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ABOUT GREEN NOTES
GreenNotes covers environmental news, programs and events from Hennepin County.
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 Local government agencies and nonprofit organizations in Hennepin County can apply now for funding to implement projects that prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Eligible project activities include:
- Assessing the risk of AIS introduction and the resources available to respond.
- Broadening knowledge and participation in early detection and rapid response.
- Managing existing AIS populations.
- Researching and addressing specific pathways of introduction.
- Increasing enforcement resources.
- Increasing public awareness and participation in prevention.
Applications due by January 15, 2015. Learn more and apply.
For more information, contact Tony Brough at tony.brough@hennepin.us or 612-348-4378.
 To reduce waste during move out time at apartment buildings, condominiums and townhomes, Hennepin County has launched a reuse pilot program. The program provides an easy way to collect items like furniture, clothes and dishes for reuse, keeping them out of dumpsters.
Participating in the program is free, easy and hassle-free for both property managers and residents. Once a property is set up with a collection container, residents place unwanted household items at a property’s designated collection location, and the items are picked up by a partnering reuse retailer. Hennepin County and participating reuse retailers provide collection containers, educational materials for residents, and any assistance needed to make the program successful.
Eight properties already participating have diverted more than 3,000 pounds of waste during in the first few months of the program. Property managers can sign up to participate by contact Kirsten Wahlberg at kirsten.wahlberg@hennepin.us or 612-348-6846.
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With more than 140 businesses recognized as Hennepin County Environmental Partners, there are numerous opportunities to support businesses making an effort to go green as you prepare to celebrate with friends and family this holiday season.
Consider visiting some of the following Environmental Partners:
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When preparing meals: Chowgirls Catering, Common Roots Catering, Eastside Co-op, Gastrotruck, Harvest Moon Co-op, Joseph Catering, La Mexicana Supermercado, Lakewinds Co-ops, Lunds and Byerlys Uptown, the Northeast Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s in Maple Grove, Seward Co-op, United Noodles, the Wedge Co-op
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When going out to eat: Choose one of the 45 restaurants, cafes and coffee shops participating as Environmental Partners
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When shopping for gifts: Arc’s Value Village, Calhoun Square, Cookie Cart, Freewheel Bike Shop, the Gumball Collective, Ingebretsen’s, Magers & Quinn Booksellers, National Camera Exchange, North Face, Repair Lair, The Hub Bicycle Co-op, Twin Town Guitars
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When looking for entertainment: the Bakken Museum, Brave New Workshop, Bryant Lake Bowl, Edina Cinema, Hoppy Trolley
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When donating to those in need: Arc’s Value Village, ICA Food Shelf, Open Arms, PRISM, The Food Group, WeCAN
See all of the participating businesses on the Environmental Partners map. If you know of a business that deserves recognition for their recycling, waste reduction or organics recycling efforts, encourage them to become an Environmental Partner.
For more information, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.
 Hennepin County recently received more than $230,000 from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to deliver soil and water conservation services. The funding includes $100,000 to increase organizational capacity to provide conservation services throughout the county. Hennepin County has provided conservation services for more than a decade, and the county officially assumed all duties and authorities of a soil and water conservation district in 2013.
Additional funding will be used to support local government water planning efforts, enforce the Wetland Conservation Act, inspect septic systems, administer volunteer water monitoring programs, provide technical assistance and cost-sharing funds to landowners to install conservation practices, and implement the state’s new law that requires vegetation buffers along rivers, streams and ditches.
For more information, contact Randy Anhorn at randy.anhorn@hennepin.us or 612-348-2027.
Hennepin County recently received $308,000 in Disaster Recovery Assistance Program funds to repair damages from excessive rainfall in June 2014. After a series of intense rainfall events resulted in flooding, Hennepin County was one of 37 Minnesota counties declared disaster areas. The Minnesota Legislature authorized the Disaster Recovery Assistance Program and appropriated cost-share funding during the 2015 special session. The county has also established a cost-share policy that prioritizes use of current and future program funds.
Funding will be allocated to the following projects:
- The City of Bloomington: $70,000 to restore and stabilize multiple stream banks in the Lower Valley area along Nine Mile Creek.
- The City of Champlin: $188,000 to stabilize the shoreline and restore the slope along the Mississippi River at multiple locations.
- Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority: $50,000 to repair erosion and restore the slope at multiple locations.
For more information, contact Randy Anhorn at randy.anhorn@hennepin.us or 612-348-2027.
 In an ongoing effort to increase tree canopy, provide shade and reduce the heat island effect along Hiawatha Ave in Minneapolis, 130 trees from the county’s gravel-bed nursery were recently planted between E 32nd St and E 46th St. The trees were planted by Sentencing to Service crews and staff from Hennepin County, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Tree Trust. These trees are in addition to 350 trees that were planted in the spring along the corridor. Although the trees coming out of the gravel-bed nursery may look small, the good root structure they developed in the gravel bed throughout the summer increases their chances of thriving in their transplanted location.
The tree-planting projects are part of the Minnehaha-Hiawatha Community Works Project, which aims to promote economic development, enhance natural systems, improve transportation and increase the area’s tax base. Additional trees from the gravel-bed nursery will be planted along Hiawatha Ave in the next few years in an ongoing effort to green up the corridor that currently includes a lot of pavement.
For more information, contact Mike Reinikainenen at mike.reinikainen@hennepin.us or 612-596-1175.
Waste generation in Minnesota declines even as economy improves
Historically, trends in the amount of waste generated align with the economy, with waste generation increasing in a stronger economy. But for the first time in Minnesota, the amount of waste generated per person has declined in recent years despite improvements in the economy.
These findings are included in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s draft Waste Policy Report for the Minnesota Legislature, which includes a summary of the status of solid waste management and makes recommendations for solid waste policies and programs. The 2015 report has a stronger focus on waste reduction before reusing and recycling. Learn more in the Star Tribune.
Recycle strings of holiday lights
Instead of tossing strings of holiday lights in the garbage, they can be recycled at a retailer or community site participating in the Recycling Association of Minnesota’s Recycle Your Holidays program. String lights are also accepted at Hennepin County drop-off facilities. The copper wiring inside the string lights as well as the plastic coating can be recycled. When buying new string lights, looks for LEDs, which are about 80 percent more energy efficient than incandescent lights. Learn more in the Star Tribune. |
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Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership focuses on the emerald ash borer
The next Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership meeting is Tuesday, December 1 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Ridgedale Library in Minnetonka.
Learn about efforts to mitigate for the loss of ash trees from Hennepin County, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the City of St. Louis Park, and provide feedback on the county’s role and the needs of cities and partners.
RSVP to Stacey Lijewski at stacey.lijewski@hennepin.us or 612-348-9938.
Fix-It Clinics
 Gear up for winter and the holiday season at an upcoming Fix-it Clinic, where you can get free, guided assistance from handy volunteers on repairing household items. Fix-It Clinics are a great opportunity to repair a favorite item as a gift for family or friends, repair broken holiday decorations, mend winter clothing, and learn how to repair small household appliances, lamps, electronics, mobile devices and more.
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Upcoming Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for:
- Saturday, December 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Maple Grove Community Center
- Saturday, January 9 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Armatage Rec Center in southwest Minneapolis
- Saturday, February 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at Waite Park in northeast Minneapolis
Volunteer fixers who have skills in electrical, mechanical or electronics repair, wood working, sewing or general tinkering are essential to making the clinics successful. For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.
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When searching for the perfect gifts for your family and friends, have you ever considered ways to also have less of an impact on the environment? From shopping reuse to avoiding packaging to giving the gift of an experience, giving greener gifts can mean a lot of different things.
So when shopping for gifts, consider things that meet at least one of the following criteria:
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Give non-materials goods, such as activities, gift certificates, tickets, memberships or making a donation to an organization on someone’s behalf.
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Choose products with green attributes, including those that are locally made, reused, made with recycled content, made with less-toxic ingredients, and minimally packaged.
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Help someone take action to protect the environment by giving them high-quality, reusable and durable goods that reduce waste, protect water or conserve energy.
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Support green businesses. Find businesses that sell used goods or offer repair services though the Choose to Reuse Directory, or shop at a business recognized as a Hennepin County Environmental Partner for their efforts to recycle and divert organic waste.
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Repair a favorite item. Small appliances, electronics, lamps, fans, toys, decorations, clothing and more can be repaired at a Fix-It Clinic, or look for a local businesses that offers repair services for specialty items like jewelry, shoes, electronics and more.
And remember to consider how your gifts are packaged. Most gift wrap is not recyclable because it contains a lot of dye, glitter, foil or is low quality, making it difficult to recycle into new paper. Consider using reusable gift boxes or bags, fabric, and recycled-content and recyclable paper when giving gifts.
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