In the fall of 2019, elm trees were removed from the Highway 61 corridor in Grand Marais in preparation for upcoming road and infrastructure construction through the city. Several of the tree trunks have been stored for public and private projects, at no charge for the use of the wood.
The Creative Economy Collaborative (CEC) is an Advisory Council to the Grand Marais City Council on arts-related projects and is calling for “Letters of Intent” to gauge interest. Your interest may include creating an object working directly with the wood or creating/ funding an opportunity for a local artist or craftsperson.
Available is 5 – 6 cords, 12 – 30 inches in diameter, up to 9-foot lengths. There may be 1000 board feet of usable wood, depending on how it is milled. The trees were cut in the fall when the sap was down. The wood has been in outdoor storage through the winter. We anticipate some loss from checking at the ends of the logs, but most of it will be usable. Applicants can request any amount – truly!
As this is urban wood, it is likely there are nails in it. Hedstrom Lumber cannot bring this wood into their sawmill due to the possible embedded metal. There are other local sawmills with equipment more appropriate for milling this wood. It is possible that successful applicants may coordinate with these mills. It could be helpful to your project if you reach out to these mills while you prepare your letter-of-intent to learn what is possible.
Successful applicants will also have to make their own arrangements for drying the wood, as needed.
The CEC will ask successful applicants to commit to providing photos and a written description at project completion. We will document this work in a format yet to be determined. It has been suggested that a book could possibly be created to summarize the outcomes, in honor and memory of the trees. It is possible that an opportunity will come to participate in a thematic exhibit that will feature the elm wood.
Submit your request by post office mail or email no later than March 24, 2020, to Cook County/Grand Marais EDA, PO Box 597
15 N Broadway, Grand Marais MN 55604, or email director@propertynorth.com
Leave a Reply