Both the Star and the News Herald have strict policies about word limits on their editorial pages. Lots of just plain folks as well as elected officials have gotten the brush-off when they attempted to exceed the limits, maybe because they were writing about an issue too complex to cover in 400 words.
Not so the Poplar River Management Board, that thinly veiled cover for the owners of Lutsen Mountain who want a North Shore Aspen of megadevelopment to add to the already overtaxed Poplar River...
No, both papers gave these folks a full page, right a full page, presumably without charging for the advertising that their devious spin on the facts amounted to.
Corporate owners don't deserve to get public support, period. And when they are part of the problem they darned well ought to pay for the solution, and not pass it on to the hapless residents who can so ill afford to pay more taxes.
True
Showing posts with label land use. Show all posts
Showing posts with label land use. Show all posts
Monday, June 02, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Don't trust DNR on ATVs
Dear True,
If you are one of those who still trusts the DNR to do the right thing for the environment this webpage should completely eliminate that thought.Anonymous
Hay Creek ATV damage
The Hay Creek ATV damage site is on an 80 acre parcel of our state land within thousands of acres of Cass County land. Cass County controls the access and refuses to restrict ATV riders access.
On April 4, 2005 I was hiking my favorite trail and photo documenting the massive amount of ATV damage that is taking place on our public lands because of the do-nothing MN legislature and the MN DNR.
I came across severe ongoing erosion caused by ATV riders. The trail is a winter logging trail and is designed to be used only during winter when the ground is frozen. Beavers had dammed a flowage and caused the water to run down the trail as they had done in the past only this time the deep ATV ruts concentrated the flow. Without the root matt to hold the soil it was rapidly eroding into Hay Creek during fish spawning season.
This first series was taken as I walked towards Hay Creek on 4-4-05. It shows only a very small portion of the rutted trail. I have only used a few of the photos in order to speed loading. This spring I took hundreds of similar photos of ATV damage to our forest trails in Cass and Crow Wing County forests. Gross negligence on the part of Cass and Crow Wing County officials and the MN DNR has allowed the creation of literally miles of ruts just like those shown in these photos.
Here's the beginning of the washout next to Hay Creek. The photo was taken looking backwards. It was taken on 4-4-05.
On 4-5-05 I notified the MN DNR and Cass County of the ongoing damage and emailed photos of the site.
Here is what the same site looked like on 4-12-05 seven days after I notified the MN DNR and Cass County.
Still no action from the MN DNR or Cass County was taken to stop the erosion into Hay Creek.
Here is what the same site looked like on 4-21-05 sixteen days after I notified the MN DNR and Cass County..
Still no action from the MN DNR or Cass County was taken to stop the erosion into Hay Creek.
Here is what the same site looked like on 5-4-05 one month later. I brought the MN DNR and Cass County staff to look at the site on that day.
Still no action from the MN DNR or Cass County was taken to stop the erosion into Hay Creek.
Here is what the same site looked like on 7-3-05. Vegetation covers most of the site so the 4 foot deep gully is barely visible.
Still no action from the MN DNR or Cass County was taken to stop the erosion into Hay Creek.
As of January 16, 2006 despite numerous group hugs and agency visits to the site nothing has been done to restore or stabilize this trail from continuing to erode into Hay Creek. I expect that spring runoff and spring rains will continue the process of erosion.
Even though $475,000 sits in the ATV damage account for just this sort of restoration the MN DNR still refuses to use that money. I believe it it so that pro-ATV legislators (Bakk, Dill, Penas, Hackbarth, Saxhaug and Irv Anderson) and certain DNR staff can claim it isn't needed. In 1999 when our very own MN DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten was Representative Holsten he teamed up with then Representative Tom Bakk to push an 11th hour amendment that allowed ATV riders to leave the trail and ride randomly through our forests. That helped create a No Boundaries attitude that can be seen in the ATV trails around closed signs to this day. It's no wonder that ATV riders are destroying our forest trails and wetlands with a so-what leadership like that at the very top of the MN DNR.
I was able to email a question to DNR Commissioner Holsten on MPR Midday. The host asked DNR Commissioner if he regretted pushing the 1999 amendment that allowed ATV riders to ride randomly off trail through out forests. You can hear him tapdance around the question here http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/02/05/midday2/ . Click on the listen button to the left of the image. Then scroll to 11:36 minutes to hear the question and his evasive answer. I doubt that he regrets it and only regrets that people know what he did.
You can add Senator Satveer Chaudhary's name to the Hall of Shame when it comes to supporting irresponsible and destructive OHV use in MN state forests. He is the chair of the Environment and Natural Resource Committee in the MN Senate. His actions and the bill he passed out of his committee puts him in the same league as the scoundrels above.
The MN DNR finally "restored" the Hay Creek ATV damage site. You will see what I mean by "restored" in the following photos. It is PATHETIC. Now they will refer to this site as a success story about how they, the great protectors of the environment rushed to the rescue and made everything right despite great obstacles. The MN DNR and irresponsible legislators like those named above are the obstacles to protecting our state forest from irresponsible ATV riders.
Here are before and after restoration photos of the site.
Before After
The "before" photo was taken well before the erosion was complete. The final gully was 4' deep and up to 11' wide.
Before After
I don't have any good before photos of this part of the trail shown below but as you can see it doesn't matter because the DNR didn't make any attempt to restore this portion of the trail. The majority (90%) of the trail was not touched in the "restoration".
It's no doubt that the DNR was more concerned about saving ATV damage account dollars than restoring the trail.
Cass County has refused to control access to this site even going so far as to place the gate at the east entrance to the area in such a way that ATVs and mudder trucks can go around the gate.
Cass County also refuses to close the west access point even though ATVs are riding in Pistol Lake. These photos represent only a tiny portion of the ATV ruts along the shoreline of Pistol Lake. They are clearly visible from the air and Cass County is well aware of the ongoing damage. The water from Pistol Lake flows into Hay Creek and then to Daggett Brook and finally into the Whitefish Chain before joining the Pine River on it's way to the Mississippi River. Without the cooperation of Cass County Commissioners there is little chance of enforcing any ATV regulations or protecting this site from further ATV damage. They seem to have embraced a slash-and-burn economic development philosophy when it comes to ATV regulation with their stated goal of leaving 90% of Cass County land open to ATV riders.
Unfortunately Crow Wing County has adopted the same reckless position of allowing ATV riders to destroy our trails. It is evident in that we have NO county ordinances that would allow any realistic regulation of these machines despite the fact that Crow Wing County commissioners have had years to write those ordinances.. I have photographed literally miles of deep ATV ruts in Crow Wing County.
Some of those images can be seen at http://www.crowwingcountymn.org
MN legislature stealing our gas tax dollars to give to ATV riders
Each time you buy gas the ATV riders illegally siphon off 0.27% of the Constitutionally dedicated gas tax that you paid. Each year ATV riders are stealing nearly $2 million from our badly needed transportation fund. It's called a "refund" because supposedly ATV riders cannot use our highway system but ATV riders ARE using our highway system ditches. It also violates the MN Constitution to divert money from our highways and bridges.
The ATV lobby pushed legislation that requires all ATV owners to license their vehicles even if they never leave private property. Then they steal that license money to build ATV trails. It also inflates the numbers of ATVs so that the ATV lobby now uses that massively inflated figure to justify building more trails and prevent any reasonable ATV regulations.
A study was commissioned to find out how much gas tax ATV riders pay and where they ride. After spending our tax dollars to fund the study and collecting all the data the MN DNR looked the other way when 1/2 of the study was left undone. The half that was left undone with the DNR's permission would have drastically reduced the amount of our gas tax funneled into the MN DNR Trails and Waterways. The missing part of the study showed that only 15% of riders use trails on public lands.
In a nutshell the gas tax "refund" is based on the false premise that ATV riders aren't riding in our ditches, massively inflated numbers of ATVs and that 100% of ATV riders ride on public land instead of only 15%.
Gene Larimore from the Jack Pine Coalition finished the second half of the study. Here are the results of his analysis. Gas tax His analysis has never been contested by the MN DNR or the ATV lobby.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The lowly lynx: fed's environment trump card
True loves the environment and also loves the Lynx, along with every other sentient creature on the planet.
But I can't help but notice that the feds don't really give a s**t about the polar bears, nearing extinction on account of global warming, the wolf who can now be shot from the air in some places with impunity, and a host of other species endanged by such atrocious practices as cutting off mountaintops to get more coal.
Ah. But, they stand firm on the lynx. In Cook County, where 90 percent of the land is publicly owned and lynx habitat protected, they are determined to regulate the rest of us and restrict our back yards. Lynx, to my delight, run through my small private forest and presumably feed upon the abundant snowshoe hare that also live here. I hope they always will feel comfortable visiting. BUT. Restrictions on whether I can build something new on my land? It makes me want to spit on those who lop the tops off moutains that have stood for thousands of years.
Or maybe they just have it in for us in Cook County. We aren't allow even limited commercial fishing on Lake Superior although conservative projections show that won't adversely affect local fish populations. The white settlers here survived by commercial fishing and our 150-year history here would never have happened without it.
Where is there any perspective? Fishing does not cause global warming, and doesn't harm anything or anybody except the unlucky fish who are caught. But protecting the lynx on private property could have devastating effects on our local economy.
But I can't help but notice that the feds don't really give a s**t about the polar bears, nearing extinction on account of global warming, the wolf who can now be shot from the air in some places with impunity, and a host of other species endanged by such atrocious practices as cutting off mountaintops to get more coal.
Ah. But, they stand firm on the lynx. In Cook County, where 90 percent of the land is publicly owned and lynx habitat protected, they are determined to regulate the rest of us and restrict our back yards. Lynx, to my delight, run through my small private forest and presumably feed upon the abundant snowshoe hare that also live here. I hope they always will feel comfortable visiting. BUT. Restrictions on whether I can build something new on my land? It makes me want to spit on those who lop the tops off moutains that have stood for thousands of years.
Or maybe they just have it in for us in Cook County. We aren't allow even limited commercial fishing on Lake Superior although conservative projections show that won't adversely affect local fish populations. The white settlers here survived by commercial fishing and our 150-year history here would never have happened without it.
Where is there any perspective? Fishing does not cause global warming, and doesn't harm anything or anybody except the unlucky fish who are caught. But protecting the lynx on private property could have devastating effects on our local economy.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Pro-ATV Tofte board throws hissy fit
Confronted with safety concerns cited by Cook County engineer Shae Kosmalski about connecting Highway 61 and the "600 Road" where ATV trails begin via the Sawbill Trail, Tofte township chair Paul James said that ordinances have "driven people out of the woods." "What are kids supposed to do? Stay home and watch TV?" (quotes from the Cook County Star). James was backed up by Supervisors DC Olsen and Tom Muntean.
Might True respectfully suggest that kids could hike, canoe, kayak, swim, backpack, camp out, bird watch, or in any of a thousand other ways enjoy the North Country woods without the devastation caused by ATVs, not to mention the egregious waste of gas and concomitant carbon emissions that hasten the day of reckoning when global warming destroys life as we know it on the planet? This could happen in our lifetime.
True uses gas only sparingly, only for basic necessities of life. Why the hell should spoiled kids squander gas for their destructive ATVs, and in the process erode yet more of our dwindling soils?
The "recreational" use of gas-guzzling and habitat-destroying ATVs should be going the way of the horse-and-buggy if we are to survive the 21st century.
Might True respectfully suggest that kids could hike, canoe, kayak, swim, backpack, camp out, bird watch, or in any of a thousand other ways enjoy the North Country woods without the devastation caused by ATVs, not to mention the egregious waste of gas and concomitant carbon emissions that hasten the day of reckoning when global warming destroys life as we know it on the planet? This could happen in our lifetime.
True uses gas only sparingly, only for basic necessities of life. Why the hell should spoiled kids squander gas for their destructive ATVs, and in the process erode yet more of our dwindling soils?
The "recreational" use of gas-guzzling and habitat-destroying ATVs should be going the way of the horse-and-buggy if we are to survive the 21st century.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The ATV song: Ride roughshod over the rivers and through the woods
Oh, here we go again!
Not content with inviting all the ATVers in the world to their June parade in Silver Bay, the local ATV crowd is demanding that the North Shore State Trail be opened to their noisy and destructive vehicles.
As for the old slogan that "We just want a place for locals to ride," the latest demand is to eliminate the 90-mile limit on trails in Cook County. So, how many miles do you locals want permission to destroy fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitat on?
The US Forest Service process started last year with mucho public input to try to keep everybody happy has tanked. How thankless to try to find a way to preserve the environment by limiting the damage done by ATV rough riders, not to mention protecting quiet spaces. It isn't only the people who need peace and silence, it is the wild creatures who are terrified by the noise and smells and speedy depradations of the clueless folks who bring their joyless and lawless midget psyches blundering into the ancient forest.
It looks to be a long summer. Lovers of peace and quiet, beware!
Not content with inviting all the ATVers in the world to their June parade in Silver Bay, the local ATV crowd is demanding that the North Shore State Trail be opened to their noisy and destructive vehicles.
As for the old slogan that "We just want a place for locals to ride," the latest demand is to eliminate the 90-mile limit on trails in Cook County. So, how many miles do you locals want permission to destroy fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitat on?
The US Forest Service process started last year with mucho public input to try to keep everybody happy has tanked. How thankless to try to find a way to preserve the environment by limiting the damage done by ATV rough riders, not to mention protecting quiet spaces. It isn't only the people who need peace and silence, it is the wild creatures who are terrified by the noise and smells and speedy depradations of the clueless folks who bring their joyless and lawless midget psyches blundering into the ancient forest.
It looks to be a long summer. Lovers of peace and quiet, beware!
Here's a pretty mess!
Reprise: Developer mania once seen in downtown Grand Marais is alive and well on Lutsen Mountain. True is reminded of the neocon power domination philosophy so eloquently stated by Karl Rove (or was it Darth Cheney?): You just push and push and keep pushing until you get stopped.
So it is on Lutsen Mountain. The rich owners who here shall remain nameless wish to turn the moutain into an Aspen-like city of huge buildings (55 plus feet high) and infrastructure paid for by the government (as in "public-private partnership" meaning public subsidies of private enterprise) and utterly destructive of the moutain's steep-slope land with its limited soil on bedrock, and the Poplar River watershed that supports all life within its domain.
The nameless management has shamelessly advocated for a new one-percent sales tax that will like the proverbial straw break the backs of us poor folks already suffering from huge new costs for food, energy, gas and health care.
Says Leroy Halberg, water and septic inspector for Cook County, "No one is lookiing at the overall picture, the cumulative effect of development on the watershed."
A recent letter was sent to the Lutsen town board from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health. In part this letter read, "We are starting to question whether the area can sustain such increased pressure on its water resources without impacts to human health and the environment. Currently there are 14 noncommunity wasterwater treatment systems in the area and all of this water is obtained from aquifers that have limited capabilities for providing drinking water."
In case y'all haven't noticed, neocons in the years since Reagan have increasingly de-clawed regulation; all the more remarkable that two Minnesota regulatory agencies have the courage to send a letter like this to challenge the corporate-owner dominated Poplar River Management Board.
There will be public meetings between the PRMB and the county coming up to consider wastewater treatment and drinking water safety.
Folks, turn out! Or failing that, write letters or emails or call your West End Commissioner Bruce Martinson.
Do you think Lutsen Mountain makes a profit from its disregard of the Poplar watershed? Does the Pope shit in the woods?
So it is on Lutsen Mountain. The rich owners who here shall remain nameless wish to turn the moutain into an Aspen-like city of huge buildings (55 plus feet high) and infrastructure paid for by the government (as in "public-private partnership" meaning public subsidies of private enterprise) and utterly destructive of the moutain's steep-slope land with its limited soil on bedrock, and the Poplar River watershed that supports all life within its domain.
The nameless management has shamelessly advocated for a new one-percent sales tax that will like the proverbial straw break the backs of us poor folks already suffering from huge new costs for food, energy, gas and health care.
Says Leroy Halberg, water and septic inspector for Cook County, "No one is lookiing at the overall picture, the cumulative effect of development on the watershed."
A recent letter was sent to the Lutsen town board from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health. In part this letter read, "We are starting to question whether the area can sustain such increased pressure on its water resources without impacts to human health and the environment. Currently there are 14 noncommunity wasterwater treatment systems in the area and all of this water is obtained from aquifers that have limited capabilities for providing drinking water."
In case y'all haven't noticed, neocons in the years since Reagan have increasingly de-clawed regulation; all the more remarkable that two Minnesota regulatory agencies have the courage to send a letter like this to challenge the corporate-owner dominated Poplar River Management Board.
There will be public meetings between the PRMB and the county coming up to consider wastewater treatment and drinking water safety.
Folks, turn out! Or failing that, write letters or emails or call your West End Commissioner Bruce Martinson.
Do you think Lutsen Mountain makes a profit from its disregard of the Poplar watershed? Does the Pope shit in the woods?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Lutsen: who's minding the henhouse?
The day dawns for Lutsen township elections and Paul Quinn is challenging incumbent Supervisor Marland Hansen. Sounds like a healthy democratic process? Guess again.
Hansen and Quinn are both on the same page when it comes to the HUGE issues facing Lutsen township, namely the downtown development design approved by a public process and the Lutsen Mountain mega-developers who are not answerable to anybody. Not for their mega-slump dump of dirty water into the Poplar River. Not for their increasing push toward the limits of the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) that can't absorb additional turbidity. But most of all, not for their Mega-Development of a new McCity on Lutsen Mountain with 55 foot high buildings, curb-and-gutters designed for a mini-urban area, and no, repeat, no, plans to mitigate the already challenged TMDL on the Poplar River watershed, a huge area affected by the Mega Mountain Corporation.
So, people of Lutsen, do you want to elect Tweedle Dum or Tweedle Dee? Either candidate washes his hands over the Poplar River/Lutsen Mountain pollution issues. Either candidate expresses disdain for the public-process-approved downtown design by the U of M Center for Changing Landscapes. True, having closely studied these designs, has nothing but praise for them, especially for the seamless integration of the bike trail into the overall plan and for the "intelligent design" (if you will pardon the reference) that will limit new development to the town center and to the publicly determined good--i.e., housing and commercial development that serves citizens.
Lutsen citizens: True can't vote for y'all. You need to stop being world-class wimps while others decide the fate of your lovely, lovely township.
Hansen and Quinn are both on the same page when it comes to the HUGE issues facing Lutsen township, namely the downtown development design approved by a public process and the Lutsen Mountain mega-developers who are not answerable to anybody. Not for their mega-slump dump of dirty water into the Poplar River. Not for their increasing push toward the limits of the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) that can't absorb additional turbidity. But most of all, not for their Mega-Development of a new McCity on Lutsen Mountain with 55 foot high buildings, curb-and-gutters designed for a mini-urban area, and no, repeat, no, plans to mitigate the already challenged TMDL on the Poplar River watershed, a huge area affected by the Mega Mountain Corporation.
So, people of Lutsen, do you want to elect Tweedle Dum or Tweedle Dee? Either candidate washes his hands over the Poplar River/Lutsen Mountain pollution issues. Either candidate expresses disdain for the public-process-approved downtown design by the U of M Center for Changing Landscapes. True, having closely studied these designs, has nothing but praise for them, especially for the seamless integration of the bike trail into the overall plan and for the "intelligent design" (if you will pardon the reference) that will limit new development to the town center and to the publicly determined good--i.e., housing and commercial development that serves citizens.
Lutsen citizens: True can't vote for y'all. You need to stop being world-class wimps while others decide the fate of your lovely, lovely township.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Social Capital Assessment
Here's a post from Boreal News of interest to all who care about Cook County. The benefits of social capital assessments are multiple and manifold. This theory, already adopted by scholars in many disciplines from evaluation/sociology to architecture and development, advocates for local communities. The idea is to inventory the community assets and then build on or strengthen them instead of the outside developer mentality of slash-and-burn.
Cook County is rich in social capital assets that include communities dedicated to the best interests of citizens and tourists.
Please, friends, if you can spare the time, consider taking part in this most important project that could have incredible impact on the long-term health and well being of our county:
Join us on Thursday, November 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Cook County
Community Center to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the
county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project
for the U of M Extension. The information will be valuable for decision
makers.Contact the Community Center Extension Program to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project.
We are looking for volunteers from all parts of Cook County to help with a county-wide social capital assessment. We want to set this up so that areas within the counties can determine how well their local
community is doing in terms of cooperating together for mutual benefit. This may differ between Schroeder, Gunflint Trail, or Grand Portage. The time commitment is one training session and getting folks to fill out the assessment in January.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would be willing to help with the survey assessment in your part of the county, please contact Diane Booth at the Extension office at 387-3015.
Cook County is rich in social capital assets that include communities dedicated to the best interests of citizens and tourists.
Please, friends, if you can spare the time, consider taking part in this most important project that could have incredible impact on the long-term health and well being of our county:
Join us on Thursday, November 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Cook County
Community Center to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the
county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project
for the U of M Extension. The information will be valuable for decision
makers.Contact the Community Center Extension Program to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project.
We are looking for volunteers from all parts of Cook County to help with a county-wide social capital assessment. We want to set this up so that areas within the counties can determine how well their local
community is doing in terms of cooperating together for mutual benefit. This may differ between Schroeder, Gunflint Trail, or Grand Portage. The time commitment is one training session and getting folks to fill out the assessment in January.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would be willing to help with the survey assessment in your part of the county, please contact Diane Booth at the Extension office at 387-3015.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Let there be gardens
"Let a hundred flowers blossom,
Let a hundred schools of thoughts contend."
-Mao Tse Tung
How remarkable. The city Park and Recreation Board doesn't want gardens in Rec Park, despite pleas from our loyal summer residents that it would make the park more home-like and beautiful.
What's the big deal? Flowers are wonderful and even vegetables have a lot of charm to many folks. Are you the same guys that dug up the wetlands and filled them with garbage not so long ago?
In another life, in Minneapolis, True once got a citation from the city for "weeds" on account of a perennial border. Now residents of that city get "Blooming boulevard" awards for planting native prairie flowers, once known as weeds.
Hey, folks. Lighten up and let the flowers bloom and grow forever, like the edelweiss in The Sound of Music. Look at Harbor Park, planted by many many of us. People love it.
True
Let a hundred schools of thoughts contend."
-Mao Tse Tung
How remarkable. The city Park and Recreation Board doesn't want gardens in Rec Park, despite pleas from our loyal summer residents that it would make the park more home-like and beautiful.
What's the big deal? Flowers are wonderful and even vegetables have a lot of charm to many folks. Are you the same guys that dug up the wetlands and filled them with garbage not so long ago?
In another life, in Minneapolis, True once got a citation from the city for "weeds" on account of a perennial border. Now residents of that city get "Blooming boulevard" awards for planting native prairie flowers, once known as weeds.
Hey, folks. Lighten up and let the flowers bloom and grow forever, like the edelweiss in The Sound of Music. Look at Harbor Park, planted by many many of us. People love it.
True
Friday, July 06, 2007
It's good because it's good
Recently my nephew Eric turned eight years old and for the occasion I gave him some removable tattoos and $30 in cash. By email he sent his thanks. He was saving the money towards a Wii, whatever that is, which he was sure he would be getting soon. "It's good because it's good," he wrote about my gift.
A couple of days ago, a reader accused me of being "Syndical" in response to my post, "America the Beautiful." I interpreted this to mean a combination of sinful and cynical. The post was about my longing for an idealized America and my frustation and grief at how the Bush administration has systematically destroyed all the best. I'm a Woody Guthrie kind of guy, a "This Land is Your Land" sing-a-longer. I'm a peacenik, a tree-hugger, a Buddhist and a vegetarian. But not a cynic or a sinner, I hope. My heroes are Cindy Sheehan and the Dalai Lama, who are just so good because they are good.
Anonymous and my nephew got me to thinking. There's a lot of stuff in Grand Marais and Cook County that is good because it's good.
For one, our transparent and responsive City Council. It's such a relief to know that they represent the voters, that they resist demands for inappropriate development, that if they have a conflict of interest they don't vote. I don't have to agree with every single action or vote to rest easy, because their interest is the public interest. Thanks, City Council!
Two, we are so blessed to have Harbor Friends. Always vigilant, these watchdogs caught the nasty infill of two harbor wetlands sites. The city is even now removing the landfill and restoring the wetlands. Thanks! I don't think it is too Syndical to ask who threw assorted junk in the first place. This has not been mentioned in any press reports. I am just curious.
Hey! Snowmobiles without mufflers skipping all over the harbor on the 4th of July? Well, as my mom used to say, that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Sometimes a little live-and-let-live goes a long way.
Three, I am so delighted by the joint city-county decision to hire a housing coordinator. The Housing Study (previously reported on True) is a most excellent document and the joint decision to implement its findings deserves high praise. Everything we care about, we who live here, depends on the availability of housing for the young families, the working poor, the year-round residents, the senior citizens and retirees who give and have given so much to our history, culture, arts and well-being.
Four, WTIP continues to surpass itself in its outstanding coverage of local news. I dips me hat. Volunteer-driven, it still manages to achieve world-class coverage. BBC news every morning? You don't even get that on MPR. Hint: It's their fund drive. Please join up.
We are so lucky to live here. But having these fabulous resources: City Council, joint city-county affordable housing advocates, Harbor Friends and amazing radio coverage isn't just about luck. It's about people who care enough to make a difference.
True
A couple of days ago, a reader accused me of being "Syndical" in response to my post, "America the Beautiful." I interpreted this to mean a combination of sinful and cynical. The post was about my longing for an idealized America and my frustation and grief at how the Bush administration has systematically destroyed all the best. I'm a Woody Guthrie kind of guy, a "This Land is Your Land" sing-a-longer. I'm a peacenik, a tree-hugger, a Buddhist and a vegetarian. But not a cynic or a sinner, I hope. My heroes are Cindy Sheehan and the Dalai Lama, who are just so good because they are good.
Anonymous and my nephew got me to thinking. There's a lot of stuff in Grand Marais and Cook County that is good because it's good.
For one, our transparent and responsive City Council. It's such a relief to know that they represent the voters, that they resist demands for inappropriate development, that if they have a conflict of interest they don't vote. I don't have to agree with every single action or vote to rest easy, because their interest is the public interest. Thanks, City Council!
Two, we are so blessed to have Harbor Friends. Always vigilant, these watchdogs caught the nasty infill of two harbor wetlands sites. The city is even now removing the landfill and restoring the wetlands. Thanks! I don't think it is too Syndical to ask who threw assorted junk in the first place. This has not been mentioned in any press reports. I am just curious.
Hey! Snowmobiles without mufflers skipping all over the harbor on the 4th of July? Well, as my mom used to say, that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Sometimes a little live-and-let-live goes a long way.
Three, I am so delighted by the joint city-county decision to hire a housing coordinator. The Housing Study (previously reported on True) is a most excellent document and the joint decision to implement its findings deserves high praise. Everything we care about, we who live here, depends on the availability of housing for the young families, the working poor, the year-round residents, the senior citizens and retirees who give and have given so much to our history, culture, arts and well-being.
Four, WTIP continues to surpass itself in its outstanding coverage of local news. I dips me hat. Volunteer-driven, it still manages to achieve world-class coverage. BBC news every morning? You don't even get that on MPR. Hint: It's their fund drive. Please join up.
We are so lucky to live here. But having these fabulous resources: City Council, joint city-county affordable housing advocates, Harbor Friends and amazing radio coverage isn't just about luck. It's about people who care enough to make a difference.
True
Monday, May 07, 2007
UN Scientists Warn Time Is Running Out to Tackle Global Warming
There is NO time to waste on corporate lobbying, NO time to waste on reducing carbon emissions, NO time to waste on global warming. It is here, it is now, and it must be dealt with here and now. IF we want our children and grandchildren to know this planet as we know it, IF we want to have biological diversity and even enough food to eat while enormous forces of nature re-define our environment.
Eight years? So far it is four years and counting of a Repug Reich war over oil profits that apparently cannot be reined in. So far the big oil profiteers have reduced life forms on the planet not only by their disastrous carbon emissions but also by dumping toxic wastes in equatorial waters, by lobbying for oil drilling in coastal waters and the Alaskan wilderness, by oil spills that kill aquatic life and pollute the oceans, and by robbing other nations of the oil revenues which in many cases are their only assets.
True urges everybody to look to their carbon footprint personally, but MUCH more important, to speak out against the huge international corporations that want to devour the planet wholesale.
Here's the link:
UN Scientists Warn Time Is Running Out to Tackle Global Warming
Eight years? So far it is four years and counting of a Repug Reich war over oil profits that apparently cannot be reined in. So far the big oil profiteers have reduced life forms on the planet not only by their disastrous carbon emissions but also by dumping toxic wastes in equatorial waters, by lobbying for oil drilling in coastal waters and the Alaskan wilderness, by oil spills that kill aquatic life and pollute the oceans, and by robbing other nations of the oil revenues which in many cases are their only assets.
True urges everybody to look to their carbon footprint personally, but MUCH more important, to speak out against the huge international corporations that want to devour the planet wholesale.
Here's the link:
UN Scientists Warn Time Is Running Out to Tackle Global Warming
Saturday, May 05, 2007
BWCA fire spreads in Cook Coungty
600-acre fire at Ham Lake, 25 miles NW of Grand Marais, kicks off 2007 fire season:
· Duluth News Tribune ·
· Duluth News Tribune ·
Friday, May 04, 2007
News Express » Archive » EDA requests affordable housing bids from local builders
True loves News Express, the on-line headline news posted to Boreal by the Cook County News Herald.
The local folks who asked the EDA and the Grand Marais City Council for a chance to bid on affordable housing projects have gotten their wish. It's not maybe as simple as they thought, navigating the mysterious realms of federal, state and private grant applications, mortgage lending, infrastructure costs, and the strict criteria set by the Minnesota Green Communities Initiative while still creating high quality affordable housing. The Land Trust model will also have to do duty here if the project has any chance of succeeding.
But, best of luck, locals. It would be a win for everybody if we had an affordable housing coalition of city, county and contractors to meet the needs of the half of residents who fall below the median income. Go for it.
News Express » Archive » EDA requests affordable housing bids from local builders
The local folks who asked the EDA and the Grand Marais City Council for a chance to bid on affordable housing projects have gotten their wish. It's not maybe as simple as they thought, navigating the mysterious realms of federal, state and private grant applications, mortgage lending, infrastructure costs, and the strict criteria set by the Minnesota Green Communities Initiative while still creating high quality affordable housing. The Land Trust model will also have to do duty here if the project has any chance of succeeding.
But, best of luck, locals. It would be a win for everybody if we had an affordable housing coalition of city, county and contractors to meet the needs of the half of residents who fall below the median income. Go for it.
News Express » Archive » EDA requests affordable housing bids from local builders
Thursday, May 03, 2007
WTIP North Shore Radio - 90.7 FM » Park board drops wetland identification and mapping proposal
Ah, so. The Grand Marais Park Board narrowly defeats a gentle and sustainable plan to explore, simply explore, identifying wetlands in the harbor. Who remembers that Grand Marais means "big swamp"?
Anyway, lots of folks would like to look further into this issue. And where's the harm in that? The city attorney has assured us that this won't bind the city to anything.
It makes True wonder, why? Is there some subtext here?
Check the story link:
WTIP North Shore Radio - 90.7 FM » Park board drops wetland identification and mapping proposal
Anyway, lots of folks would like to look further into this issue. And where's the harm in that? The city attorney has assured us that this won't bind the city to anything.
It makes True wonder, why? Is there some subtext here?
Check the story link:
WTIP North Shore Radio - 90.7 FM » Park board drops wetland identification and mapping proposal
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Minneapolis may rein in 'monster houses'
Grand Marais, take a look at what one Minneapolis neighborhood (Southwest) is doing to rein in the excesses of "monster houses" by following this link. In a nutshell, they want to REDUCE the 35 foot height limit and restrict the footprint of a house to 50 percent of its lot size.
True says, good idea. We wouldn't do so badly to follow their example instead of passing new zoning ordinances to allow bigger footprints and higher height limits which is now being pushed by the so-called Business Council.
Minneapolis may rein in 'monster houses'
True says, good idea. We wouldn't do so badly to follow their example instead of passing new zoning ordinances to allow bigger footprints and higher height limits which is now being pushed by the so-called Business Council.
Minneapolis may rein in 'monster houses'
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
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
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."
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