Cook County Commissioner Sue Hakes talks to her colleagues—the Grand Marais, Grand Portage and Gunflint Trail or “G-3” group—during the Heart of the Continent International Community Congress. About 80 people from communities in the “heart of the continent” met and learned from one another on October 24 – 27.
The Heart of the Continent Partnership (HOCP) is not a very well known entity. But that could change after the HOCP’s International Community Congress held October 24 – 27. The theme of the gathering was Balancing Nature and Commerce in Communities that Neighbor Public Lands along the Minnesota and Ontario Border and presentations and team exercises took place in Grand Portage and Thunder Bay, Canada.
Ten community teams— four from Minnesota, three from Ontario, and three from Minnesota/Ontario—participated in this collaborative international workshop. Each team had 4-6 members. Throughout the four days about 80 participants heard from a mix of guest speakers and completed four team exercises that led to an action plan.
Friends of the Boundary Waters Executive Director Paul Danicic, co-chair of the International Community Congress, said Blandin Foundation staff led the teams through a stakeholder mapping exercise that used the entire group as individual consultants to gain a whole lot of advice in a short period of time. The group learned about Strategic Conservation Planning as a tool for economic development and about different methods for funding their projects.
Scott Bradley from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) gave a presentation on contextsensitive transportation solutions— seeking collaborative and “right-sized” solutions and improved return on investments. He showed a number of examples of successful projects that Mn/DOT has been involved in.
In Thunder Bay, Professor Livio DiMatteo from Lakehead University presented on the economics of the region, showing history and trends, and facilitated a very lively discussion of statistics, said Cook County Commissioner Sue Hakes.
And in Grand Portage, Anna Deschampe gave a very interesting interpretive talk at Grand Portage State Park.
Kris Hoellen from The Conservation Leadership Network of The Conservation Fund facilitated the workshop. At the end of the week, each group had a “take-home action plan” to put what it had learned in effect to benefit the Heart of the Continent communities.
The Grand Marais, Grand Portage and Gunflint Trail team will create a historic trail connecting all of Cook County. County Commissioner Hakes was a member of this Cook County team and she said the experience was very interesting. “I had never been to an HCOP meeting, so I didn’t know what to expect. I really enjoyed it.”
And, Hakes said she was excited to learn that the proposal of a historic trail, connecting the different historical sites and museums in Cook County, may receive some funding to help make it happen. “I think it was very beneficial for Cook County to participate in this,” she said.
Anna Deschampe of Grand Portage agreed. “We plan to use our human capital to connect what we already have,” she said.
Other members of their team were Grand Portage Tribal Chair Norman Deschampe; Edwina Hertzberg, Grand Portage, a Northland Foundation board member; Superior National Forest Gunflint District Ranger Dennis Neitzke; Sue Weber, Cook County Visitors Bureau representative; and Dyke Williams, past trustee of Quetico Superior Foundation.
The North Shore Scenic Drive team will develop a sister city relationship between Duluth and Thunder Bay to strengthen tourism. Frank Vecchio, marketing director, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, and Judy Ness, Superior National Forest recreation specialist, were on the Scenic Drive team. In the summary at the end of the workshop, their spokesperson said, “Two nations, one route. Our goal is to connect people to experiences and connect our countries on a road that binds.”
Commissioner Jan Hall and Bill Hansen of Tofte were on the Heart of the Continent Volunteer team, which will create a web-based portal of volunteer opportunities by summer 2013. They plan to offer the website as a clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities throughout the Heart of the Continent.
Other teams that created action plans were:
The Atikokan team pledged to create a FAN trip around communities in Heart of the Continent in spring 2012.
The Iron Range team will launch an educational program for residents and others at Earthfest April 21, 2012 with stations designed to connect people to the woods, water and wildlife.
The New City of Ranier team is going to develop a community map that highlights opportunities for visitors.
The North Superior Parks team will work to create the Nor’wester Adventure in web, print and app format by April 2013. Tim Cochrane of Grand Portage National Monument joined this team.
The Destination Voyageur’s National Park team will develop a comprehensive marketing plan by December 2012.
The Neebing team will reopen Middle Falls Park on the Pigeon River by July 1st.
The Trans Canada Trail team will create the “Path of the Paddle Water Trail.”
Danicic said, “This is novel work these community teams are doing. And the energy, excitement and commitment has only grown over the four days. The HOCP steering committee will continue to support the team projects, so stay tuned to the website. The University of Minnesota will be evaluating to see if this is a sustainable economic development model that can be used by others.”
Superior National Forest Supervisor Jim Sanders summed up the feeling of many participants when he said, “Heart of the Continent Partnership is setting a new bar for how communities work together.”
Danicic explained that the driving force behind the International Community Congress was HOCP. The HOCP describes itself as a Canadian/American coalition of land managers and local stakeholders working together on cross-border projects that promote the economic, cultural and natural health of the lakes, forests and communities on the Minnesota/Ontario border.
The Heart of the Continent consists of over 5 million acres (2 million hectares) of public lands, with Grand Portage National Monument, La Verendrye/Pigeon River Provincial Parks, Quetico Provincial Park, Superior National Forest, and Voyageurs National Park at its core. The region spans the international border from Rainy Lake in northeastern Minnesota to the western shores of Lake Superior in Ontario and Minnesota.
For more information about HOCP, please visit the partnership’s website at www.heartofthecontinent.org.
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