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Staff Newsletter | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
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Jan. 20, 2023
In This Issue
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DNR launches Well-being Action Team
![Well-being banner](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018266/4528102/agy-0160-2023-wellbeing-intranet-banner_crop.png) Our agency now has more hands on deck to help support your well-being. Twelve employees were recently selected to serve on the first DNR Well-being Action Team.
The Well-being Action Team will plan and implement agency-wide initiatives to support employees both professionally and personally. The team’s work plan will focus on:
- Supporting mental wellbeing
- Reducing stress and burnout
- Developing new ways to share well-being resources
- Strengthening connections
- Supporting new parents
The Wellbeing Action Team is a sub-team of the Organizational Health Team.
The team is hosting two options to participate in a webinar that will include DNR stories about “How I used EAP” and opportunities for participants to share input on future initiatives. Webinar details will be shared through agency communications and on the well-being Intranet page.
Save the date that works for you: Feb. 22 at noon or Feb. 23 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Meet the team
![The Well-being Action Team](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018295/wellbeing-3_original.png) Top row: Amanda Dirnberger, Jeff Weiss. Top middle row: Kristina Somes, Michelle Mitchell, Wade Mapes. Bottom middle row: Erika Herr, Laura Grunloh. Bottom row: Ali Schmitz, Gratia Joice, Laurinda Brown. Not pictured: Caroline Greeson, Chrissy Eck, Judy Grew
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Team members bring diverse perspectives and experiences, representing different divisions, regions, and job types throughout the agency.
“I am passionate about using my experiences to help others who are struggling with mental health and addiction," EWR Well-being Action Team member Jeffrey Weiss said, when asked about why he chose to apply for the team.
OSD team member Amanda Dirnberger said she is interested in “having people feel connected at work, reducing stress, developing good sleep habits, and hoping to improve employee morale.”
If you have suggestions for how this team can best support our employees, questions or concerns, please contact any of the team members.
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Team members:
- Ali Schmitz
(PAT, Central Region)
- Amanda Dirnberger
(OSD, Central Region)
- Caroline Greeson
(OSD, Central Office)
- Chrissy Eck
(OSD, Northwest Region)
- Erika Herr
(LAM, Northeast Region)
- Gratia Joice
(PAT, Central Office)
- Jeffrey Weiss
(EWR, Central Region)
- Judy Grew
(OSD, Central Office)
- Kristina Somes
(PAT, Northwest Region)
- Laurinda Brown
(FAW, Northwest Region)
- Michelle Mitchell
(OSD, Central Office)
- Wade Mapes
(FOR, Central Region)
- Laura Grunloh
(OSD, Central Office), team chair
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Providing land protection, restoration through military training
The Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape program
![An aerial view of Camp Ripley](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018279/4528100/ripley-east-bnd_crop.jpg) Photo credit: Camp Ripley
Along the northern stretch of the Mississippi River, there are more than 805,000 acres of land encompassing 40 minor watersheds, 50 miles of Mississippi River, 49,000 acres of water bodies, the Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and 42,000 acres of public land.
This area is under the purview of the Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape program, which according to its strategic plan, identifies and develops programs that provide land protection and restoration strategies that benefit the military mission of Camp Ripley by working lands and local communities within the landscape.
“Since 2015, Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape partners have pursued innovative, grassroots projects that protect agricultural and recreational land around the installation,” said Heather Baird, DNR sentinel landscape coordinator. “As a result, the sentinel landscape has improved the quality of water entering the Mississippi River, preserved critical habitat corridors, bolstered local agricultural economies, and enabled Camp Ripley to conduct year-round training activities with limited restrictions.”
The program began with an intent to maximize the compatibility of land use next to Camp Ripley to sustain the military mission of the camp but also the natural environment its known for. In 2015, Camp Ripley was designated as the first state sentinel landscape in the nation.
“The program helps maintain good water quality for fish and aquatic organisms in an area of the state that transitions from prairie and agriculture to forests,” Baird said. “It protects important habitat corridors for many species of wildlife and protects habitat for many threatened and endangered species such as Blanding’s turtles. It also provides opportunities to conduct research on species such as black bear and grey wolf. The program also builds partnership and collaboration on land and habitat protection for the many species.”
In August 2022, staff from the DNR, including Central Region Director Grant Wilson, Baird, Fish and Wildlife Division Deputy Director Pat Rivers; Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Board of Water and Soil Resources leaders; and others were invited by the Department of Military Affairs and the Minnesota Army National Guard for a helicopter and ground tour of Camp Ripley to highlight the importance of the partnership, successes, and current projects.
“The program has been very successful in its purpose of protecting the training mission of the camp and doing important conservation work that will last,” Wilson said. “Camp Ripley is a national leader in programs of this type, and on the forward edge of utilizing and supporting conservation efforts in and around their boundaries. There is so much opportunity here for advancing the DNR’s mission, even if the DNR isn’t the one owning or restoring lands at the end of the day.”
Wilson attributed the success of the program to the hard work and relationship building of staff in multiple divisions, including Baird and her predecessor Mark Hauck.
“There’s much to learn from the effectiveness of a partnership with this diversity of players, interests, and tools,” Wilson said. “Everyone works for a common goal, are creative and progress new ideas, prioritize engagement with neighbor communities, and they’re outstanding at solving problems as a team.”
For more information, questions about or ideas for the Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape partnership, contact Baird.
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![About Climate graphic](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2022/12/6871981/4478729/about-climate-01_crop.png)
How does lake ice form?
![A frozen Mille Lacs at sunset](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018374/4528103/mille-lacs-winter_crop.jpg) Photo credit: Deb Rose
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Stay safe on the ice
Before traveling on a frozen lake, please visit the DNR’s Ice Safety page, for safety tips and ice thickness guidelines.
Remember, ice is never 100% safe.
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By Luigi Romolo, State Climatology Office
Every year, Minnesotans brave the cold weather and participate in many activities that involve being on a frozen lake, such as ice fishing and ice skating. But, have you ever wondered how that lake ice cover formed?
On small shallow lakes, ice will begin to form during cold, calm conditions as a thin film. This typically begins to occur when the water temperature at the surface dips below freezing. The ice surface will continue to grow if winds remain calm and temperatures remain below freezing. If these conditions are met, the ice cover will continue to grow thicker throughout the winter.
On larger lakes, the process is much more complicated, because disturbance from the wind is more likely. Ice on these larger lakes will tend to form first near the shores where the water is shallow. Here, it forms in a process that is similar to that of small lakes. In the deeper parts, the lake water continues to cool as small ice particles called frazil start to form in the water. The frazil then collects at the surface of the lake as slush. The slush then tends to form into what we call "frazil pans." These pans are typically the size of dinner plates or larger. When enough pans are formed, they will begin to bump into one another forming a raised edge. As more pans form, disturbance from the wind will be reduced and it can lead to ice cover formation.
In both cases, the thickness of the ice cover will depend on numerous factors, but ice thickness is heavily influenced by the snow depth on the ice. Snow acts as an insulator, which slows ice thickening. Conversely, ice thickness can increase dramatically when the ice cover is bare and temperatures are well below freezing.
You might also notice that ice cover might not always be clear. In fact, it might have many layers of what we call black ice (clear) and white ice (opaque). White ice mostly forms from the melting and re-freezing of snow on the surface of the lake. This can occur from changes in temperature, but also from cracks in the ice, which allow water to move up through the lake snow in capillary motion. The most important difference between black and white ice is that the overall strength of black ice is much higher than white ice. Furthermore, the strength of lake ice cover can also be lower than you might think it is, especially if that ice cover has several layers of white ice in it.
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New year, new Noxious Weed List changes
![Yellow flower and curly tendril of red hailstone vine.](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018117/4528104/sdc13950-red-hailstone-l-van-riper-mn-dnr_crop.jpg) Red hailstone is a vine that has been added to the Prohibited Eradicate Noxious Weed list. Photo credit: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Every three years, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weed List is updated. The MDA's Noxious Weed List page contains the full list of species along with the regulatory requirements for each weed category. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is expected to follow these regulations on state lands we manage.
As of January 2023, the following changes have gone into effect:
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Three new species have been added to the Prohibited Eradicate Noxious Weed list. If these species are found, they must be eradicated.
- Johnsongrass,
Sorghum halepense
- Pale swallow-wort,
Cynanchum rossicum
- Red hailstone/goldencreeper, Thladiantha dubia
Three species that were previously listed as Prohibited Eradicate Noxious Weeds are now classified as Prohibited Control Noxious Weeds. Species on this list must be controlled in a way that prevents their spread by seed or vegetative means, but they are no longer required to be eradicated.
- Meadow knapweed,
Centaurea x moncktonii
- Poison hemlock,
Conium maculatum
- Round leaf bittersweet (formerly called oriental bittersweet), Celastrus orbiculatus
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Three new species have been added to the Restricted Noxious Weed list. These species may not be sold or transported.
- Amur silvergrass,
Miscanthus sacchariflorus
- Lesser celandine,
Ficaria verna
- Saltcedar,
Tamarix ramoissima
Three new species have been added to the Specially Regulated Plant List. See the Noxious Weed List page for more detail on the specific regulations that apply to each species.
- Amur corktree,
Phellodendron amurense
- Callery pear,
Pyrus calleryana
- Tatarian maple,
Acer tataricum
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![Minnesota Conservation Volunteer graphic](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2022/12/6872015/4478733/minnesota-conservation-volunteer-01_crop.png)
The EagleCam turns 10
MCV chats with DNR Information Officer Lori Naumann about everyone’s favorite reality show in the sky
![A screenshot of the EagleCam with a "play" icon on it](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018724/4528105/eagle-cam_crop.jpg) By Chris Clayton, MCV editor-in-chief
High up in a cottonwood tree in Ramsey County is an enormous bald eagle’s nest that’s been the setting for a popular show streaming on the internet for a decade. The show is the live feed of the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program’s EagleCam, where the lives of eagle families — the ups and downs, the good and bad — have been recorded and watched and obsessed over by people all over the world. During the 2021–2022 nesting season alone, the EagleCam had 341,828 viewers in all 50 states and 127 countries.
The EagleCam is turned on each November and remains on until August as eggs are laid, incubated, and hatched and chicks fledge — that is, if the eggs hatch and if the chicks make it that long in the face of many threats.
It started with an idea from a DNR staffer who spotted an eagle’s nest near a DNR office and suggested training a security camera on it and streaming the scene. A camera was secured to a tree branch about 50 feet from the nest, and it went live in January 2013. Over the years, two adult female eagles and a series of male partners at the site have produced 22 eggs and 15 chicks that survived to fledge.
The keeper of the EagleCam is Lori Naumann, information officer for the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program. She led a team that installed the webcam and has been project manager ever since. The Minnesota Conservation Volunteer spoke with Naumann in a Q&A about her observations over the years.
Minnesota Conservation Volunteer is the magazine of the DNR. Supported by reader donations, its mission is to encourage conservation and sustainable use of Minnesota’s natural resources. For more info, visit mndnr.gov/MCV or subscribe.
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Self-Service changes allow employees to update sex, pronouns, gender identity
Employees now have the ability to update their sex, pronouns and gender identity in Self-Service. The options can be found under:
Self-Service > About Me > Who Am I > Gender Details (on the left of the screen)
Employees now have the option of "Other" in addition to "Female" and "Male." Additionally, there are two new fields for employees to enter pronoun and gender identity if they want. If an employee chooses to provide pronoun data, the pronouns will appear in their work-related Microsoft products (email, Teams, SharePoint, etc.) later this year.
Employees are not required to provide sex, pronoun or gender identity data in Self-Service and there are no prerequisites or requirements to change this information. Employees can update this information on their own without any documentation or approval process if they want.
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![Employee Profile graphic](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2022/12/6871988/4478732/employee-profile-banner-01_crop.png)
EWR Planner Camille Morse Nicholson
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Facilitating, planning environmental engagement (and a wedding)
By Greg Husak, Ecological and Water Resources information officer
Planning and facilitation are so central to Camille Morse Nicholson’s life that she facilitated her own wedding —on Zoom.
As one of the most recent planners to join the DNR, Morse Nicholson has quickly become an integral part of some of the most important projects in the Ecological and Water Resources Division. Morse Nicholson splits her time between the communications and planning unit in the Strategic Information Services Section and the Environmental Review Unit in the Conservation Assistance and Regulation Section.
“It's exciting to be in this versatile role,” Morse Nicholson said. “I have exposure to a lot of variety and opportunities for learning. I’m involved in environmental review issues, budget and finance planning, along with contributing to agency goals on safety and health. I see individual, organizational, and ecosystem health as inextricable from one another, and I feel lucky to be able to contribute to all three through my role at the DNR.”
Morse Nicholson came to the DNR in October from the nonprofit sector, leading community-engaged work to advance energy and climate action throughout rural Minnesota.
“Environmental engagement is core to how I understand myself. Working with and for nature spans generations in my family," she said. "Growing up, some of the common stories about my grandfather featured him bringing home any number of injured or abandoned wildlife during his time as Whitewater State Park’s first naturalist. My contribution to this legacy is in helping deepen the connection people have to their environment, along with applying systems thinking to complex issues and ultimately producing systems change.”
Morse Nicholson said she grew up in the country in southeastern Minnesota, a rural part of Winona County along the Mississippi.
“That unique setting helped me understand the importance of healthy and vibrant natural landscapes and waters," she said. "Minnesota is so defined by its lakes, rivers and streams, and everything we do on the landscape has direct implications on the ability of our communities to thrive. I’m excited be in a place where I can help make a difference and support our state’s reputation for environmental excellence.”
Back to that online wedding — “When we got married on Zoom in June of 2020, I was the most experienced person when it came to using Zoom that we knew, so I ended up doing all the digital logistics. During the ceremony, I was jumping between facilitating, screen sharing, saying my vows, and muting people. Despite the unusual circumstances, we had a lot of fun.”
Morse Nicholson said she aims to bring that same adaptive, innovative, and energetic approach to planning and facilitation in her contributions to the DNR.
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![Bio Box graphic](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2022/12/6871984/4528108/bio-box_crop.png) Name: Camille Morse Nicholson
Title: Division Planner
Joined the DNR: October 2022
Work location: Central Office
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Hamline University, with a focus on social, political and economic development in the Baltic states.
Fun fact: Camille enjoys travel, live music, cooking, volunteering (animal rescue and neighborhood groups), converting yards and boulevards to native plants, and trying new outdoor activities. Camille and her spouse are aiming to visit every Minnesota state park and have crossed about half off their list so far.
![Morse Nicholson facilitating her own wedding via Zoom](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018803/4528129/camille-brentzoomwedding2020-94of202_crop.jpg) EWR Planner Camille Morse Nicholson facilitates her own wedding via Zoom in June 2020.
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![Minnesota Moment graphic](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2022/12/6872045/4478734/minnesota-moment-01_crop.png)
S is for snow
![A group of preschoolers trek through the snow at Itasca State Park](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2023/01/7018065/4528130/itasca-s-is-for-snow-0995_crop.jpg) Photo credit: Deb Rose
A group of preschoolers participate in the "S is for Snow" program at Itasca State Park.
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Submit to Spotlight
Send Spotlight articles and photos to newsletter.dnr@state.mn.us.
Next Spotlight is scheduled for Feb. 3. Deadline for content is Feb. 1.
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