purchase begins at 5:30 pm with music following about 6:30 or
so.
At the Hovland Town Hall with its great wood dance floor.
Music by a 7-member band will include original Swamp River members:
Jim Miller (guitar/vocals)
Andy Schmidt (guitar/mandolin)
Kim Carlsted-Gillis (vocals/rhythm)
PLUS the addition of :
Amy Baldwin (vocals/squeeze box)
Gavin Danfelt-Martin (bass/harmonica)
Russ Viton (lead guitar)
Joe Peterson (Hovland's own drummer).
$5.00 cover but young children free.
Food for purchase begins at 5:30 pm with music following about 6:30 or
so.
Et tu Brutus?
PLEASE SUPPORT WTIP!
True North gets a lot of email; some complaints; some compliments; and so far requests from three local organizations who object to having a link from True North to their web pages, even though it is made abundantly clear that the links are a simple service to readers and do not imply any endorsement either way. WTIP is the latest to request that their name not appear on this august page. We are honored that they thought they had an affilitation with us. Sorry, it ain't so.
No problem. WTIP's name shall not be sullied. We are here to serve the whole community; the strong and the weak. One would have expected a greater degree of resistance to pressure from WTIP, but they have to be cognizant of the ever present need for contributions and cannot rock the collection plate.
The issue, in part, lies with those who feel that some venues for the exchange of ideas are better, more important, and more worthy than others, and that those that allow the expression of uncensored thought and ideas that would not otherwise be heard are somehow distasteful. But mainly it comes down to responding to the outside pressure of those who do not like non mainstream thought being freely available to the community. As one of our regular contributors is wont to repeat, just follow the money.
We love WTIP. It is extremely important to the vitality and identity of Grand Marais. It is an unbelievable asset to the whole community and much appreciated even by those of low character who produce this blog and the several thousand uncultured who have read at least part of it since its inception. WTIP is literally a shining beacon on the hill, at least a beacon of service, culture and information. We are but a small candle lost in WTIP's bright light.
There are questions WTIP's board should be asking itself. They include: What about courage? Wherein does courage lie? What is the the "nature" of the WTIP organization? What is the role of public radio in a community such as Grand Marais?
We had kind of hoped that demonstrating a bit of independence and backbone would have been somewhere in the answers.
To show that we have no hard feelings we will continue to urge our readers to support WTIP every chance we get.
Beware the Ides of March indeed!
As ever, and in support of WTIP,
True
March 15, 2007
Owners of True North:
We request the removal of the "WTIP - Real Public Radio" link from the blog
site truenorthgm.blogspot.com, effective immediately. Due to the nature of
our organization we do not wish to be affiliated with this blog.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
WTIP Board of Directors
Dehlia C. Seim, President
Hyla Napadensky, Treasurer
Jonathan Hedstrom
Request sent by email to:
truenorthgm@gmail.com
True North gets a lot of email; some complaints; some compliments; and so far requests from three local organizations who object to having a link from True North to their web pages, even though it is made abundantly clear that the links are a simple service to readers and do not imply any endorsement either way. WTIP is the latest to request that their name not appear on this august page. We are honored that they thought they had an affilitation with us. Sorry, it ain't so.
No problem. WTIP's name shall not be sullied. We are here to serve the whole community; the strong and the weak. One would have expected a greater degree of resistance to pressure from WTIP, but they have to be cognizant of the ever present need for contributions and cannot rock the collection plate.
The issue, in part, lies with those who feel that some venues for the exchange of ideas are better, more important, and more worthy than others, and that those that allow the expression of uncensored thought and ideas that would not otherwise be heard are somehow distasteful. But mainly it comes down to responding to the outside pressure of those who do not like non mainstream thought being freely available to the community. As one of our regular contributors is wont to repeat, just follow the money.
We love WTIP. It is extremely important to the vitality and identity of Grand Marais. It is an unbelievable asset to the whole community and much appreciated even by those of low character who produce this blog and the several thousand uncultured who have read at least part of it since its inception. WTIP is literally a shining beacon on the hill, at least a beacon of service, culture and information. We are but a small candle lost in WTIP's bright light.
There are questions WTIP's board should be asking itself. They include: What about courage? Wherein does courage lie? What is the the "nature" of the WTIP organization? What is the role of public radio in a community such as Grand Marais?
We had kind of hoped that demonstrating a bit of independence and backbone would have been somewhere in the answers.
To show that we have no hard feelings we will continue to urge our readers to support WTIP every chance we get.
Beware the Ides of March indeed!
As ever, and in support of WTIP,
True
March 15, 2007
Owners of True North:
We request the removal of the "WTIP - Real Public Radio" link from the blog
site truenorthgm.blogspot.com, effective immediately. Due to the nature of
our organization we do not wish to be affiliated with this blog.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
WTIP Board of Directors
Dehlia C. Seim, President
Hyla Napadensky, Treasurer
Jonathan Hedstrom
Request sent by email to:
truenorthgm@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
News of the White House Weird
Reading and listening to the news from the White House and this administration is like reading news of the weird. The administration has clearly blundered into Iraq and is now blundering out of Iraq. In the process they are blaming everyone but themselves for the debacle. Democrats in Congress are trying to show them the way out by introducing a firm exit date into the discussion. In return they are told by that straight shooter Vice President Dick Cheney that they are undermining the troops.
The U. S. Military comes under heavy fire for its treatment of the wounded and Bush calls on Bob Dole who promptly blames the Veterans’ service organizations for not complaining loud and long enough about the terrible conditions our veterans are asked to endure to get the care they need, if they get it at all.
No doubt to change the subject from the military’s glaring failures elsewhere, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs tells us that homosexuality is immoral. So, instead of addressing real military issues such as the war in Iraq, the quest for Bin Laden, and the hardships the Bush White House places on our returning veterans, we are now all to play another round of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and attack the gays in the military.
The Office of the President demands and gets the heads of U. S. Attorneys In several states – eight by last count – because they aren’t team (read Republican Party) players and lies outright to congress about the whole fiasco.
The Office of the Vice-President outs a CIA agent, Valerie Plame, makes Good O’l Boy Scooter the scapegoat to save the VP from the political gallows and promptly starts up the right wing whacko chorus in a never ending rendition of Let’s Pardon Scooter! The real culprits are known to everyone – Cheney and Rove – yet they will never be in the dock for this one.
Can things get anymore bizarre? Of course they can, just wait for the war with Iran.
True
The U. S. Military comes under heavy fire for its treatment of the wounded and Bush calls on Bob Dole who promptly blames the Veterans’ service organizations for not complaining loud and long enough about the terrible conditions our veterans are asked to endure to get the care they need, if they get it at all.
No doubt to change the subject from the military’s glaring failures elsewhere, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs tells us that homosexuality is immoral. So, instead of addressing real military issues such as the war in Iraq, the quest for Bin Laden, and the hardships the Bush White House places on our returning veterans, we are now all to play another round of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and attack the gays in the military.
The Office of the President demands and gets the heads of U. S. Attorneys In several states – eight by last count – because they aren’t team (read Republican Party) players and lies outright to congress about the whole fiasco.
The Office of the Vice-President outs a CIA agent, Valerie Plame, makes Good O’l Boy Scooter the scapegoat to save the VP from the political gallows and promptly starts up the right wing whacko chorus in a never ending rendition of Let’s Pardon Scooter! The real culprits are known to everyone – Cheney and Rove – yet they will never be in the dock for this one.
Can things get anymore bizarre? Of course they can, just wait for the war with Iran.
True
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Snow sports 'stress' to wildlife
Extreme sports stress wildlife? Duh. Read this story and think about how it translates in our fragile ecosystem here:
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Snow sports 'stress' to wildlife
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Snow sports 'stress' to wildlife
Congressman James L Oberstar -- Oberstar Delivers on Clean Water Agenda
Follow the link to see Jim Oberstar's latest proposals to ensure clean water on the North Shore, including grants for septic upgrades and for Great Lakes preservation:
Congressman James L Oberstar -- Oberstar Delivers on Clean Water Agenda
Congressman James L Oberstar -- Oberstar Delivers on Clean Water Agenda
Sunday, March 04, 2007
First, help us who live here
Dear True,
A couple of things I found worrisome at the last Grand Marais City Council meeting:
1) The council had a knee-jerk endorsement of proposals to: first--indefinitely continue the one-percent sales tax for some loosely defined "Infrastructure Improvements." NOT that we don't need them; we do. But the poorest of the poor in our county will bear the greatest burden of this tax. Sales taxes fall most burdensomely on the poor, unlike income taxes. Even property taxes, while regressive, are less so than sales taxes. And second--add a new sales tax on recreation, which presumably will be paid by all locals including children who ski, golf, swim... or as the dear Beatles once said, "If you take a walk, I will tax your feet." But my greatest worry is that, at least so far as I have heard, the recreation tax is not even subject to a referendum. Unlike the one-percent tax, which I can hardly wait to cast my vote against. There is this incredible disconnect between the haves and have-nots in Cook County and the HAVES don't have a clue what it is like for the rest of us, for whom a one percent tax means going without something we urgently need or not being able to pay our utilities bills and getting them shut off.
2) The Sawtooth Cottages plan for affordable and market-rate housing, which has had my fullest support, is necessarily changed by the fact that the Land Trust is claiming it cannot produce the "affordable" units at the price they originally quoted. Leaving aside the issue of what is affordable (which I have written about before), several people told the Council that local contractors ought to be allowed to bid on the revised specs. Locals had agreed that they could not contract at the prices quoted by the Land Trust but now several claim that they can compete on the newly defined terms and can produce an even higher quality home.
I am all for keeping our money in our local economy! I salute those new and innovative businesses like North House Folk School and the Whole Foods Coop who have brought new jobs, new tourist trade, and astonishingly successful economic ventures that sustain us all.
As for traditional tourism, if it can't support itself maybe it ought to go the way of the horse-and-buggy rather than break the backs of the low-income locals through new regressive taxes, and new taxes creating ANOTHER tourism board that has no electoral oversight.
Sincerely,
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
A couple of things I found worrisome at the last Grand Marais City Council meeting:
1) The council had a knee-jerk endorsement of proposals to: first--indefinitely continue the one-percent sales tax for some loosely defined "Infrastructure Improvements." NOT that we don't need them; we do. But the poorest of the poor in our county will bear the greatest burden of this tax. Sales taxes fall most burdensomely on the poor, unlike income taxes. Even property taxes, while regressive, are less so than sales taxes. And second--add a new sales tax on recreation, which presumably will be paid by all locals including children who ski, golf, swim... or as the dear Beatles once said, "If you take a walk, I will tax your feet." But my greatest worry is that, at least so far as I have heard, the recreation tax is not even subject to a referendum. Unlike the one-percent tax, which I can hardly wait to cast my vote against. There is this incredible disconnect between the haves and have-nots in Cook County and the HAVES don't have a clue what it is like for the rest of us, for whom a one percent tax means going without something we urgently need or not being able to pay our utilities bills and getting them shut off.
2) The Sawtooth Cottages plan for affordable and market-rate housing, which has had my fullest support, is necessarily changed by the fact that the Land Trust is claiming it cannot produce the "affordable" units at the price they originally quoted. Leaving aside the issue of what is affordable (which I have written about before), several people told the Council that local contractors ought to be allowed to bid on the revised specs. Locals had agreed that they could not contract at the prices quoted by the Land Trust but now several claim that they can compete on the newly defined terms and can produce an even higher quality home.
I am all for keeping our money in our local economy! I salute those new and innovative businesses like North House Folk School and the Whole Foods Coop who have brought new jobs, new tourist trade, and astonishingly successful economic ventures that sustain us all.
As for traditional tourism, if it can't support itself maybe it ought to go the way of the horse-and-buggy rather than break the backs of the low-income locals through new regressive taxes, and new taxes creating ANOTHER tourism board that has no electoral oversight.
Sincerely,
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
Friday, March 02, 2007
Diamonds: Minnesota's buried treasure? Read the stories
More mining news from Lori Andreson, our correspondent: Diamonds! Fabulous wealth in Minnesota? Read on:
Mar 2, 2007 8:17 am US/Central
Study: There May Be Diamonds Under Minnesota
(AP) Minneapolis A newly released study finds there are geological and chemical hints there may be diamonds in quantities large enough to mine under Minnesota.
The study by the University of Minnesota and an Australian mining company found features across Minnesota similar to those in Canada which led to diamond strikes.
The key features of the study were kept private for two years as part of a rare deal the university signed in 2004 with the mining company WMC Corporation.
Harvey Thorleifson is head of the Minnesota Geological Survey and a world-renowned diamond geologist. He's scheduled to present the findings next week in Toronto.
Thorleifson says the big surprise was the discovery of indicators that point to pipes of kimberlite, the underground rock formations where diamonds are often found.
Thorleifson calls the findings significant, but says they are far from a guarantee of diamond mines in Minnesota's future.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16814223.htm
Minnesota's geology reveals road signs to diamond riches
Don't start digging yet, but a study suggests a treasure trove lies beneath the state
BY PAUL TOSTO
Pioneer Press
They rarely yell "Eureka!" in the diamond exploration game. But surprising details from a just-released survey of Minnesota has the state's top geologist saying: "Maybe."
An exhaustive study by University of Minnesota researchers and an Australian mining company discovered geological markers across Minnesota similar to those in Canada that have led to huge diamond strikes over the past 10 years.
Held in secret for two years as part of a rare deal the U signed in 2004, the newly published findings reveal patterns researchers didn't expect — mineral arrows that may point to pipes of kimberlite, the underground rock formations where diamonds are most commonly found.
"We did find something and it's like the first hints" that led to diamond-field discoveries in Canada, said Harvey Thorleifson, head of the Minnesota Geological Survey and a world-renowned diamond geologist.
It's no "X marks the spot" discovery. It will take several years to trace back the mineral markers to see if they lead to kimberlite and, perhaps, diamonds.
Thorleifson called the findings significant but compared them to a hunting dog picking up the scent of a fox: Sometimes the fox is never found.
He plans to unveil the findings next week at an international prospector's convention in Toronto.
A diamond strike might seem unlikely in Minnesota. Scattered exploration in the central part of the state 20 years ago failed to find a mother lode. But geologists have long seen Minnesota's glaciated terrain as potentially fertile diamond territory, and chemical and computer testing of soils to find diamond markers has improved dramatically.
Hired in 2003 to lead the Minnesota Geological Survey, Thorleifson helped develop many of the indicator-minerals tests as a scientist in the Geological Survey of Canada. That work helped establish Canada's booming diamond industry, which didn't exist 10 years ago.
Thorleifson's reputation and the potential to discover a billion-dollar industry were compelling enough that the U in 2004 agreed to let the mining company, WMC Corp., withhold publication of the study's most sensitive findings for two years.
Diamonds form in rock that is about 2.5 billion to 3 billion years old. They rise to the surface in explosive eruptions and can be found in the carrot-shaped formations of kimberlite, named for Kimberly, South Africa, where it was first discovered in the late 1800s.
Diamonds have been found around North America, including Wisconsin, but mining was nearly nonexistent. That's changed over the past 20 years as geologists began examining the sandy sediments of land scraped by glaciers.
Because kimberlite is soft, some of it can catch in the glacier and leave a trail traceable to its source.
Geologists sample soils, looking for kimberlite indicator minerals, such as garnets. After a few hits, they follow the trail in the direction the glacial ice came from; if the number of markers increases, they may lead to kimberlite — and, maybe, to diamonds.
That's how it has played out in Canada, now one of the world's fastest-growing diamond producers.
Garnets with just the right chemical makeup were the survey's "complete surprise" in Minnesota, Thorleifson said. Found in a couple of spots, including near the Twin Cities, the garnets held levels of magnesium and chromium that flag them as particularly good markers to lead the way to kimberlite.
It's possible they may point the way to a kimberlite plume between the Twin Cities and Duluth or western Wisconsin, he added.
Canada began producing diamonds in 1998 when the EKATI diamond mine opened in the Northwest Territories. Two other mines have opened nearby since 2003.
With this multibillion-dollar business, officials say, Canada is now the third largest producer of rough diamonds by value after Botswana and Russia. At least two more Canadian mines plan to open in coming years.
Initial results here are exciting because they mirror those found in the early days of diamond exploration in northwestern Canada. Thorleifson and others, though, say there's a long road ahead.
"The report looks thorough and is a good first step in assessing the potential for diamond deposits and other mineral deposits in Minnesota," said Brooke Clements, vice president for exploration at Ashton Mining of Canada in Vancouver.
Clements, who explored central Minnesota in the mid-1980s with another firm, cautioned that the samples in this newest report had no more than one grain of each of the mineral species that might lead to kimberlite.
"While there are examples of instances where kimberlite pipes were discovered after an initial sample had only one indicator grain, more work is required to assess the significance of these results," he said.
The next steps involve follow-up soil surveys that likely will include northwestern Wisconsin to see if the markers will lead to kimberlite formations, Thorleifson said. That process will take several years of work and consultation with other geologists.
"There is a source out there somewhere," said Thorleifson. "Sometimes it's kimberlite but there are no diamonds … or you might have a kimberlite with beautiful diamonds that might be too deeply buried. Sometimes you can't find it."
Paul Tosto covers higher education and can be reached at ptosto@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2119.
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/egg/diamonds.html
DIAMONDS
Download a copy of the NRRI Diamond Brochure.pdf
Contact Steve Hauck
Minnesota has:
an Archean-aged Superior Craton root that underlies two-thirds of Minnesota, and diamondiferous kimberlites that have been found elsewhere within the Superior Craton in Ontario and Michigan.
major crustal structures that cross-cut Minnesota’s cratonic root, e.g., Vermilion Fault Zone, Great Lakes Tectonic Zone, Quetico Fault, etc., which are excellent kimberlite exploration areas.
Kenora-Kabetogama and Keweenawan dike swarms that intersect these and other structures and could have provided pathways for kimberlite emplacement, e.g., similar to the kimberlites found in the Kyle Lake and Attawapiskat kimberlite clusters in northern Ontario.
an Archean terrane with calc-alkaline lamprophyres that is time-equivalent with the Michipicoten greenstone belt in Ontario that has diamondiferous calc-alkaline lamprophyres associated with diamondiferous heterolithic breccias.
Minnesota also has:
been a mining state for >110 years.
reasonable mining taxation and economic incentives, as well as an established permitting process.
excellent regional and local bedrock and glacial mapping.
an excellent aeromagnetic and gravity database covering the entire State.
drill core and associated records for >5,100 drill holes.
an online database of mineral exploration records.
regional and statewide glaciofl uvial soil and stream sediment surveys.
Download a copy of the NRRI Diamond Brochure.pdf
Precambrian Research Center Summary
Minerals Industry
The demand for field geologists comes largely from the resurgent mineral exploration industry, locally and globally. "We can’t find any qualified people" has come to be a commonly heard refrain from the minerals industry as they seek to find field-trained geologists to hire for a renewed boom in minerals exploration. Fueling this increase in exploration is the global recovery from a 15-20 year depression in metal prices that is itself triggered by economic recovery in the West and the rapid industrialization in China. The level of metal consumption in China is forecast to grow by more than 80% over the next decade, and when including India and all of the rest of Southeast Asia, a total of 3 billion people are going through an industrial revolution. Although the minerals industry has always been cyclical, this next boom period looks to sustain itself for the foreseeable future. Moreover, new technologies, such as fuel cells and specialty steel, are causing increase interest in previously low demand metals like platinum, palladium, and titanium.
Minnesota Issues
On top of this increased global need for trained field geologists, a more local need exists for the next generation of industry-based Precambrian geologists in Minnesota. The single most important need exists within companies mining taconite along the Mesabi Iron Range, which together contribute nearly $1.3 billion to the state’s economy every year in the form of purchases, wages and benefits, and taxes and royalties. It is imperative that these established mining facilities have access to the next generation geologists for their staffs (the vast majority of their current geologists are UMD graduates). As well, UMD graduate student research projects on a variety of topics within the Biwabik Iron Formation could play an important role in sustaining existing mines and planned expansions into the future. In addition, a second need is looming as Minnesota is poised to develop a wholly new mining district focused on Cu-Ni-PGE deposits of the basal Duluth Complex. PolyMet Mining Corporation is in the final stages of permitting to mine the NorthMet deposit (formerly known as the Dunka Road deposit) located near Hoyt Lakes. Other related deposits have also seen increased activity in recent years, Teck-Cominco’s Babbitt deposit, Franconia Mineral’s Birch Lake deposit, and Wallbridge Mining’s Maturi Extension deposit. The potential exists that if PolyMet is successful in permitting and developing a base and precious metal mine, these other deposits are sure to follow. This will generate an incredible local demand for field-trained geologist with B.S. and M.S. degrees. Besides the CU-NI-PGE deposits of the Duluth Complex, other companies are spending money in the state in their search for gold, nickel, titanium, and diamonds.
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/default/nows/2007/winter07.htm
Precambrian Research Center
Valuable minerals lie beneath our feet, but if we don't know where to dig, they will stay locked underground. NRRI economic geologists have done extensive mapping of Minnesota's bedrock terrain for minerals exploration. Now, however, they are looking to the future and hoping to train the next generation of skilled field geologists.
Our beginning of time starts in the Precambrian era, including the formation of the earth itself, and stretches ahead some four billion years to the Cambrian era.
Bedrock that formed during Precambrian time holds valuable minerals, and Minnesota is rich with this mineral-laden rock, but it's a challenge for geologists to map it. The young earth was quite volatile and volcanic back then, causing melting, shifting, uplifting and eroding of the bedrock. It left behind a complex mix of rock and minerals. More often than not these ancient rocks aren't even included in field projects for U.S. geology students.
Globalization of the world's economy and a spectacular rise in the standard of living of millions of people means we need to be smart with how we use our earth's resources. The minerals industry is entering an anticipated era of expansion, but that growth is slowed by a need for trained field geologists, especially in the Precambrian terrains that hold much of the world's ore deposits. More than ever, geoscientists skilled in modern mapping and map-making are in high demand.
NRRI economic geologist Dean Peterson has teamed up with Jim Miller of the Minnesota Geological Survey to form the Precambrian Research Center at NRRI and UMD's Department of Geological Sciences. This center will provide training and support to upper-level college students, as well as professional geologists, in modern methods of geologic mapping of glaciated Precambrian terrains. It has received strong support from UMD's College of Science and Engineering and is a collaboration between the NRRI, UMD's Department of Geological Sciences and the Minnesota Geological Survey.
"This is a new way we geologists can help NRRI meet its mission of supporting natural resource-based industries," said Peterson. "Iron ore is in high demand world-wide and is expected to continue to rise. We just need more specially trained geologists to map the geology, interpret geological processes and predict where potential ore deposits may be found."
This summer, the Precambrian Research Center at NRRI will launch a 6 credit, 6 week Precambrian field camp for both undergraduate and graduate students from throughout North America, which will include a week of mapping and primitive camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The Center will provide research assistantships and grants to qualified students, as well as continuing education and field experiences in advanced mapping courses for professional geologists. Digital geologic mapping and upper level courses on field mapping will also be offered.
The Center will rely on expert advice and direction from a preeminent board of advisors with members from minerals exploration and mining industries, the U.S. Geological Survey, State and Provincial Surveys, and U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities.
"Geologic mapping is quickly becoming a lost art," said Miller. "We simply have not been mentoring students in this experience-intensive activity. This Center will hopefully help reverse that trend by creating well-trained mappers who can pick up where we leave off in unraveling the mysteries of the Precambrian."
Mar 2, 2007 8:17 am US/Central
Study: There May Be Diamonds Under Minnesota
(AP) Minneapolis A newly released study finds there are geological and chemical hints there may be diamonds in quantities large enough to mine under Minnesota.
The study by the University of Minnesota and an Australian mining company found features across Minnesota similar to those in Canada which led to diamond strikes.
The key features of the study were kept private for two years as part of a rare deal the university signed in 2004 with the mining company WMC Corporation.
Harvey Thorleifson is head of the Minnesota Geological Survey and a world-renowned diamond geologist. He's scheduled to present the findings next week in Toronto.
Thorleifson says the big surprise was the discovery of indicators that point to pipes of kimberlite, the underground rock formations where diamonds are often found.
Thorleifson calls the findings significant, but says they are far from a guarantee of diamond mines in Minnesota's future.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16814223.htm
Minnesota's geology reveals road signs to diamond riches
Don't start digging yet, but a study suggests a treasure trove lies beneath the state
BY PAUL TOSTO
Pioneer Press
They rarely yell "Eureka!" in the diamond exploration game. But surprising details from a just-released survey of Minnesota has the state's top geologist saying: "Maybe."
An exhaustive study by University of Minnesota researchers and an Australian mining company discovered geological markers across Minnesota similar to those in Canada that have led to huge diamond strikes over the past 10 years.
Held in secret for two years as part of a rare deal the U signed in 2004, the newly published findings reveal patterns researchers didn't expect — mineral arrows that may point to pipes of kimberlite, the underground rock formations where diamonds are most commonly found.
"We did find something and it's like the first hints" that led to diamond-field discoveries in Canada, said Harvey Thorleifson, head of the Minnesota Geological Survey and a world-renowned diamond geologist.
It's no "X marks the spot" discovery. It will take several years to trace back the mineral markers to see if they lead to kimberlite and, perhaps, diamonds.
Thorleifson called the findings significant but compared them to a hunting dog picking up the scent of a fox: Sometimes the fox is never found.
He plans to unveil the findings next week at an international prospector's convention in Toronto.
A diamond strike might seem unlikely in Minnesota. Scattered exploration in the central part of the state 20 years ago failed to find a mother lode. But geologists have long seen Minnesota's glaciated terrain as potentially fertile diamond territory, and chemical and computer testing of soils to find diamond markers has improved dramatically.
Hired in 2003 to lead the Minnesota Geological Survey, Thorleifson helped develop many of the indicator-minerals tests as a scientist in the Geological Survey of Canada. That work helped establish Canada's booming diamond industry, which didn't exist 10 years ago.
Thorleifson's reputation and the potential to discover a billion-dollar industry were compelling enough that the U in 2004 agreed to let the mining company, WMC Corp., withhold publication of the study's most sensitive findings for two years.
Diamonds form in rock that is about 2.5 billion to 3 billion years old. They rise to the surface in explosive eruptions and can be found in the carrot-shaped formations of kimberlite, named for Kimberly, South Africa, where it was first discovered in the late 1800s.
Diamonds have been found around North America, including Wisconsin, but mining was nearly nonexistent. That's changed over the past 20 years as geologists began examining the sandy sediments of land scraped by glaciers.
Because kimberlite is soft, some of it can catch in the glacier and leave a trail traceable to its source.
Geologists sample soils, looking for kimberlite indicator minerals, such as garnets. After a few hits, they follow the trail in the direction the glacial ice came from; if the number of markers increases, they may lead to kimberlite — and, maybe, to diamonds.
That's how it has played out in Canada, now one of the world's fastest-growing diamond producers.
Garnets with just the right chemical makeup were the survey's "complete surprise" in Minnesota, Thorleifson said. Found in a couple of spots, including near the Twin Cities, the garnets held levels of magnesium and chromium that flag them as particularly good markers to lead the way to kimberlite.
It's possible they may point the way to a kimberlite plume between the Twin Cities and Duluth or western Wisconsin, he added.
Canada began producing diamonds in 1998 when the EKATI diamond mine opened in the Northwest Territories. Two other mines have opened nearby since 2003.
With this multibillion-dollar business, officials say, Canada is now the third largest producer of rough diamonds by value after Botswana and Russia. At least two more Canadian mines plan to open in coming years.
Initial results here are exciting because they mirror those found in the early days of diamond exploration in northwestern Canada. Thorleifson and others, though, say there's a long road ahead.
"The report looks thorough and is a good first step in assessing the potential for diamond deposits and other mineral deposits in Minnesota," said Brooke Clements, vice president for exploration at Ashton Mining of Canada in Vancouver.
Clements, who explored central Minnesota in the mid-1980s with another firm, cautioned that the samples in this newest report had no more than one grain of each of the mineral species that might lead to kimberlite.
"While there are examples of instances where kimberlite pipes were discovered after an initial sample had only one indicator grain, more work is required to assess the significance of these results," he said.
The next steps involve follow-up soil surveys that likely will include northwestern Wisconsin to see if the markers will lead to kimberlite formations, Thorleifson said. That process will take several years of work and consultation with other geologists.
"There is a source out there somewhere," said Thorleifson. "Sometimes it's kimberlite but there are no diamonds … or you might have a kimberlite with beautiful diamonds that might be too deeply buried. Sometimes you can't find it."
Paul Tosto covers higher education and can be reached at ptosto@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2119.
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/egg/diamonds.html
DIAMONDS
Download a copy of the NRRI Diamond Brochure.pdf
Contact Steve Hauck
Minnesota has:
an Archean-aged Superior Craton root that underlies two-thirds of Minnesota, and diamondiferous kimberlites that have been found elsewhere within the Superior Craton in Ontario and Michigan.
major crustal structures that cross-cut Minnesota’s cratonic root, e.g., Vermilion Fault Zone, Great Lakes Tectonic Zone, Quetico Fault, etc., which are excellent kimberlite exploration areas.
Kenora-Kabetogama and Keweenawan dike swarms that intersect these and other structures and could have provided pathways for kimberlite emplacement, e.g., similar to the kimberlites found in the Kyle Lake and Attawapiskat kimberlite clusters in northern Ontario.
an Archean terrane with calc-alkaline lamprophyres that is time-equivalent with the Michipicoten greenstone belt in Ontario that has diamondiferous calc-alkaline lamprophyres associated with diamondiferous heterolithic breccias.
Minnesota also has:
been a mining state for >110 years.
reasonable mining taxation and economic incentives, as well as an established permitting process.
excellent regional and local bedrock and glacial mapping.
an excellent aeromagnetic and gravity database covering the entire State.
drill core and associated records for >5,100 drill holes.
an online database of mineral exploration records.
regional and statewide glaciofl uvial soil and stream sediment surveys.
Download a copy of the NRRI Diamond Brochure.pdf
Precambrian Research Center Summary
Minerals Industry
The demand for field geologists comes largely from the resurgent mineral exploration industry, locally and globally. "We can’t find any qualified people" has come to be a commonly heard refrain from the minerals industry as they seek to find field-trained geologists to hire for a renewed boom in minerals exploration. Fueling this increase in exploration is the global recovery from a 15-20 year depression in metal prices that is itself triggered by economic recovery in the West and the rapid industrialization in China. The level of metal consumption in China is forecast to grow by more than 80% over the next decade, and when including India and all of the rest of Southeast Asia, a total of 3 billion people are going through an industrial revolution. Although the minerals industry has always been cyclical, this next boom period looks to sustain itself for the foreseeable future. Moreover, new technologies, such as fuel cells and specialty steel, are causing increase interest in previously low demand metals like platinum, palladium, and titanium.
Minnesota Issues
On top of this increased global need for trained field geologists, a more local need exists for the next generation of industry-based Precambrian geologists in Minnesota. The single most important need exists within companies mining taconite along the Mesabi Iron Range, which together contribute nearly $1.3 billion to the state’s economy every year in the form of purchases, wages and benefits, and taxes and royalties. It is imperative that these established mining facilities have access to the next generation geologists for their staffs (the vast majority of their current geologists are UMD graduates). As well, UMD graduate student research projects on a variety of topics within the Biwabik Iron Formation could play an important role in sustaining existing mines and planned expansions into the future. In addition, a second need is looming as Minnesota is poised to develop a wholly new mining district focused on Cu-Ni-PGE deposits of the basal Duluth Complex. PolyMet Mining Corporation is in the final stages of permitting to mine the NorthMet deposit (formerly known as the Dunka Road deposit) located near Hoyt Lakes. Other related deposits have also seen increased activity in recent years, Teck-Cominco’s Babbitt deposit, Franconia Mineral’s Birch Lake deposit, and Wallbridge Mining’s Maturi Extension deposit. The potential exists that if PolyMet is successful in permitting and developing a base and precious metal mine, these other deposits are sure to follow. This will generate an incredible local demand for field-trained geologist with B.S. and M.S. degrees. Besides the CU-NI-PGE deposits of the Duluth Complex, other companies are spending money in the state in their search for gold, nickel, titanium, and diamonds.
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/default/nows/2007/winter07.htm
Precambrian Research Center
Valuable minerals lie beneath our feet, but if we don't know where to dig, they will stay locked underground. NRRI economic geologists have done extensive mapping of Minnesota's bedrock terrain for minerals exploration. Now, however, they are looking to the future and hoping to train the next generation of skilled field geologists.
Our beginning of time starts in the Precambrian era, including the formation of the earth itself, and stretches ahead some four billion years to the Cambrian era.
Bedrock that formed during Precambrian time holds valuable minerals, and Minnesota is rich with this mineral-laden rock, but it's a challenge for geologists to map it. The young earth was quite volatile and volcanic back then, causing melting, shifting, uplifting and eroding of the bedrock. It left behind a complex mix of rock and minerals. More often than not these ancient rocks aren't even included in field projects for U.S. geology students.
Globalization of the world's economy and a spectacular rise in the standard of living of millions of people means we need to be smart with how we use our earth's resources. The minerals industry is entering an anticipated era of expansion, but that growth is slowed by a need for trained field geologists, especially in the Precambrian terrains that hold much of the world's ore deposits. More than ever, geoscientists skilled in modern mapping and map-making are in high demand.
NRRI economic geologist Dean Peterson has teamed up with Jim Miller of the Minnesota Geological Survey to form the Precambrian Research Center at NRRI and UMD's Department of Geological Sciences. This center will provide training and support to upper-level college students, as well as professional geologists, in modern methods of geologic mapping of glaciated Precambrian terrains. It has received strong support from UMD's College of Science and Engineering and is a collaboration between the NRRI, UMD's Department of Geological Sciences and the Minnesota Geological Survey.
"This is a new way we geologists can help NRRI meet its mission of supporting natural resource-based industries," said Peterson. "Iron ore is in high demand world-wide and is expected to continue to rise. We just need more specially trained geologists to map the geology, interpret geological processes and predict where potential ore deposits may be found."
This summer, the Precambrian Research Center at NRRI will launch a 6 credit, 6 week Precambrian field camp for both undergraduate and graduate students from throughout North America, which will include a week of mapping and primitive camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The Center will provide research assistantships and grants to qualified students, as well as continuing education and field experiences in advanced mapping courses for professional geologists. Digital geologic mapping and upper level courses on field mapping will also be offered.
The Center will rely on expert advice and direction from a preeminent board of advisors with members from minerals exploration and mining industries, the U.S. Geological Survey, State and Provincial Surveys, and U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities.
"Geologic mapping is quickly becoming a lost art," said Miller. "We simply have not been mentoring students in this experience-intensive activity. This Center will hopefully help reverse that trend by creating well-trained mappers who can pick up where we leave off in unraveling the mysteries of the Precambrian."
Michigan DEQ withdraws support for Kennecott mine
Our sulfide mining correspondent, Lori Andreson, sent the above link to a decision by Michigan DEQ in a case similar to our own pending Polymet mining proposal.
True
DEQ Withdraws Approval Of Kennecott Mine
The Department of Environmental Quality announced Thursday that it has withdrawn its proposed decision to approve a permit for the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to construct a mine on the Yellow Dog Plains.
Officials say they discovered that two reports on the structural integrity of the mine were not properly made part of the public record or given a comprehensive review.
DEQ Director Steven Chester announced that, as a result, the public hearings scheduled for March 6-8 in Marquette and March 12 in Lansing will be postponed.
The DEQ is also undertaking an investigation into how the documents were not given proper consideration.
TV6 will have full reports on the story on the Early, Extra and Late News.
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3308_3323-163315--,00.html
www.michigan.gov
(To Print: use your browser's print function) Release Date: March 01, 2007
Last Update: March 01, 2007
Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
Agency: Environmental Quality
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEQ Withdraws Proposed Decision on Kennecott Mining Application
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 1, 2007
The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that it has withdrawn its proposed decision to approve a permit for the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to conduct mining operations at the proposed Eagle Project Mine. The decision was made after discovering that two reports on the structural integrity of the mine were not properly made part of the public record or given a comprehensive technical review.
As a result, there has been an insufficient opportunity for the entire mining team and DEQ management to review the additional technical reports and determine their significance from a technical, legal, and policy perspective.
"This department has committed itself to making this process as open and transparent as possible," said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. "In light of this information, we must allow the needed time for ourselves, as well as the public, to give it the appropriate review."
Director Chester also announced that the public hearings, scheduled for March 6-8 in Marquette and March 12 in Lansing, will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date.
"I regret that canceling the hearings at this time may create an inconvenience for those who were planning to attend, but it is critical for us to gain a better understanding of the situation before we engage in that important part of this process," added Director Chester.
In addition to a technical review of the reports, the department will be undertaking an extensive procedural review to determine how these documents were not immediately given the proper consideration and to ensure that there is a complete public record of information related to the mining proposal and its review. During this review, affected staff will be reassigned to other projects.
The DEQ will share the findings of its review with the public as that information becomes available, and the technical reports will be posted on the DEQ's Web site at www.michigan.gov/deqogs, then click on Kennecott Eagle Project.
Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.
"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"
Revised March 1, 2007 by Pat Watson
Copyright © 2007 State of Michigan
True
DEQ Withdraws Approval Of Kennecott Mine
The Department of Environmental Quality announced Thursday that it has withdrawn its proposed decision to approve a permit for the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to construct a mine on the Yellow Dog Plains.
Officials say they discovered that two reports on the structural integrity of the mine were not properly made part of the public record or given a comprehensive review.
DEQ Director Steven Chester announced that, as a result, the public hearings scheduled for March 6-8 in Marquette and March 12 in Lansing will be postponed.
The DEQ is also undertaking an investigation into how the documents were not given proper consideration.
TV6 will have full reports on the story on the Early, Extra and Late News.
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3308_3323-163315--,00.html
www.michigan.gov
(To Print: use your browser's print function) Release Date: March 01, 2007
Last Update: March 01, 2007
Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
Agency: Environmental Quality
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEQ Withdraws Proposed Decision on Kennecott Mining Application
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 1, 2007
The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that it has withdrawn its proposed decision to approve a permit for the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to conduct mining operations at the proposed Eagle Project Mine. The decision was made after discovering that two reports on the structural integrity of the mine were not properly made part of the public record or given a comprehensive technical review.
As a result, there has been an insufficient opportunity for the entire mining team and DEQ management to review the additional technical reports and determine their significance from a technical, legal, and policy perspective.
"This department has committed itself to making this process as open and transparent as possible," said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. "In light of this information, we must allow the needed time for ourselves, as well as the public, to give it the appropriate review."
Director Chester also announced that the public hearings, scheduled for March 6-8 in Marquette and March 12 in Lansing, will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date.
"I regret that canceling the hearings at this time may create an inconvenience for those who were planning to attend, but it is critical for us to gain a better understanding of the situation before we engage in that important part of this process," added Director Chester.
In addition to a technical review of the reports, the department will be undertaking an extensive procedural review to determine how these documents were not immediately given the proper consideration and to ensure that there is a complete public record of information related to the mining proposal and its review. During this review, affected staff will be reassigned to other projects.
The DEQ will share the findings of its review with the public as that information becomes available, and the technical reports will be posted on the DEQ's Web site at www.michigan.gov/deqogs, then click on Kennecott Eagle Project.
Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.
"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"
Revised March 1, 2007 by Pat Watson
Copyright © 2007 State of Michigan
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