If a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grant for emergency trail markers is awarded as expected, Cook County search and rescue workers and law enforcement personnel will have an easier time locating lost or injured people on Cook County’s recreational trails once the devices are installed.
On February 18, 2014 the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a motion to apply for a DNR Recreational Trails grant to implement a U.S. National Grid (USNG) Emergency Trail Marker Program on select trails in the county.
The system will tie in with one already installed in Lake County, said Kyle Oberg, the county’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyst who presented the information to the board.
Oberg said if approved the emergency trail marker program would be installed in stages to eventually include all recreation trails. Signs will be placed at regular intervals, said Oberg, noting that in Lake County the average was one sign every two miles.
The grant will be used to purchase EMT markers for the C.J. Ramstad/ North Shore State Trail, the Pincushion Trail System and other state grant-in-aid trails in the county. Oberg said the Superior Hiking Trail Association has been reluctant to participate in Lake County, but he will talk to them and try to get their endorsement.
The grant is matching, with 75 percent coming from the DNR and 25 percent coming from the county in in-kind services. In-kind services are anticipated by Share-Geo, the organization that wrote the grant for Lake County and will be the primary grant writer for Cook County.
If awarded, work could begin November 1, 2014 and would have to be completed by June 30, 2016.
County supports bonding request for Lutsen water district
Tom Rider of Lutsen Mountains came before the board to answer questions about the Lake Superior Poplar River Water District (LSPRWD) pipeline project. The LSPRWD Is seeking $1,110,000 in state bonding funds and Rider was asking commissioners to pass a resolution of support for the request.
To date $4.9 million in state and local funds have been secured by both private and governmental sources to begin construction of the pipeline, but that is not enough money to complete the drinking water portion of the project, said Rider.
Established in 2012, LSPRWD was created to see that a pipeline is built to provide a reliable water source for snowmaking at Lutsen Mountains; irrigation for Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course and drinking water for businesses, resorts and homeowners in the area and provide needed water for firefighting.
In the past Lutsen Mountains has pumped water from Poplar River for snowmaking but because it was exceeding its quota from the river, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources gave them a deadline to find an alternative water source.
Commissioner Garry Gamble asked why there was only one bid for the project. Rider said there were many inquiries but in the end only one construction firm was close enough to get its equipment and workers here to do the work.
Phase 1 construction started last November and must be completed by September 30. Engineering for Phase 2, the water plant and drinking water portion, is 75 percent complete. Construction can begin as soon as funding is secured for Phase 2.
Completion of the pipeline is critical, noted Rider. Combined, Lutsen Mountains and Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course contribute $36 million in direct sales, about 24 percent of the $150 million in total sales revenue in the county.
The county board unanimously passed a resolution for support for the pipeline project.
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