RLIA Monthly Meeting Minutes – 2023-08 – Rush Lake Improvement Association

RLIA Monthly Meeting Minutes – 2023-08

Post author:rliawebmaster
Post published:September 22, 2023
Post category:Meetings

2023-08-19-RLIA-Meeting-Minutes

1 day ago

Minnesota DNR shares reminders about the upcoming snowmobile riding season:As the snowmobile riding season draws near, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds riders of important dates, safety tips and registration requirements. The current lack of snow cover means that Minnesota’s snowmobile trails will not be usable by the official opening date of Dec. 1. Several conditions must be met before trails are open, groomed and ready for travel:The ground must be frozen. Where trails cross wetlands, 15 inches of ice are needed to support the weight of trail groomers.Adequate snow cover of about 12 inches must be on the ground to allow for trail packing and grooming.Trails must be cleared of fallen trees, signs put in place and gates opened.While snowmobilers await the arrival of snow and groomed trails, now is a good time to make sure registrations are current and snowmobiles are in good operating order, review safety training, and check local trail maps for route changes or new trails.Registrations for new snowmobiles must be purchased in person at a deputy registrar of motor vehicles or at the DNR License Bureau in St. Paul. Renewals of registrations and out-of-state trail stickers can be handled in person or on the DNR’s licenses and vehicle registrations website (mndnr.gov/licenses).Local trail conditions are often posted online by tourism associations, chambers of commerce and volunteer snowmobile clubs. To find the nearest club, visit the Minnesota United Snowmobiler’s Association website (mnsnowmobiler.org).Important snowmobile riding safety tips include:Be weather aware and don't ride in adverse weather conditions.Check the DNR snow depth and groomed trail conditions webpage (mndnr.gov/snow) before leaving home.Measure ice depth before riding on lakes and rivers. The DNR recommends a minimum of 5 to 7 inches of new, clear ice for snowmobiles.Always stay on designated snowmobile trails. Venturing off trails can result in accidents.Don't drink alcohol and ride. Alcohol is a factor in more than 60% of fatal accidents in Minnesota.Always wear a quality DOT-approved helmet and facemask.An interactive snowmobile trail map can be found on the DNR’s snowmobiling website (mndnr.gov/snowmobiling). Paper trail maps can be requested from the DNR Information Center. Email [email protected] or call 888-646-6367 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.###Collect and sell black spruce cone in northern Minnesota to the State Forest Nursery:The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources State Forest Nursery is looking for people to collect black spruce cones this winter in northern Minnesota. The seeds found inside the cones are needed to reforest nearly 3,000 acres of black spruce forest each year.“Over the last few years, the number of collectors has decreased and we are in critical need of black spruce cones” said Sarah Ebert, State Forest Nursery manager. "We pay people $100 per bushel, which is about nine gallons of cones. Collecting black spruce now is a great way to earn some cash before the holidays.”People interested in collecting black spruce cones should first contact one of the DNR’s seed drop-off stations to get information and instructions on collecting, handling and labeling the cones. The DNR Forestry seed drop-off stations that are buying black spruce cones are: Baudette, Bemidji, Cloquet, Deer River, Hibbing, Littlefork, Orr, Tower, Two Harbors, Warroad, and the Minnesota State Forest Nursery (near Akeley). Visit the DNR’s seed and cone collection webpage (mndnr.gov/forestry/nursery/cone-seed-collection.html) for drop-off location addresses and phone numbers.Only high-quality, ripe, closed black spruce cones free of stems and debris are eligible for purchase. Colorado blue, white, or Norway spruce cones are not accepted. The window to collect and sell viable black spruce cones is open now through February 2024.If people are not sure where to find cones, a DNR forester from a drop-off station can provide advice.To learn more, visit the DNR’s seed and cone collection webpage (mndnr.gov/forestry/nursery/cone-seed-collection.html).### ... See MoreSee Less

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RUSH LAKE Improvement Association

3 days ago

Registration open for Minnesota DNR webinars on winter outdoor skills and stewardship:The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the winter program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.Webinars will cover winter sports that take place on the ice, owls, the northern lights, mudpuppies, reading the snow for animal tracks, ice fishing, boats and boating equipment, fish art, wolves, deer in winter, lynx and muskrats, winter foraging, and Critical Habitat license plates. In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 29, Rachael Dube, one of the Minnesota DNR’s forest health specialists, will share information on emerald ash borer and its impacts on our communities and forests. Dube also will cover how property owners can prepare for and control emerald ash borer and how to manage a healthy forest in the face of this pest.In a webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 6, a variety of experts will discuss outdoor sports that take place on ice including ice boating, ice climbing and more. Learn more about these fun sports and how to participate.The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars. ... See MoreSee Less

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RUSH LAKE Improvement Association

4 weeks ago

Minnesota DNR webinars:In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 15, Jess Edberg, executive director of the Dorothy Molter Museum, and Benji Kohn, Minnesota DNR volunteer mentor program coordinator, will discuss planning a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, including trip itineraries, campsites, maps, portages, permits and new tools to help in deciding on routes, whether it’s a “I want to relax” trip or a “I want to put on some miles and explore” trip.The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars. ... See MoreSee Less

Outdoor skills & stewardship

mndnr.gov

Fall listings availableLearn about or sharpen your outdoor skills with these upcoming online webinars in our Minnesota outdoor skills and stewardship series.Each webinar begins at noon on Wednesdays a...

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RUSH LAKE Improvement Association

1 month ago

Minnesota DNR webinars focus on elk in Minnesota, No Child Left Inside grants:The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the fall program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 1, Connie Cox, DNR naturalist, and Blane Klemek, DNR northwest regional wildlife manager, will discuss Minnesota elk. They will share the history of Minnesota elk herds and how they are managed, including some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hunt them.In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 8, DNR staff will discuss the No Child Left Inside Grant program, which makes funds available to nonprofit organizations, schools, other government entities, and Native American tribes, schools or governments, to connect youth with nature and get them engaged in outdoor recreation. The webinar will cover the program in general, success stories from past grant projects and how to apply for upcoming funding.The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.### ... See MoreSee Less

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RUSH LAKE Improvement Association

2 months ago

Minnesota DNR webinars focus on fall fishing tips and ciscos in Minnesota lakes:The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the fall program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.In a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 11, Minnesota DNR area fisheries supervisors and avid anglers Scott Mackenthun and Eric Altena will share several fishing secrets on where and how to catch a variety of fish in autumn including walleye, muskellunge, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and lake sturgeon.In a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 18, DNR fisheries experts Cory Goldsworthy and EJ Isaac will talk about cisco, also called tullibee or herring. Cisco are members of the whitefish family and are commonly found in cold and deep Minnesota lakes. Goldsworthy and Isaac will cover why cisco are so important to Minnesota lake ecosystems, how cisco are being affected by climate change and how anglers can catch them.The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars. ... See MoreSee Less

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