October is...
Time to make a pledge in Self-Service to help
Minnesota charities, residents
October is the Combined Charities campaign, an annual drive asking state of Minnesota employees to make a recurring payroll deduction in Self-Service and help support vital health, education, environmental, arts, and social service programs throughout the state.
Our goal for this month is to get 5% of DNR employees to make these payroll deductions. The payroll deductions are a convenient way to directly donate to charitable federations, affiliated charities and 501(c) (3) charities of your choice and support causes you care about.
Even if you made a deduction last year, these deductions are only valid for a single calendar year. Any payroll deduction will begin in January and run through December.
To set up new or edit existing deductions:
- Go to the Self-Service portal (state.mn.us/employee.) and log in
- Select “My Pay"
- Select “Charitable Deductions.” From this page, you can review, add, or update voluntary deduction information
For more information and to learn more about participating federations, head to the state of Minnesota Combined Charities website. If you have questions, reach out to Ashley Kastner.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Celebrate with us!
By Jill Westberry, ADA coordinator
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Under the direction of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), NDEAM is a time to recognize the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce. ODEP’s theme for NDEAM 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.” NDEAM is observed annually in October to celebrate the varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities, past and present, and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices.
The DNR will be recognizing and celebrating NDEAM with an upcoming, collaborative virtual event panel discussion on Oct. 25 from 1-2 p.m. You will have the opportunity to learn more about the state of Minnesota’s Connect 700 program and how it aligns with our DNR mission. During our event, you will hear directly from a DNR employee who joined us through the Connect 700 program and from the supervisor who hired them at the time. They will be sharing their personal, candid experiences with the program. Additionally, the former MMB Connect 700 program administrator (now our Affirmative Action Officer) will be represented on this panel and sharing their previous experience and knowledge from the enterprise perspective.
Connect 700 provides an opportunity for eligible applicants and employees with disabilities through an alternative employment selection process to demonstrate their ability to perform in a specific position, for up to 700 hours in a pre-probationary on-the-job trial. It provides another path to state employment for people with certain disabilities. The candidate must meet the minimum qualifications for the position and trial work experience. Connect 700 is a valuable program that is a vital part of the “Equity Equation.”
It is an inclusive employment policy and practice that the state of Minnesota originally launched in 1981 endorsed by Minnesota Legislature in MS 43A.15, subdivision 14. The program has since evolved from former Governor Dayton’s original Executive Order 14-14 into what is now Executive Order 19-15. This Executive Order was designed to increase representation of individuals with disabilities and thereby help to cultivate a Minnesota workforce that reflects the diversity of the state’s population. Another goal of the original Executive Order was for the state to be competitive in the global economy by using the talents and important contributions of all workers, including those with disabilities.
Supervisors and staff, you won’t want to miss this event! Please save the date and plan to join us virtually. An invite will soon be sent out to all DNR staff.
If you, a colleague, or a direct report have questions or may need reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please don’t hesitate to reach out to me – the DNR’s ADA Coordinator.
For more information about NDEAM, ADA, and the Connect 700 program:
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cyber criminals want to access systems and valuable or sensitive data. Knowing the essentials and practicing good cybersecurity habits can go a long way to protect your personal information, your family and state government.
Is your computer up-to-date?
Technology moves fast, but so do hackers. Updates prevent cyber criminals from taking advantage of vulnerabilities on computers and devices. Don’t assume every update or bug is fixed automatically.
At the state of Minnesota, MNIT distributes updates to your devices on the state network. The danger is delaying the update.
Here’s how to install work updates:
- Click on the Windows start button typically in the lower left corner.
- Select the Software Center tile.
- If you don’t see the Software Center tile, select the magnifying glass "Search" icon in the taskbar, type "Software Center," and select the app icon to open it.
- In Software Center, select "Updates" from the navigation menu.
- Select a specific update to install individually or use the "Install All" button.
- You might need to restart your computer to complete updates.
Updating your computer may take time, but it’s an essential security precaution for all state workers. Set aside time on a weekly basis to check for and install any required updates.
Take time this month to refresh your knowledge and ensure you’re staying safe and secure online. Visit the Cybersecurity Awareness Month page of the Intranet throughout the month for weekly cybersecurity tips.
Oct. 9-15 is Fire Prevention Week
Two minutes or less. That’s how much time you may have to safely escape a home fire when the smoke alarm sounds.
Next week marks the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, our country’s longest running public health observance. It’s an opportunity to plan and practice your escape from a fire.
Here are a few tips to keep you and those around you safe:
- Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Check smoke alarms regularly to make sure they work properly.
- Know at least two ways out of every room. Make sure doors and windows open easily.
- Plan a meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet during a fire.
- Practice a home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in your household.
Remember, fire safety extends beyond your home. Wildfires can threaten our homes, natural areas and communities. Plan an evacuation route away from your neighborhood and community and have an alternate route in case the first is closed or threatened by wildfire. Know what you need to take with you and pack a go-bag with those essentials (e.g., medicine, family records, important phone numbers). Establish a meeting point for household members and plan how you’ll communicate that you’re safe. Practice evacuating with everyone in your home, including pets.
Fire won't wait. Plan your escape.
To learn more, visit the National Fire Prevention Association's Fire Prevention Week page.
Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day
 Attend the MNclusive employee panel
Join members of MNclusive — the LGBTQIA+ resource group for state of Minnesota employees — as they discuss what coming out has meant for them in their personal life and in the workplace. They will also share things that are important to them to feel safe and supported as an LGBTQIA+ state employee.
WHEN: Oct. 11, 4:30-6 p.m.
WHERE: Microsoft Teams Meeting
AUDIENCE: All interested state of Minnesota employees are welcome to attend
For more information, contact ERG.MNclusive@state.mn.us
Commissioner Strommen's op-ed featured in Rochester Post-Bulletin, on KARE 11 TV and other media outlets
DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen wrote the following op-ed, which was published by the Rochester Post Bulletin website on Oct. 4 and then picked up by other media, including for this story on KARE 11 News.
 Minnesota needs to invest in the outdoor spaces that support us
Fall colors are descending upon us and, in turn, we are descending upon Minnesota’s state parks and state forests to soak in the multi-colored glory. It’s an annual ritual for many Minnesotans.
We Minnesotans are outdoorsy people: 80% of us engage in outdoor activities more than once a week, according to the 2017 Minnesota Outdoor Activities Survey by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. That percentage grew during the pandemic, as people flocked to Minnesota’s public lands and waters for a safe and beautiful respite.
Providing the exceptional outdoor experiences Minnesota is known for requires us to maintain and modernize our infrastructure, conserve our lands and waters, and prepare for our climate future. As a state, we haven’t been doing this at the level required. So, seeing Minnesota DNR’s Get Out MORE (Modernizing Outdoor Recreation Experiences) proposal for $318.6 million in investment left on the table during the last legislative session was heartbreaking. Especially in a year with a more than $9 billion surplus. This proposal, with its one-time spending, is ideally suited for the current surplus, much of which is driven by one-time revenues.
Get Out MORE would allow the Minnesota DNR to invest in critical outdoor recreation infrastructure, habitat and conservation projects, and climate adaptation and mitigation. With that funding, we could make upgrades to our state park trails and campgrounds, many of which were built 60 to 90 years ago. We could improve public water accesses with longer launch ramps, more parking, aquatic invasive species boat cleaning areas, and enhanced accessibility. We could address aging infrastructure at the Crystal Springs and Waterville hatcheries — the latter of which is 70 years old — to help ensure excellent fishing opportunities into the future. We could acquire public land to expand recreational and natural resource opportunities for Minnesotans and visitors throughout the state. We could invest in land and water restoration, reforestation, tree planting, and forest management.
We could all benefit from these investments. Even if you don’t consider yourself “outdoorsy,” you benefit from the many ways in which Minnesota’s outstanding natural resources drive our economy and support thriving communities. Now is the time to build on the strong and foresighted investments made by previous generations to keep our outdoor spaces healthy and thriving.
That’s because Minnesota’s outdoor culture contributes mightily to our state’s economy. Outdoor recreation generates $8.4 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, employs 89,000 people, and amounts to $4.3 billion in compensation, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ 2020 report. Minnesota’s outdoor recreation industry also punches well above its weight class: we may be the 22nd most populous state, but we rank fifth for hunting, trapping, and shooting sports, 11th for boating and fishing, 15th in total value-added from outdoor recreation, and 18th in outdoor recreation employment.
It's not overstating things to say that Minnesotans strongly support investment in the outdoors, and they’ve proven it by supporting dedicated use of sales tax dollars through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.
Investing in Minnesota’s outdoors is an investment in every one of us. Not simply in economic terms, but also in our health, emotional well-being and our deep sense of place and pride in this state. We love living here because it’s beautiful — and it’s beautiful because previous generations invested in our outdoors.
Now it’s our turn to make Get Out MORE investments to protect and preserve Minnesota for our children and grandchildren. Minnesota has been a leader in stewardship of our natural resources and in providing outdoor opportunities, but we risk falling behind if we aren’t steadfast in our commitments. Michigan recently reaffirmed the value it places on its outdoors when a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers joined with Gov. Whitmer to invest in the state’s infrastructure, including the largest single investment in state and local parks totaling $450 million. Supporting Minnesota’s outdoor spaces is not a partisan issue, and I encourage Minnesota’s legislative leadership to invest in Minnesota’s outdoors as a way to support our environment, economy, and public health.
Our natural spaces support Minnesotans in so many ways, so we must give back by investing in the resources that support us.
 Cool mornings, changing leaves and even flurries of snow mean only one thing: fall is here. Conservation officers’ workloads have changed accordingly, and they’re shifting their time to checking on hunters. Eighteen officers are also field-training as the state’s newest conservation officers.
The following are several highlights from the weekly Conservation Office reports.
Sept. 26, 2022
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) worked the duck hunting opener, which started with almost perfect duck hunting conditions opening morning. Regas noted hunters seeing a good number of ducks but also that their shooting skills were a bit rusty. Time was spent assisting with Officer Water Safety training at the State Patrol Academy at Camp Ripley, checking a few late-season anglers on area lakes and investigating a wolf-depredation complaint.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the week assisting with training at Camp Ripley and working waterfowl enforcement over the weekend. She also spent time with the Breckenridge fifth-graders speaking about invasive species and how important it is for each person to do their part. On waterfowl opener, Wood took a TIP report about an individual who had shot a pelican. This TIP led to a dead pelican and a citation issued to the individual responsible.
CO Kevin Prodzinski (Wabasha) reported that while working opening weekend of the duck season, he observed two people who had just reached their limit of wood ducks and sent their dog for the final retrieve. As the dog was swimming to the duck, a bald eagle swooped down and stole their final duck before the dog could get to it.
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Sept. 19, 2022
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked campers in state forest campgrounds and responded to a report of abandoned gear at a park campground. Manning checked anglers and followed up on reports of illegally taken brook trout. She also found an overlimit of lake trout. One group of Class 2 ATV drivers received tickets and warnings from Manning, which they apparently didn’t heed as they were stopped again the following day and cited by a neighboring officer.
CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) worked in southeast Minnesota during the small game and archery deer-hunting season openers. He encountered violations including no small game license, no small game license in possession, and placing a fish trap in a designated trout stream. He returned several calls regarding hunting regulations.
CO Chad Davis (Owatonna) checked hunters, anglers, boaters, and ATV operators during the week. Large numbers of hunters were in the outdoors for the small game and archery deer hunting opener weekend.
Complete annual required training before Dec. 31
Each year, DNR employees must complete annual training required by the DNR, Minnesota Management and Budget, MNIT and federal and state laws. Active DNR employees were enrolled in the required courses this week and are expected to complete them by Dec. 31.
All courses are online and employees will be able to complete them anytime in ELM, accessed via the Self-Service portal. For instructions and a list of the courses required, refer to the FY23 Required Training Checklist.
For more information, visit the Learning and Development Intranet page or contact the Learning and Development unit at dnrelmsupport@state.mn.us.
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Kudos from Minnesotans
"Showing mobility issues who's boss today!! Shout out to Minnesota State Parks and Trails for the free chair and making our beautiful resources accessible to everyone. Living or dead. 😂💀"
— Melissa Schultz via Facebook
Lake Maria State Park Manager Kenny Giannini
 In the right spot
By Deborah Locke, Parks and Trails information officer
Kenny Giannini knows about geographical stereotypes.
When he told his California friends in 2015 that he took a technician job in Minnesota with the U.S. Forest Service, they told him to enjoy freezing up there while he ice fished. When he told his new Minnesota work colleagues that he was from California, they asked where he kept his surfboard.
A California college professor gave Kenny advice after he accepted the USFS job. The professor acknowledged that it’s cold in Minnesota, but beautiful.
After arriving, Kenny learned quickly how to dress for the weather. As for the beauty, on his first hike to the state’s North Shore, Kenny saw Shovel Point and the mouth of the Baptism River. The wind blew that spring day, and a bright sun illuminated the conifer forest. Kenny looked down at Lake Superior.
"This will be awesome," he thought. "Moving here was the right choice."
Staff at Tettegouche State Park also manage two satellite parks, Temperance and George Crosby Manitou. With time, Kenny’s experience expanded to include supervising staff, scheduling, mapping grid coordinates, conducting search and rescue missions, repairing signage, installing boardwalks, and much more.
As the Lake Maria State Park manager, new skills are required. Kenny now oversees the budget and is responsible for all day-to-day operations. The job is different in part because the visitors are different, he said. Tettegouche is a full-service park with amenities like a shower building, drive-in campsites and espresso machines in the visitor center. Lake Maria State Park is rustic, with hike-in cabins that require backpacking.
“Our Lake Maria visitors pick up their keys, hike out to the site and are self-sufficient,” Kenny said. “They have no expectations and are happy with a vault toilet.”
The park sizes also make a difference in the nature of the work. Tettegouche is vast at 9,350 acres. Lake Maria State Park on the northern edge of Minnesota’s Big Woods, is 1,600 acres, much of it old growth hardwood forest. Kenny recalls putting in lots of miles at the big park and its satellite parks and not as many now.
He said this more rustic environment resonates with him, appealing to his propensity to conserve and protect parks. On one of his first days on the job, he stood on the shore of Little Mary Lake and heard birds overhead and leaves blowing around.
“I heard everything so well that it was almost deafening,” Kenny said. “At that moment, I heard trumpeter swans in the background and knew this is the spot where I need to be.”
 Work site: Lake Maria State Park (pronounced mah-rye-uh)
Years at DNR: Six
Prior park experience: Tettegouche State Park (2016-2022) and its satellite parks, George Crosby Manitou State Park and Temperance River State Park.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management Protection, with an emphasis in recreation from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.
Family: "My wife Marie (who grew up in Cottage Grove), and my two-year-old son, Clifton Stanley. We also have a Boxer named Arlo, and a six-toed cat named Pawts. My parents and siblings still live in California."
Something coworkers might not know: "I played bass guitar and did vocals with three bands – a metal band, a hard rock band, and a punk rock band."
Showin' off
 Photo credit: Deb Rose
Park visitors take photos of Showy Lady’s Slippers in full bloom along the quarter-mile boardwalk at Lake Bemidji State Park.
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