Browsing by Subject "Northwest"
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Item Bemidji Area Visitor Profile: Fourth-Quarter Fall Summary(2019) Qian, Xinyi; Erkkila, DanItem Biomass for Cooling System Technologies: A Feasibility Guide(2016-05) Pushpala, Roopesh; Agricultural Utilization Research InstituteItem A Communications Plan for "Keep it Clean," Lake of the Woods(2020) Kidder, AndreaItem Community-Scale Energy Storage Guide: How Community Groups and Small Businesses Can Employ Energy Storage to Save Money and Contribute to Minnesota’s Clean Energy TransitionVenning, Alex; Everett, Akisha; Kenney, Melissa A.; Institute on the EnvironmentThis guide is for people who have or are interested in investing in renewable energy batteries to power their homes, businesses, or community spaces. In it, we’ll walk you through how the US electricity grid operates, how renewable energy generated by homes and buildings works alongside it, and how investing in battery storage for renewable energy can optimize resources and help protect communities against power outages. We’ll also overview the different technologies available for storing renewable energy for future use and the partners, costs, and steps involved with installing an energy storage battery. Recent case studies from three sites in Minnesota, a state without fossil fuel reserves yet rich in renewable resources, illustrate how energy storage batteries help aid in the resilience of communities and the health of the planet by reducing reliance on fossil fuels.Item Ellen Hopkins Elementary School: Nature Based Play Space(2016-06-30) Thill, Alexander; Singh, Virajita; Kulman Brigham, JoneeItem Evaluation of Four Design for Community Resilience Projects(2011-04-13) Kelley, MarkDCR is a program within theCenter for Sustainable Building Research in the College of Design. The goal of DCR is to turn civic challenges into sustainable opportunities. This is done in the pre-design phase by developing goals and design ideas which can later be utilized by architects or consultants. This UROP project seeks to identify ways improve the services of the DCR program while also creating a better understanding of the local needs, strengths, and barriers in implementing sustainable design. It seeks to study the needs of four Minnesotan communities and delivery of the DCR program and its potential gaps. Better understanding the local conditions and their effects on the design process the project seeks to reach conclusions which will further the implementation of sustainable design.Item Feasibility Report: Electric Vehicle Car-Sharing Program for Use by Low and Mid Income Communities in North-Central Minnesota, USA(2021) Johnson, LilyCarsharing programs have been developed and improved by researchers and scientists throughout the past few decades and have developed into a viable alternative vehicle-use method. Carsharing reduces the need for private vehicle ownership, in turn reducing vehicle purchase and maintenance costs to individuals and families. According to one program study in New York, through replacing routine personal car trips with use of a carshare program, families saved an average of $154 to $435 per month. These cost benefits are true across the board, but are especially present when considering rural mileage. Electric carsharing programs have begun emerging over the past decade, which save users money otherwise spent on fuel, as well as reduce environmental impact through the use of electric zero-emission vehicles. Now is an important time to pay attention to electric vehicles, as they are quickly integrating into consumer culture with the current Presidential administration announcing a plan to implement 500,000 L3 chargers nationally in the next decade . Currently, the state of Minnesota currently has 1,192 publicly available charging sites. Nearly 35% of the region has either one or zero vehicle access. Nearly 35% of the population is a cost-burden household (30% of income goes toward rent/housing payment). Including over 50% of renters. 13% of Beltrami County citizens live in severely cost burdened households (when 50% or more of income goes toward rent/housing payment). 43% of Bemidji, last of the 99 largest MN cities, in cost burden households. Cost burden results in less money available for transportation; less transportation results in a reduced quality of life. Reducing the barriers to access of sufficient transportation is important, especially because rural communities can be ‘left behind’ in technological advancement. This feasibility study investigates the possibility for the implementation of an electric rural vehicle sharing program in north central Minnesota. Included in this study are potential operation models, funding models, and implementation recommendations. A graduate researcher from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities conducted this feasibility study in cooperation with the Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP) through the University of Minnesota Extension, and the Headwaters Regional Development Commission (HRDC) staff. The HRDC is a quasi-government agency that serves communities in the counties of Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of The Woods, and Mahnomen. The study will be a product for the Headwaters Regional Transportation Coordination Council, a MnDOT funded program to improve accessibility and mobility for transportation disadvantaged individuals. RSDP Supports localized sustainability projects through the partnerships of communities and the University of Minnesota. Energy resources have been provided through Clean Energy Resource Teams, an organization committed to helping increase energy sustainability in Minnesota. Research methods included collecting information and data from similar studies, conducting internet surveys, and conducting informational interviews with industry professionals and community members.Item Fertile Sand Hills Master Plan: A Planning Framework for the Fertile Sand Hills(College of Design, 2019-10) Mans, JacobThe design of the phyiscal Master Plan for the Fertile Sand Hills focuses on increasing access to this unique ecological resource and providing improvements that connect all users to this environment. The design sets out to develop a vision that will help transform the Fertile Sand Hills strategically into a world-class park system. The plan carefully balances the Agassiz Environmental Learning Center’s mission to foster a greater awareness of the interrelationships between humans and nature with the City of Fertile’s continued commitment to conserve this landscape for long-time use by local, regional, and global communities.Item Future of the Old Auditorium Adaptive Reuse Plan(2019-11) Singh, Virajita; Leong, Kenos; Whittaker, MeighanThis research project supported a community effort with the Pennington County Old Auditorium Committee and other partners in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, to develop a conceptual plan for the future of an existing historic auditorium building that can support local economic vitality, provide a multiuse community center and cultural destination of the region, and demonstrate sustainable community resilience within the local community. This project included: 1) case study research on similar buildings and projects, regionally, nationally, and internationally; 2) community meetings and an engagement workshop to gather community input; and 3) a set of architectural drawings documenting the project’s development and the final proposed design of the old auditorium.Item Gary Pines Master Plan(2017) Dickson, MaxwellItem Lake of the Woods Solid Waste Policy Report(2020-08) Krause, LindseyResearch was conducted for Lake of the Woods County to find policy solutions for the budgetary deficits the county solid waste system and emergency services received in winter of 2020. The deficits were due to the record high solid waste collected and emergency service calls received during the season. Lake of the Woods, a popular ice fishing destination in the county, received record-high traffic due to more favorable ice conditions compared to other lakes further south. A literature search, meetings, a survey, and interviews were all used to gather data on the issue. Three policy options were created from findings: including sleeper houses in unit counts and prorating for winter, requiring all resorts and ice road operators to have dumpsters for customers, and issuing permits for wheelhouses on Lake of the Woods. Policy options were qualitatively analyzed with SWOT analyses and compared to one another. These options were presented to the county board who discussed them briefly after the presentation. It was recommended that the county waits at least one more season before beginning any new policy implementation.Item Lake of the Woods Sustainability Assessment(The Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2019-05-19) Dix, Alec; Freesmeier, Claire; Helgeson, Erik; Pattsner, MaxItem Lake of the Woods Sustainability Assessment(2019-05-17) Dix, Alec; Freesmeier, Claire; Helgesen, Erik; Pattsner, MaxThis report is intended to provide the Lake of the Woods Keep it Clean Committee with an improved understanding of the environmental management challenges related to increased ice fishing pressure on Lake of the Woods, particularly in relation to the use of independent wheelhouses on the lake. Uncertainty about the extent and nature of the impacts from ice fishing and wheelhouse use is currently impeding the effective management of lake usage and the delivery of public services. Based on a synthesis of qualitative research, case studies, and literature on environmental management, this report provides the following policy and process recommendations that the Keep it Clean Committee can utilize to help address pollution concerns, protect their fisheries, reinforce strong local governance systems, support a robust ice fishing economy, and serve both residents and visitors to LOW now and in the future: • Develop and implement a lake access surcharge to secure additional project funding • Focus educational efforts on the lake access point-of-contact with wheelhouse users • Expand the role of resorts in the work of the Keep It Clean Committee • Continue community engagement through surveys, town halls, or other methods We have also identified two specific project directions that could form the basis for continued collaboration between the Keep It Clean Committee and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. These projects are: • Educational program design for angler orientation on sustainable ice fishing • Case study research on local governance approaches to environmental managementItem Lake Region Takes Root Community Garden: Maximizing Sustainable Food Production(2015-02) Thill, Alexander; Singh, VirajitaLake Region Takes Root (LRTR) community garden was started in 2013 to help people in need in Fergus Falls achieve optimum health through access to affordable fresh produce. The idea behind the community garden is spearheaded by Lake Region Healthcare in an effort to provide quality and nutritious food to those that have limited access, limited resources or who can not afford it. Through the first year of operation, Lake Region Takes Root supplied 313 families with fresh produce. Working with other community organizations like, Women and Infants and Children’s program, Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf, Matthew House and A Place to Belong; the garden was able to reach a broader range of people in need. This report presents findings from a participatory community engagement process designed to identify strategies for the most efficient way to garden in the form of maximizing garden space and layout, rainwater harvesting, storage and distribution systems, composting strategies and creating an overall master plan of the garden.Item Master Plan for the Fertile Sand Hills Project Summary(2017) Cervantes, AlejandraItem Moorhead Asset/Networking Mapping Project(2021) Harsch, TreyThe Moorhead Asset/Network Mapping Project occurred over a three month period during the summer of 2021. In cooperation with Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), the Moorhead Asset/Network Mapping Project was able to provide the Moorhead Community Resilience Task Force with a better picture of the organizations, resources, and networks in the community through the creation of asset maps and a network connections map. The Moorhead Community Resilience Task Force consists of 21 organizations working to determine how to best increase Moorhead's resilience in the face of climate impacts. Supported by a Bush Foundation Community Innovation grant, the Task Force aims to create a community that can anticipate, adapt, and flourish in our changing world.Item Mothers’ Concerns about Children’s Exposure to Pesticide Drift in the Red River Basin of the North: A Novel Application of Photovoice, Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care 12(2)(Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 2012-11) Stedman-Smith, Maggie; McGovern, Patricia M; Peden-McAlpine, Cynthia J; Kingery, Linda R; Draeger, Kathryn JWomen of childbearing age and children living in agricultural regions are at-risk for pesticide exposure from many pathways, including occupational track-in from parents, residential use, dietary intake, and drift from farming. Little is known about mothers’ concerns regarding the potential for their children to become exposed to pesticides in these regions. Photovoice was used as a community needs assessment to learn mothers’ perceptions of exposure pathways to pesticides and other environmental health concerns. This article reports the perceptions of women raising children regarding children’s potential for exposure to pesticide drift. Recruitment occurred among three distinct groups living in the Red River Basin of the North: Caucasians living adjacent to actively treated farmland, enrolled in the Women, Infant and Children’s nutrition program (WIC); Native Americans surrounded by active farmland, affiliated with a local tribal college; and new American Immigrants from East Africa affiliated with a local immigrant development center. Perceived sources of exposure included agricultural-aerial and tractor spraying, and truck fogging for mosquito control. Mothers wanted advanced notice of spraying or fogging so they could take their children and toys indoors as protective measures, and education to prevent pesticide exposure, delivered in tailored formats for each group. The findings provide real-world insights from mothers and prevention strategies that can be utilized by public health professionals, extension educators, and primary care providers with the aim of reducing pesticide exposure to children in agricultural regions. Contents are solely the authors' responsibility and do not represent the official views of any funding source.Item Nonprofit Use of Deep Winter Greenhouses: Minnesota Case Studies(University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, 2020) Masterpole, ZoëA Deep Winter Greenhouse (DWG) captures solar heat and enables the growth of cold-weather crops all winter long, using minimal inputs of external light and heat. This report presents nine case studies of non-farm DWGs located in Minnesota that are used in the pursuit of a non-profit organization’s mission or used for educational purposes. Each case study explores the purpose of the DWG, how it was funded, zoning and construction considerations, current usage,management, and future usage. The report finds that the necessary steps to building a greenhouse are to 1) define the purpose; 2) determine who will be involved and in what capacity; 3) locate a suitable site; 4) define who will be involved in the construction, maintenance, and operations of the greenhouse; and 5) identify where the produce will go.Item Norris Camp Interpretive Center Conceptual Master Plan(2015) Jin, Shaolei; Giziibii Resource Conservation and DevelopmentThe University of Minnesota's Center for Urban and Regional Affairs' Community Assistantship Program supported University of Minnesota-Morris student Shaolei Jin to assist in the creation of this plan.