View of Lake Superior from a water trail camsite. Photograph taken by Riley J. Snow.
Take a day off on the Mississippi River
Join us on Saturday, August 1st, at the Stearns County Mississippi River Park for a fun filled day of family friendly outdoor activities. This free event will have over 30 activities and exhibits including archery, fishing, paddling, birdhouse building, and more! No experience is necessary and all equipment is provided.
Try out paddleboarding at the Minnesota State Fair
Have you wanted to try out standup paddleboarding but just haven't had the time or resources? Well here's your chance to try it for free!
The State Water Trails program will have a staffed standup paddleboard simulator outside the DNR building at the state fair (open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). This is a great opportunity to try out a new sport in a safe environment (on dry land!). You'll also learn about U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets, paddling safety, and which state parks have paddleboard rentals.
Say hello to our newest State Water Trail, the Shell Rock River!
The Shell Rock River, named for the fossilized shells that can be found in its banks, flows through southern Minnesota and northern Iowa before entering the Cedar River. The route will be about 20-25 miles long in Minnesota and will run along the Blue Zones Walking Trail and past Myre-Big Island State Park.
The DNR will work with local advocates to produce maps for the Shell Rock River State Water Trail by next paddling season. We'll also be looking for photos to help promote the Shell Rock River. If you have any you'd like to share, please submit them to the DNR's Photo Uploader.
The event was about much more than just paddling as many river miles as possible. This group effort broadened participant’s understanding of the Minnesota River. "You all helped affirm that the Minnesota River is a recreational gem along its whole length,” says Alex Watson of the DNR, one of the organizers of the event.
Paddle in a day may become an annual event. Anyone interesting in hosting paddles next year should contact Alex Watson at 507-359-6062 or Alexander.Watson@state.mn.us. For more details about this event, visit the River in a Day website.
Grant descriptions are taken directly from grant websites.
July 23rd Deadline: Acres
for America
Acres for America is the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation's
premiere land conservation program, and
was established to provide urgently needed
funding for
projects that conserve important large-scale habitats for
fish, wildlife, and plants through land acquisitions
and perpetual conservation easements. Click here for more information.
August
1st Deadline: Keen Effect Grant
KEEN is committed to inspiring responsible
outdoor participation to help preserve the places we play. The KEEN Effect is a
way to support organizations who are dedicated to just that. Through KEEN
Effect, $10,000 grants are available to nonprofit organizations who are
dedicated to responsible outdoor participation. Click
here for more information.
August
3rd Deadline: Pulling Together Initiative
Invasive weeds represent one of the most
significant threats to the economy and ecology of the United States, causing
billions of dollars in damage each year to farms and ranches and degrading
millions of acres of critical wildlife habitat. NFWF's Pulling Together
Initiative provides modest grants to help local communities effectively manage
these plant invaders. Click here for more information.
August
10th Deadline: Summer of Creativity Grant
Young change-makers can now apply for a
Youth Service America Summer of Creativity Grant to help make their
communitygreener, safer, smarter, healthier, cleaner, or
fairer. Winners receive a $500 grant to help make a lasting,
positive change in the world. Click here for more information.
August
12th Deadline: Eide Bailey Resourcefulness Award
The Eide Bailly Resourcefullness Award
provides recognition and support to 501(c)(3) organizations that have
undertaken sustainable, creative, and impactful revenue generation
initiatives. Click here for more information.
Environment
Steward’s AmeriCorps Program
Do you have unmet organizational needs or
need help with a project? Want to have access to National recruitment for your
project? Conservation Legacy’s Environmental Stewards Program is providing
opportunities for 10-week to year-long AmeriCorps Environmental Stewards for
your agency. Stewards can assist your organization with a wide range of
activities including: water, habitat, vegetation monitoring, grant writing,
program development, volunteer project organization, outreach and education,
GPS use and GIS mapping, interpretive services, invasive species management,
and other hands-on work related to environmental stewardship. Stewards can
start anytime throughout the year. Click
here for more information.
Minnesota DNR Grants:
Water
Recreation Cooperative Acquisition and Development Program
This program provides financial and
technical assistance to local governments for public boat accesses, campsites,
rest areas and portages on the State's rivers and lakes. Eligible projects
include acquisition, development and improvement of public boat accesses,
parking lots, docks, boat launching ramps, campsites, rest areas and portages.
Engineering and design assistance is available. For more information, click here.
Clean
Vessel Act Grants
The purpose of this grant is to encourage
the development or improvement of marina sanitation facilities for boaters in
order to maintain and improve water quality in public waters. Eligible projects
include the development or improvement of sanitation facilities for boaters
(includes both pump-outs and dump-outs). Click here for more information.
State
Boat and Water Safety Grant Program
The purpose of this program is to assist in
funding boat and water safety programs carried out through the county sheriff's
offices. The goal is to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage on state
waters. Funds may be used by the county for patrol, enforcement; search and
rescue; buoying; removal of hazards to navigation; boat and water safety
outreach; inspection of watercraft for rent, lease or hire; watercraft and
water accident investigation; and search, rescue or recovery of accident
victims. For more information, click here.
Local
Trail Connections Program
The Local Trail Connections Program
provides grants to local units of government to promote relatively short trail
connections between where people live and desirable locations. Eligible
projects include acquisition and development of trail facilities. Projects must
result in a trail linkage that is immediately available for use by the general
public. Trail linkages include connecting where people live (e.g. residential
areas within cities, entire communities) and significant public resources (e.g.
historical areas, open space, parks and/or other trails). For more
information, click here.
Regional
Trail Grant Program
The Recreational Trails
Program (RTP) provides grants to local units of government to promote
development of regionally significant trails outside the seven-county
metropolitan area. Eligible projects include acquisition and development
of trail facilities outside the seven-county metropolitan area that are
considered of regional or statewide significance. Click here for more information.
Have State Water Trails questions or comments? Let us know
about any channel obstructions, report facility conditions, or make map or
river gage corrections by filling out our conditions reporting form.
For any other issues
or inquiries, please contact Erik Wrede, DNR Water Trails Coordinator
(651-259-5624, Erik.Wrede@state.mn.us).
