Full Community Concerns, Opportunities, and Actions

Please note that italicized resources under individual and community actions were compiled by project staff.

Full community challenges:

· Extreme temperature variations and severe flooding conditions reduce the life of capital assets and increase operational disruptions for public infrastructure. We need to consider new design standards for our stormwater systems to address larger precipitation events and new regulations. There are significant economic costs associated with future designs.

• The severe storms that wash out roads and damage other infrastructure affect everyone entering or exiting our community and require expensive repairs to water and sewer systems (both private and public), power lines, and other assets.
• There is a direct financial impact on residents and taxpayers from severe weather.

· We need to emphasize management of natural resources from a long-term perspective (such as 50 years or more) and use a systems approach (recognizing that everything is interrelated) to more effectively manage and protect natural resources and ensure a legacy for future generations.

· Stormwater runoff can increase sediment and phosphorus load in waterways, which can reduce water quality.

• Increased phosphorus causes algae growth, which can disrupt natural lake habitat and threaten other aquatic species.
• Healthy fisheries depend on good water quality.
• Our runoff affects downstream users (e.g. reducing water quality for municipalities that source their drinking water from the Mississippi River)

· Fish community composition is changing. This will affect angling opportunity, Minnesota’s fishing economy, and our outdoor culture.

• Fishing in our region is important economically and culturally.
• Changes in fish composition impact other wildlife.
• Though this change is happening, it may present new opportunities, not exclusively negative impacts.

· We are experiencing vast temperature extremes (ex. early springs followed by a cold snap) that affect the availability of food (shifts in timing between plants blooming and insects emerging after winter) and the prevalence of suitable habitat for some bird and insect species, which threaten the populations of these species.

• Negative impacts on pollinators (bees) could threaten our food supply, at least for certain items.
• These changes may exacerbate the threats insects face from the use of pesticides.

· Emerald Ash Borer is expanding its territory into northern Minnesota and Itasca County because of warmer winters. The Emerald Ash Borer will wipe out our black ash forests, which grow in wet areas that may not be suitable for replacement by other tree species.

• Ash trees are important to our local economy.
• The loss of ash trees would be especially devastating to the Chippewa National Forest.

· There will be less water and more water at different times, because of changes in precipitation patterns and temperature.

· The increasing prevalence of drought in summers reduces the growth and health of pine forests that are overly dense. Reduced growth and declining health in pine forests could negatively impact the timber industry (due to declines in forest productivity) and the tourism industry (due to perceived declines in aesthetic quality).

• Forest health and productivity is extremely important to our local economy.

· The Itasca area will become less hospitable to certain tree species and more favorable to others. This corresponds roughly to tree habitat moving northeast.

• Our economy is tied to our current tree species. Shifts in tree species would require changes at (for example) the paper mill.

· More drastic weather conditions – rainy springs, dry summers, unpredictable snow conditions – potentially mean fewer tourists choosing to stay in Grand Rapids and Itasca County. Tourism is a very important driver of local economic activity.

• It’s important to keep in mind that these changes impact residents as well as tourists.

Full community opportunities:

· We can manage forests so that they’re more adaptable in the face of changing conditions by pursuing the following strategies:

• Manage forests for diversity so that they contain their full array of native tree species, some of which may be adapted to future climate conditions, and evaluate tree species southwest of the Itasca area for suitability to future climate conditions.
• Thin overly dense pine forests on a regular basis to increase soil moisture and tree growth, improve pine resistance and resilience against drought, and produce a marketable supply of good-sized pines to timber mills.
• Address the potential loss of ash trees (due to Emerald Ash Borer) by managing forests to ensure growth of new species, using small patch cutting to create suitable habitat for new species and by evaluating the species best suited to replace ash trees.
• Addressing this opportunity can have a large, broad impact on a variety of issues.
• Planting new species is a good, gradual way to adapt to changes.
• Healthy forests lead to better water and air quality.

· Information is power. We can ensure information is accessible. Decision-makers at all levels – including individuals, government, and businesses – need to be informed and engaged concerning how changes in climate affect our natural resources and economy. It’s important to adapt present practices based on new information.

• We need to be informed about what’s happening and about the resources available to deal with it.
• We can’t make changes if the general public is not aware of these issues.
• Individuals and the community need to be informed and engaged in decision-making processes.

· We can accept changes to natural systems and change the way we manage these systems. One opportunity is to move natural resource management into a long-term planning and sustainability mode, which includes empowering citizen interests in the planning process and being adaptive but realistic about changes.

• We need to shift away from our short-term views.
• Drastic changes mean we need to look to manage for the long-term, because extreme events can disrupt short-term management strategies.
• This approach can lead to fiscal savings over the long-term.

· To manage excessive water during extreme weather events, we can reduce imperviousness and allow water to infiltrate into the ground; we can adapt stormwater infrastructure to hold higher volumes; and we can maintain riparian buffers and forest cover, using natural features that slow or retain water.

· To effectively manage water in times of drought, we can implement water conservation measures to maximize the benefit of every drop of water; we can prioritize water uses and allocations by identifying the most important uses to maintain in a drought; and we can plan water-consumptive development.

· After a drastic weather event, we can communicate correct information and get it out there in a timely manner (like Visit Duluth after the 2012 storms and flooding).

· We can protect and preserve habitat and food sources for bird and insect populations, which helps protect other wildlife.

· We can market what we have, by marketing alternatives to snow (like ice) during seasons with low snowfall.

· To ensure public safety and reduce property damage during and after extreme weather events, we can avoid developing in floodplains.

· To protect and strengthen our infrastructure, we can increase the life of our capital investments and reduce operational disruptions.

Full individual actions:

We can change the way we manage our individual properties to protect wildlife habitat and water quality:

· Create more natural or wild areas so that birds and insects have more habitat

• The National Wildlife Federation offers resources and guidelines on creating wildlife habitat gardens. This includes information on finding and using native plants, attracting butterflies, and feeding birds.
• The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Habitat Program provides conservation programs, workshops, and access to habitat specialists for agencies, organizations, and landowners. It also provides information on the importance of wildlife habitat management and examples of appropriate and inappropriate habitat management.
• The University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab has a variety of resources on how to help create healthy habitats for bees, including examples of bee flowers and nesting habitats as well as information on the damaging effects of pesticides.

· Build birdhouses to provide habitat for birds

• The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has developed a guide to building and placing birdhouses. The guide offers plans for two different types of birdhouses.
• Birdhouses should be designed for the intended species of bird. The National Wildlife Federation provides size guidelines for a variety of different Minnesota birds.

· Leave dead trees and snags on our property (if they don’t threaten our structures)

• Information about how animals use dead trees and snags, how to create or relocate snags, and how to recognize when trees pose a risk to structures can be found on the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website.

· Plant flowers and native plants on our property (without diminishing our property values)

· Plant early blooming plants on our property to provide more food sources for insects

· Encourage attitude shifts away from highly manicured “Home and Garden Magazine” lawns (which remove habitat for insects and birds and adds carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to maintain) to “wilder” properties

• Information about why native plants should be used in place of lawns or exotic plant species, examples of native plants, and how to design a native plant landscape can be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the University of Minnesota Extension websites.

· Reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides to protect insects

• Beyond Pesticides provides information on how pesticides affect bees and pollinators.
• The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides offers a variety of tools for communities to reduce and eliminate pesticide use, including alternative solutions for both indoor and outdoor pests.

· Raise our own bees

• The University of Minnesota Bee Lab offers classes and programs about beekeeping, as well as a wealth of information on beekeeping and bee health.

· Address stormwater runoff and noncompliant septic systems (if you own waterfront property)

• Information about the damaging effects of stormwater runoff can be found at the US Environmental Pollution Agency’s website.
• The University of Minnesota Extension offers a list of shoreland best management practices that includes advice on landscaping and construction.
• University of Minnesota Extension has also published a septic system owner’s guide that explains how to maintain the system and prevent contamination.

Actions by individuals add up! We can insulate our homes, use efficient bulbs and appliances, use solar power, travel by bike, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, travel less, increase energy efficiency, and pursue alternative energy sources.

We can participate in public decision making meetings related our infrastructure systems. Get involved by asking what you can do on your property to address stormwater and infrastructure issues. To understand and be involved in managing our public infrastructure, we can get educated on local regulations, the latest research and trends, and the consequences of pursuing different public policies; and we can share knowledge with our friends, peers, and neighbors.We can encourage shifts in attitudes so that people value insects and work to protect them.We don’t need to wait for policy consensus to act!

Full community actions:

We can install green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff on new developments. We can reduce risks associated with stormwater runoff by pursuing low impact development best practices. We should educate our public officials and our general public about balancing risks associated with stormwater and the costs of managing stormwater. We should pay attention to new data and research.To improve our infrastructure systems, we should be more creative and keep an open mind, for example, by implementing green design ideas (e.g. new thermal pavements that reduce damage related to severe fluctuations in temperature).

• The Regional Plan Association offers a guide to making green infrastructure work for cities and towns. The guide includes information and examples of working with public spaces, incorporating green infrastructure into city codes, green technology incentives, coordinating power and keeping costs down.
• The June 2011 issue of Small Town & Rural Planning, published by the American Planning Association, features a piece on Warwick Township, PA. Warwick Township successfully developed a comprehensive conservation and stormwater management plan that included a variety of green infrastructure developments. The issue also features ideas for ways to update town codes and ordinances to encourage residents and businesses to implement green infrastructure techniques.
• Warwick Township also teamed up with Elizabeth Township and Lititz Borough to develop a regional strategic plan with a focus on sustainability, economic development and infrastructure.

To ensure tourists come to Itasca County, we can be adaptive and focus on what we have. We can create new reasons for tourists to come to Itasca County if weather conditions don’t support traditional tourist activities.

• Itasca County offers a variety of activities that are not weather dependent. Actively promoting attractions like the Headwaters Science Center, Ironworld, the Itasca Heritage Center, and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, among others, could help the county overcome potential declines in tourism.
• The University of Minnesota Extension is in the process of conducting a study on ecotourism opportunities for Fillmore County, Minnesota. The results of this study could be helpful in thinking about tourism in Itasca County.

Related to our forest resources, educate stakeholders on thinning strategies to build drought tolerance while also avoiding degrading pine stands.Work with lawmakers, foundations, and others to offer grants, cost-share, reduced interest loans, and other incentives for loggers to increase the practice of thinning.

• Know Your Forest.org has a variety of resources about the benefits of thinning dense forests.
• A 2006 USDA Forest Service study on commercial thinning in Aspen stands in Northern Minnesota found that after four years, the thinned stands were healthier and had lower mortality rates.

Encourage private landowners and regional entities (DNR, Counties, Bands, Federal) to implement and evaluate strategies to transition black ash wetlands to replacement tree species.

• When emerald ash borers kill ash in black ash wetlands, the soil becomes too wet for new trees to grow. To avoid this, private landowners and regional entities should consider starting to replace black ash with climate adaptable species like red maple or hackberry. More information on adaptation strategies and replacement species can be found here.

Work with legislators and foundations to fund the implementation of forest adaptation strategy trials.

• As the changing climate threatens the health of Minnesota forests, conservationists and legislators must look for strategies to help the forests adapt and thrive. Forest adaptation strategies can take three forms: resistance (defending the forest against damage), resilience (assisting the forest in recovery), or transition (adapting the ecosystem for future conditions). Information on adaptation strategies and frameworks can be found here.

Encourage use of Minnesota DNR’s Native Plant Community guides as a basis for managing mixed-species forests (because some native species are likely to be future-adapted).Begin to evaluate the potential of future-adapted tree species in forest settings (assisted migration) by asking extension agents which species to try and how to manage them and asking tree nurseries to supply these species.

• Field Guides to Native Plant Communities of Minnesota can be ordered on the Minnesota DNR’s website.

Community members can spread information related to the challenges and opportunities facing our fisheries. To protect our fisheries, we can find and empower local citizens to champion adaptive planning and management. We need to find ways to economic incentives to encourage creation of habitat for birds and insects.

• A study on the use of economic incentives for conservation found that incentives can be effective but must be well-designed and tailored to the community. Additionally, providing technical assistance on sustainable land and habitat management is essential to the success of conservation programs.