2014 LEAP Awards Honors Exemplary Landscapes

A hundred thirty leaders, partners and volunteers joined the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District to honor winners of the 2014 LEAP (Landscape Ecology Awards Program) and the Watershed Excellence awards at a recognition dinner held at Keller Golf Course Clubhouse in Maplewood on November 19.

What is LEAP?

LEAP recognizes private, public and commercial landowners in the Watershed District that use good land management practices to preserve and improve water quality and natural resources. Dana Larsen-Ramsay and Mark Gernes, LEAP co-chairs since its inception 13 years ago, presented the awards to four private landowners in Little Canada, Maplewood and White Bear Lake. Cliff Aichinger, who recently retired after 26 years as the District’s administrator, received special recognition for his visionary leadership.

And the Winners Are.......(in no particular order)

Eric Netteberg and Julie Wrase of 636 Labore Rd in Little Canada installed a prairie using 100% native Minnesota plants on their 2.5 acre yard. Motivated by not wanting to mow turf grass and wanting to attract birds, pollinators and other wildlife, the Netteberg-Wrases embarked on an experiment to replace their lawn with wild plants.  Eric noted “the prairie changes from year to year and season to season.”


In the first year they reported seeing an increase in wildlife and now routinely see fox, turkeys, hawks, groundhogs and other birds and butterflies. 

Left: The Netteberg-Wrase prairie turned a mowed lawn into pollinator heaven. 
Right: Eric and Julie receiving their LEAP award.

 

“When it rains and the rain garden fills
with water, we’ve been able to successfully
demonstrate to our neighbor that our
run-off will not flood his property.”
- Debbie Ledvina

Matt & Debbie Ledvina of 1173 Lakewood Drive S in Maplewood involved the entire family in installing a raingarden to capture runoff from the street and have it seep naturally into the ground. The Ledvinas worked with the city of Maplewood in 2012 to design the raingarden with a curb cut and a deep hole called a “sump” to increase infiltration. Matt completed much of the hard physical work including excavating the garden and adding boulders to form a retaining wall.
 
Not only can Debbie explain how her rain garden works, but she has a practical demonstration in her front yard. Through the process of building the raingarden, their kids also learned “how we deal with our environment.”

Left: The Ledvina's rain garden with mature, native vegetation is a stunning site.
Right: Debbie Ledvina included two of her manual laborers, her son and daughter, when accepting the award. 

Jackie and Steve St. Germain of 2503 Stillwater Rd E in Maplewood installed raingardens to capture and treat yard and street runoff. Jackie—the self proclaimed gardener— removed much of the front lawn and replaced it with a cottage garden. She used over 15 species of native flowers and added whimsical touches such as teacup sculptures.

“Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees provide a natural show in front of our window almost everyday,” says Jackie.

“I have a sense of peace and calm.” 

Left: The St. Germain's cottage garden welcomes visitors (human, insects, and small wildlife) to the front yard.
Right: Jackie (in purple) and her friend, Joy Hogenson, accepting the LEAP award. 



The Doffing's blog,

wblraingardens.wordpress.com

documents the design, construction and results.

After building a home on an undeveloped site at 3420 Midland Ave in White Bear Lake, Dennis and Sharon Doffing realized they had stormwater runoff and erosion issues.  After attending a raingarden workshop and reading The Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens, they designed and built three raingardens to capture runoff from their house. They were so excited with the results that they installed a fourth one using District cost-share funds. This 300 square foot raingarden captures and holds 3,000 gallons of water without overtopping.

 

 

 

 

Left: Flooding on the Doffing's property motivated them to take action.
Right: Dennis and Sharon accepting their LEAP award.

 

 

Recently retired District Administrator Cliff Aichinger was recognized for his long-term support of the LEAP Team and LEAP Program.

 

 

 

 

 

Cliff expressed great pride in the program, calling the LEAP Team “a collection of fantastic people.”

 

 

 

 

 

LEAP winners received a $25 gift certificate from Prairie Moon, a Lake Phalen Shoreland Restoration Walking Tour and Plant Guide, artisan birdbaths made by the LEAP Team and a LEAP sign. The LEAP Team is composed of citizen volunteers, who manage this program and conduct all judging for the awards. For more information about the LEAP and Cost Share programs, visit the District website at www. rwmwd.org/leap.
 

Many thanks to the LEAP team from this year and years past for the hard work they do to find, explore, and honor those in the Watershed doing big things for clean water on their own properties.

For a summary of those winning the Watershed Excellence Awards on the same evening the LEAP awards were given, follow the link HERE.

2014 Watershed Excellence Awards Recognize Clean Water Heroes

Award winners received this beautiful blown-glass art piece with their names engraved in the cherry wood. 
Watch the January eNewsletter for an article featuring the artist who created these.

A hundred thirty leaders, partners and volunteers joined the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District to honor winners of the 2014 LEAP (Landscape Ecology Awards Program) and the Watershed Excellence awards at a recognition dinner held at Keller Golf Course Clubhouse in Maplewood on November 19.

What are the Watershed Excellence Awards?

Watershed Excellence Awards recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the Watershed District. At this second annual award presentation event, seven leaders were recognized with five awards: this year’s awards honor Youth Engagement, Outstanding Partner, Roger Lake Stewardship, Buckie and Visionary Leadership. Recipients received a glass paperweight designed and handcrafted by Minneapolis artist Eric Sommers.

And the Winners of the 2014 Awards Are.....

The Youth Engagement Award  : Ginny Newman and Bev Blomgren,



Left: Ginny Newman instructs her students at Ames Lake south of Lake Phalen. Middle: Ginny and Bev accept the Youth Engagement Award.  Right: Bev discusses wildlife with her students.

The Youth Engagement Award went to Bev Blomgren and Ginny Newman, both recently retired from St. Paul Public Schools Community Education. Both have partnered with the District since the late 1990s to engage thousands of St. Paul youth in watershed-based service learning projects. They have provided large sums of money in grants and support to cover bus transportation, school garden demonstration projects, education projects, neighborhood raingarden construction and shoreline restoration.

Strong advocates for watershed education at the school district level, Bev and Ginny also worked very hard to encourage teachers to make watershed awareness a part of classroom curriculum.

Bev and Ginny have fostered community involvement on projects around the District including the Lake Phalen, Keller and Keller Golf Course restorations and church raingarden projects.

Ginny’s specialty is helping students see the big picture to understand watershed issues and address them creatively. Bev brings her Master Naturalist training, visionary capacity and ability to integrate service learning through the arts to engage students and the community. The award was presented by District Watershed Education Specialist Sage Passi and Citizen Advisory Committee member Jill Danner.



The Outstanding Partner Award  : Brian Nelson


Left: Brian working with students to plant native prairie plants at the Carol Matheys Center for Children & Families in Oakdale.  Right: Brian accepts the Outstanding Partner Award.

Brian Nelson of Nelco Landscaping was awarded the Outstanding Partner Award. As the landscaping contractor for the Carol Matheys Center for Children & Families in Oakdale, Brian not only designed and installed a raingarden and pavers for the center, but involved the children and their families in the planting and learning about stormwater, raingardens and plants. He helped the center “become stewards of the landscape.” 

Brian also worked with the Washington Conservation District to design landscape features in their new office in Oakdale, including a pervious green “overflow” parking lot with an adjacent bioretention basin and native plantings.

Brian credited his work experience with Metro Blooms and the influences of his mentor Rusty Schmidt and others in the field with helping him shift his priorities to “working on sustainable projects that have the capacity to reap positive impacts a hundred years down the road from now.” District Permit Coordinator Paige Ahlborg presented the award.
 

The Roger Lake Stewardship Award  : Glenda Mooney


Left: Glenda helps us plant shoreline and emergent plants in the rain!  Middle: A surprised Glenda accepts the Roger Lake Stewardship Award.  Right: 'Ribbit!' Glenda's amazing self-designed and hand-made frog costume has become a mascot for the LEAP program, and for the District as a whole.  Here she is at Waterfest with an excited group of kids.

Glenda was presented this award for the significant and long-term role she has played in watershed management and demonstrated leadership in natural resources stewardship.

A retired teacher from White Bear Lake, Glenda has been active in the watershed for the past 21 years. As a founding member of the District’s first citizen advisory committee, she helped author the District’s 50 Year Vision for natural resources. While serving on the Natural Resources Board, Watershed Advisory Commission and Citizen Advisory Committee, she has been instrumental in developing many programs and projects such as LEAP, the Environmental Forum and WaterFest.

She has brought her knowledge about watersheds and natural resources management to the City of White Bear Lake where she served on the Planning Commission for 17 years. But Glenda’s most noted contribution is her creation of LEAP Frog—the District’s first and only mascot! From the design to the sewing, to the many hours she has “played” LEAP frog, Glenda has brought hundreds of children into District events and made people laugh, inquire, wonder and learn about water and animals.

“Ribbit,” said Glenda in accepting the award from LEAP Team co-chair Dana Larsen-Ramsay. “I have added a lot of time and energy and it always pays off. Watershed District people have been a pleasure to work with.”


The Buckie Award  : Dave and Donna Nelson


Left: Dave and Donna tirelessly pulling invasive plants. Right: Dave and Donna accepting the Buckie Award.  Linda Nielson (left) holds a buckthorn gavel that Dave created.

Dave and Donna earned this award for their dedication to controlling buckthorn, an invasive plant in the face of adversity. Master Naturalists since 2007, the Nelsons have dedicated many hours to transforming a buckthorn infested plot of land into Southwood Nature Preserve in North St. Paul.

Over the past seven years, they have organized many volunteer teams, coordinated Master Naturalists, personally purchased materials and equipment including a tractor, taught others and restored areas of the park with prairie plants. Since the restoration, 9 leopard frogs (not previously seen) and an owl’s nest have been spotted.

In accepting the award from Community Advisory Committee member and Master Gardener Linda Neilsen, Dave noted the important role of city support, community volunteers and other factors that helped them achieve the award. Dave has also become famous for crafting hand-turned gavels out of the buckthorn removed in this project and awarding them to others in recognition of their work to improve the environment.


The Visionary Leadership Award  : Cliff Aichinger


Left: Cliff in one of his many roles as a guide/educator to the public. 
Right: Cliff accepting the Visionary Leadership Award.

Cliff was presented this award for his strong capacity to envision, guide and manifest innovative and impactful projects and initiatives that model stewardship and water quality improvements on many scales.

Since 1989, Cliff has served as the District’s full time Administrator. Prior to that during his 12 years as a consultant for the District, he was the sole “employee,” who “did it all.” Recent exemplary projects include the development of the Living Streets plan and demonstration project in Maplewood and the Maplewood Mall Volume Reduction Retrofit project.

Throughout his career at the District Cliff has been a strong advocate and leader in education, research, planning and policy. He has built many successful partnerships on state, county, city, business and local levels which have strengthened the community’s effectiveness in protecting the watershed. Many look to Cliff as a mentor and see him as the “go-to-guy.” With Cliff's visionary leadership and dedication, the capacity and impact of the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District has been greatly expanded.

Upon receiving the award presented by District Manager Bob Johnson and the new District administrator Tina Carstens, Cliff reflected on the evolution of the District from a “one man operation” to an operation with 13 full-time staff, a model office building, and a track record of 42 completed capital improvements that provide flood control, water quality improvement and significant habitat improvement. “There are significant water management challenges in our future,” he said, “but I believe the Board and the District’s young, energetic and creative professionals are up to the challenge.”

 

Congratulations to our winners, nominees, and those we know and recognize make a difference in their community for clean water.

To see winners of this year’s LEAP Awards, link to that article HERE.


Thank you to those who were able to join us on this chilly evening of warm celebrations. If you missed it this year, we hope you can come next year. Heck, maybe you’ll even be on the list of those nominated or even winning an award!

 

On the Screen: Government Television Network (GTN) 16 Covers the Watershed Beat

By Sage Passi

Chuck Turning filming the “Grand Opening” of the Watershed District’s Parking Lot Retrofit Project at Maplewood Mall

Chuck Turning, video producer at Government Television Network (GTN) has been bringing local stories to the screen from around our Watershed District for over seven years. Chuck comments,

“The Watershed District is a great programming partner for GTN. Together we tell the stories of the people and places that are important in keeping and restoring our natural environment. Protecting our waters and restoring our groundwater is very important. I am pleased to bring these stories to our cable and online audience.”

Chuck Turning (left) from GTN16 and Paul Diegnau (right) from
Keller Golf Course.

GTN serves the communities of Maplewood, North St. Paul, Vadnais Heights, Mahtomedi, Oakdale, White Bear Lake, and several others in the east metro area. Chuck’s videos provide information about innovative changes and environmental efforts at the ground level. He has covered “hot” Watershed efforts such as the Maplewood Mall parking lot retrofit Grand Opening, invasive carp management in the Phalen Chain of Lakes and the Maplewood Extreme Green Make-over.


Thanks to Chuck we have two new videos to offer the public. One tells the story of the publicly-owned Keller Golf Course, its restoration and commitment to sustainable practices. The other film documents the research of University professor Peter Sorensen and his collaboration with RWMWD to reduce the impacts of invasive carp on local lakes.


Keller Golf Course: http://vimeo.com/channels/849222/110922542
Carp Wars: http://rwcable.com/index.php/our-shows-2/rwmwd-watershed-dist



Paul Diegnau, Keller Golf Course Superintendent orients a class that has come to help with the prairie restoration.

The prairie restoration effort at Keller Golf Course was shot in the fall of 2013 when several St. Paul classes assisted the Watershed District with planting. The video highlights the transformation of the golf course in the “no-play” areas. Simba Blood, the District’s Natural Resources Technician, walks and talks students through the planting process. Paul Diegnau, the Golf Course Superintendent describes their commitment to “working with nature, not against it.” He explains the golf course’s sustainable use of water and efforts to reduce stormwater run-off. 





Don Vegoe, Ramsey County Master Gardener, assists students at the Keller Golf Course planting.


There is also a short interview with Ramsey County Master Gardener, Don Vegoe who supports Watershed District schools in prairie restoration. He also restores native prairie at his farm in western Minnesota.

Carp Wars - Peter Sorensen, U of MN, Tells the Story 

Dr. Sorensen speaks to a full house of interested residents.
[A clip from Chuck's film, Carp Wars, taken at the Environmental Forum.] 

Did you miss the Watershed District's Environmental Forum talk held this year at HB Fuller?


Thanks to Chuck, this talk, CARP WARS by Dr. Peter Sorensen, fisheries biologist from the University of Minnesota is now available online.

http://rwcable.com/index.php/our-shows-2/rwmwd-watershed-dist

 This is Chuck’s pitch about this film:

“In Carp Wars you can learn about the battle to stop COMMON carp and other aquatic invaders from destroying diversity in our lakes and streams.


Discover the common carp’s secrets to success. Learn how researchers have uncovered this fish’s amazing survival skills, and are using carp behaviours to successfully win the fight against this adept invader in the Phalen Chain of Lakes and other waters.


Dr. Peter Sorensen will enlighten you on the fascinating research he is leading and the creative solutions his team has developed to control invasive carp. Also, learn about the unique collaboration underway at the new Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) where the University of Minnesota, the MN Dept. of Natural Resources and others strive to find biologically and economically sound ways to address the increasing number of aquatic invasive species threatening Minnesota’s waters.”

 Dana Larsen-Ramsay, naturalist and host for the forum at HB Fuller kicks off the video. She describes the nature preserve on their site in Vadnais Heights and highlights their watershed friendly practices and educational efforts.

From the Eyes of an Eagle: Where Can I Find Chuck’s Other Videos at GTN?

Here is a link to the “Our Community Partners” GTN RWMWD Channel where you can find other videos Chuck has made in collaboration with the Watershed District. These videos, uploaded on VIMEO, are accessible through GTN’s website and continue to play periodically on Cable Channel 16. https://vimeo.com/channels/849222

The videos listed below are accessible at this link.

“Maplewood Mall Rain Gardens Opening” covers the story of the Watershed District’s parking lot stormwater retrofits during the Grand Opening at Maplewood Mall.

 

Farnworth students check out the cistern at Maplewood Mall.

Chuck lugged his camera and tripod out onto the middle of the ice on Lake Gervais in Maplewood on a cold February morning to document the seining of carp.

That story comes alive in Carp Harvest.


Chuck captured some of the “Big” moments on Carp Day at Lake Gervais.

On a warm windy, spring day in 2011, I enticed Chuck to capture the transformation of a rip-rapped shoreline along Keller Lake as kids helped restore it. The story of “Restoring the Web” is told through the perspective of four Farnsworth sixth graders who narrated the video. Their class experiences on a field day on Keller Island are captured in Keller Restoration 2011. This team helped write the script and participated in its creation at a television studio at Suburban Community Channels in White Bear Lake.

Farnsworth sixth graders take the lead in telling the story about the Keller Lake restoration.
Chuck filmed them in the SCC studio.

 
At the end of Chuck’s Keller Golf Course video (http://vimeo.com/110922542), an eagle soars above the students gathered on the course to hear about the restoration project. Chuck stops to point up at the eagle. Why? He’s already on friendly terms with the eagles in the “neighborhood. He covered their story in another video he made for GTN, The Bald Eagle Returns to the Northeast Metro.
 
http://www.rwcable.com/index.php/operations/gtn/80-government-television-network/184-bald-eagle-returns-to-the-northeast-metro

Two eagles squabble over a nest. Photo credit: Rusty Mathiasmeier

Thank you, Chuck! We appreciate your “eagle” eyes and your “on the ground” efforts to tell the stories in our watershed and promote environmental stewardship in our community!

Salty Cure for the Winter Blues

By Eric Korte and Zola Pineles

Winter means two things: short days and gluttonous eating. But what if you are sick of the usual heaping of pasta-sugar-bread-cheese-sugar-meat and...did we say sugar? How can you possibly cure the rut of winter eating? By curing, of course! Here is a recipe for salt cured eggs that is sure to jazz up any pasta or vegetable dish throughout the long winter months.

What does this have to do with clean water?  Well, salt is an important winter tool that has dastardly effects on our lakes....but other than that, frankly nothing. So take a break from heavy reading to learn about how salt affects eggs.

Salt Cured Eggs

Make divots in the bed of salt/sugar for each yoke.

Using salt and sugar, a dozen eggs and time you can come up with something pretty unique and hopefully delicious.


Combine 2 parts salt to 1 part sugar. The exact amount will vary depending on how big your curing vessel is and how many eggs you are doing. Mix well. Add about a ½ inch of the salt and sugar mixture to the curing container. Put small divots into the mixture, as may divots as eggs. Separate the yolks from the whites. We only want the yokes for this recipe. Then cover them with the rest of the salt and sugar mixture until you can’t see them anymore.  

Cover yokes with the sugar/salt
mixture for a week in the refrigerator.

This is as far as I have gotten. So I am curious how these next steps will go…..


Place the container in the refrigerator for a week. Brush or wash off the yokes with a damp towel when done.

Place the yokes in cheese cloth and hang them to dry out in the fridge for a week to 14 days.


When they are done they get hard like some cheese and can be grated over pasta or veggies as a cheese substitute, or at least that’s what I have read.


Stay tuned to see what I find out..... 

Big Leadership Changes Coming Soon!

 

We are excited to share that Tina Carstens, formerly District Assistant Administrator for Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District, was recently named the District Administrator, effective December 1, 2014. Congratulations, Tina! We are excited to work with you in your new role.

 

Tina Carstens, RWMWD's new District Administrator starting in December 2014.

Tina started her career with the City of Savage and joined the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District in 2002, working as a Permit Program Coordinator and Water Resources Project Manager. In her most recent role as Assistant Administrator, Tina guided the District through its 4th Generation Watershed Management Plan, providing strategic planning for the Board, staff and stakeholders; project managed the development of the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies for the District, and much, much more. Her passion for collaboration, capacity building and effectiveness make her uniquely qualified to step into the role of District Administrator, and we hope you'll join us in congratulating Tina as she moves into her new role. 

Cliff Aichinger, RWMWDs Administrator who will be retiring on December 1st.

Cliff Aichinger, the District Administrator since 1989, recently announced his retirement, effective December 1, 2014. Throughout his career, Cliff has been a strong advocate and leader in education, research, planning and policy. He has built numerous successful partnerships at the state, county, city, business and local levels, which have strengthened our community's effectiveness in protecting the watershed. Cliff's leadership has expanded the capacity and impact of the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District, and we are grateful for his visionary leadership and dedication to the District. Thank you, Cliff, and our best wishes for a happy, relaxing retirement!
 

Administrator's Farewell!!

Cliff Aichinger talking about the office site on a Staff, Board and Citizen Advisory Commission Tour this fall.

After 43 years of professional work as an environmental planner, water resources professional and administrator, I am retiring. I served the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District for 8 years as a part-time consulting administrator and almost 26 years as the District’s full-time administrator.

We all work because we have to. If we are lucky, we have a career that we enjoy and it’s not just a job. If we are really lucky we have a job where it is a joy to get up early every day and go into work. If we are extremely lucky we have a job where we are actually making a difference in the world and improving our environment and society. I have been fortunate to have had all of this through most of my 43 year career.

RWMWD Board Members in 2011, most of whom had served the District
for decades.

My time with the District has been challenging, interesting, fun and rewarding. I have been fortunate to have a terrific Board of Managers to work with over the years. The fact that the Board has been very stable and driven by policy has led to an extremely positive work environment for all the staff. We have had the ability to work on exciting and challenging projects, studies and programs. And we have made a difference in our environment and people’s lives. Many of our projects have served as demonstrations of new technologies that have been adopted by other Districts and water management organizations.


Over the past couple weeks I have been trying to organize all the files and computer records and the other staff to easily access. I have been trying to preserve my years of historical knowledge so it is available to others. This is a real challenge. All of this effort has reminded me of the past activities, the many contributors to our success, and the growth that has occurred. I may write more about these “reflections” in the coming months.


The District as an organization has grown from a one man operation to a District, with 13 full-time staff, several interns, our own office building and a $7 million budget. We now have 42 completed capital improvements that have provided flood control, water quality improvement and significant habitat improvement throughout our District.




With partners from BARR Engineering, Cliff accepts an award for the Maplewood Mall project.

I’m obviously proud of these accomplishments, but I was just the band leader and not responsible for the music. Early on in my role with the District I did it all, but in the last 15-20 years, my role was that of administering the organization and supervising staff that did all the good hands-on work. I have been proud to be able to help create the vision and inspire the innovative activities of the District.


This will not stop with my departure. I’m happy to say that we have worked hard over the past several years to prepare for this transition and I am confident that the Board, Tina and the rest of the staff are eager for this new phase in the District’s development. There are significant water management challenges in our future, but I believe the Board and the District’s young, energetic and creative professionals are up to the challenge.I am pleased to say that the Board has selected Tina Carstens, Assistant Administrator, as my replacement. Tina has 12 years’ experience with the District and considerable leadership and management skills. I am confident she will continue the progressive activities of the District. 

Cliff, his lovely wife, and one of their two
happy dogs at Lake Isabel

I am likewise eager to move to a new phase of my life. I have a number of activities planned to fill my time and plans for several long trips. I’m looking forward to the freedom from a daily work schedule and setting my own agenda.


I encourage all our readers to remain committed to the preservation and improvement in our water resources. This is not only important work, but it is rewarding, fun and interesting.

Watch out Colorado, the Aichingers have a lot more free time.

I am grateful for the role I have been able to play and will fondly remember my years with the District.

Cliff Aichinger,
Former Administrator, 
Current full-time husband, father, and grandfather,
Part-time sportsman (golfer, tennis player, hiker, fisherman), woodworker, handyman, and traveler.

Wetland Versus Railroad – Who Decides?



 



A soon-to-be-expanded rail yard adjacent to Pigs Eye Lake. A new habitat area for geese?

By Sage Passi

After city meetings with local railroad authorities over the past two years, a formal Environmental Review, a public input process and significant local opposition, a decision has been reached in favor of the railroad.


The City of St. Paul has conceded that Canadian Pacific Railway has the authority to bypass their request for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and go forward with plans to fill in six acres of wetland along Pigs Eye Lake and remove about four wooded acres in order to expand its switching yard (Dunn Yard). The plan also will add an 880-foot retaining wall made of steel sheeting, ranging in height from 5½ to nearly 11 feet. Pilings to support the wall would be 23 to 43 feet deep.

Although Pigs Eye Lake is called a lake, it’s actually a large riverine wetland.

Red arrows indicate areas where wetland areas are being filled in to expand the rail lines. Red line shows the approximate extent of the project.

The city had requested an environmental impact statement after reviewing a shorter Environmental Assessment that the railroad submitted in June, but federal jurisdiction over the project trumped this request and the railroad is moving forward without it.

 

The proposed project area is located along the Mississippi River to the west of Highway 61 near the intersection of Lower Afton Road just to the north and east of Pigs Eye Lake. The city of St. Paul contends that the railroad's plan for this area impedes access to Pigs Eye Lake and conflicts with the Great River Passage master plan that has been years in the making.

To improve the efficiency of its operations, Canadian Pacific (CP) intends to lengthen six existing tracks by expanding them from 7,000 to 10,000 feet to accommodate modern train lengths. They will also be building a new access road adjacent to the extended tracks. CP operates 34 trains per day through St. Paul and half of those stop at Dunn Yard. Freight trains lengths have grown in recent years. The current tracks cannot handle the longer trains and have to be split into shorter sections using a rail hump which results in delays, noisy cars and more use of locomotive and fossil fuels.

Canadian Pacific operates 34 trains a day in St. Paul and half of those stop at
Dunn Yard next to Pigs Eye Lake.

Local Agencies and Neighbors Speak Up But Are They Heard?

Comments from agencies and individuals about the proposed project were collected during a 30 day public review and comment process this spring. A public input meeting was held on April 23 at Battle Creek Recreation Center that drew a list of concerns from multiple entities.

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District submitted comments that raised “significant concerns with the major wetland and flood plain fill being requested.”

The city cited a number of issues that prompted an expanded Environmental Impact Statement including

• the potential for significant impact on wetlands and the endangered Blanding turtles 
• potential stormwater issues 
• the retaining wall along Pig’s Eye Lake’s potential to be an eyesore 
• impacts to a large heron and egret rookery nearby 
• concerns about additional hazardous materials passing through the yard.

The proposed project will fill in six acres of wetland and remove 4 wooded acres next to Pigs Eye Lake.

Both the Minnesota DNR and the city contend that the railroad’s plan conflicts with St. Paul’s Great River Passage master plan, an effort to develop 17 miles of Mississippi riverfront that’s been years in the making. Pigs Eye, the largest “lake” in St. Paul, now is almost inaccessible to the public except by boat. The city envisions linked trails in the regional park surrounding the lake, as well as fishing and paddling access. The railroad’s plan “almost certainly will result in both large cost increases and technical challenges” to achieving that vision,” says the DNR. The railroad has said they would will try to work with the city to try to create suitable access points to the lake.

See this link for more about Pigs Lake area in St. Paul’s Great River Passage Plan (pages 150-151).

http://www.stallionpublishers.com/publication.aspx?pid=1343&pkey=rizdeplqz

Residents who live across the street from the railroad yard also raised issues about excessive diesel fumes and the sound of screeching brakes, idling engines and rail cars slamming together in Dunn Yard.

Dunn Yard.

St. Paul's Order for an Environmental Impact Statement Trumped by the Feds

The railroad appealed the City’s decision to order an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the Federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), seeking a declaration that state and local permitting are preempted by federal law. In October, after obtaining legal consultation, the City had to concede that they cannot impose environmental review, wetland, or zoning approval requirements on CP. CP is also exempt from complying with Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District’s permitting requirements.


Canadian Pacific Railroad is still awaiting the Army Corp of Engineer permits for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of its project. According to federal law they are required to replace any filled in wetlands at a 2 to one ratio. The railroad is planning to purchase credits from the wetland bank to make up for the impacts expected in the project, rather than creating or restoring wetlands in the area. CP Rail met with Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) officials multiple times to find locations within St. Paul and RWMWD to mitigate the wetland impacts. No suitable areas were identified for mitigation.


They have obtained a National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to regulate stormwater discharge during construction activity. The NPDES permit is a federal permit but is administered at the state level.

MPCA staff will inspect the erosion and sediment control measures and stormwater BMPs (Best Management Practices) during construction. CP is still planning to construct an underground infiltration trench for stormwater management but the Watershed District will not have jurisdiction to be onsite to inspect during or post construction.

Not Just a Local Issue

This recent issue of control over what happens to a wetland in our Watershed District, like other related projects around the country has been precipitated by the increased use of rail lines, especially for the transport of oil and coal. It raises serious questions about local decision-makers’ ability to provide input and have a say over what happens in our communities.


To hear the perspective of several community leaders on this issue and the challenges they face in seeking local control, check out the Lillie News article by Patrick Larkin in the Maplewood Review on September 29th. It includes comments from District 5 coordinator, Betsy Leach, local city council president Kathy Lantry and her aide, Ellen Biales. The article also mentions Governor Dayton’s recent press release urging the federal government to adopt stronger railway safety standards to improve safety for oil shipments passing through the state via railroads coming from North Dakota.

http://www.lillienews.com/articles/2014/09/29/cp-rail-will-proceed-yard-expansion#.VFIc-BaOr-s

Stay tuned. It’s definitely going to be a “long haul” working out these kinds of issues.