Administration- Dan Schluender, City Engineer
Title
Accept Proposal from Great River Greening for the Southern Portion of the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary for Volunteer Engagement and Project Management
Executive Summary
Great River Greening (GRG) received funding from the Minnesota (MN) Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment to perform restoration work in the Southern Portion of the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.
Background
The city has been working with Great River Greening to restore the Southern Portion of the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary for many years. GRG received funding from the MN Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment in 2019 to help with the restoration efforts in the southern portion of the site. The funding required a match which the city approved in 2019 and the past couple of winters the restoration work has occurred.
Part of the grant requires a three year commitment to ensure the success of the restoration efforts. GRG is proposing to provide the oversight of the necessary labor forces to achieve mutual ecological habitat goals, including paid contractors; correctional facility crews; volunteers (recruitment by others); GRG hand crews; city staff as permitted/agreed upon. The city will continue the communications with the residents.
GRG, in coordination with City staff, will pursue additional state and other funding for project enhancements, e.g. oak planting in the remaining tree groves.
Great River Greening’s expert volunteer outreach team will recruit, coordinate, and engage volunteers for appropriate tasks throughout the Blaine Open Spaces. Those tasks could include seed collection, seed sowing, aspen girdling, tree planting, and hand invasive species control. This will include two (2) medium sized volunteer events of 15-30 volunteers each over the next three years, and four (4) small volunteer events of 5-15 volunteers each over the next 3 years, for a total of 90 volunteer contacts. GRG will reach these volunteers through public recruitment using the city’s vast database of volunteers, current relationships with Aveda, and college professors, and/or connecting our interested private groups with the site, and/or a general public outreach on our part.
Strategic Plan Relationship
The project aligns with the City’s strategic initiatives for Growth Management and providing a Well-maintained Infrastructure.
Board/Commission Review
N/A.
Financial Impact
$29,900 from the Open Space Budget.
Public Outreach/Input
N/A
Staff Recommendation
Authorize Mayor and City Manager to enter into an agreement with Great River Greening for Project Management and Volunteer Engagement.
Attachment List
Proposal