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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF A MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES LAKE SUPERIOR COASTAL PROGRAM GRANT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000 FOR FUNDS TO ACQUIRE APPROXIMATELY 68 ACRES FROM THE DULUTH CEMETERY ASSOCIATION FOR RECREATION AND PRESERVATION
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CITY PROPOSAL:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the proper City officials are hereby accept and execute a Lake Superior Coastal Program grant contract agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, in an amount not to exceed $100,000, with said funds to be deposited into fund 205-130-1220-5510-CM CM205-WOODLD (Parks Fund-Community Resources-Parks Capital-Land-Capital Maintenance Fund-Woodland).
FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Duluth has the legal authority to accept these funds and the financial, technical, and managerial capacity to ensure proper planning and maintenance of the project. The City will meet the required match of $408,000 with grant funds received from the Conservation Partners Legacy Metro Program from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Duluth City Council names the fiscal agent for this project as Jen Carlson, City of Duluth Finance Director, 411 West 1st Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes acceptance of a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Superior Coastal Program to support acquisition of approximately 68 acres of undeveloped open space from the Duluth Cemetery Association for recreation and preservation.
The undeveloped open space borders the Woodland neighborhood to the west and will be managed for outdoor recreation and long-term preservation consistent with the Imagine Duluth 2035 Future Land Use map and Comprehensive Plan Guiding Principle #2: “declare the necessity and secure the future of undeveloped places.” The Comprehensive Plan designates these lands as “OS - Open Space” to provide for parks, recreation, or natural resource preservation.
The property is part of a contiguous, approximately 425-acre, area of largely undevelopable open space that the City is in the process of acquiring for permanent protection. The larger protected area includes mature northern hardwood forest, steep slopes, extensive wetlands, and two important trout streams. Exhibit B depicts the 68-acre Duluth Cemetery Association property in the context of the larger envisioned protected area.
Acquisition of the property will permit completion of the Duluth Traverse multi-use trail system and support the Superior Hiking Trail Association’s desire to relocate their existing trail through this area from a roadway to the forest.
The City has intentionally foregone acquisition of approximately 75 acres of adjoining, developable, open space to preserve the possibility that it may be developed for housing.
The City will meet the required $408,000 match with awarded grant funds from the Conservation Partners Legacy Metro Program from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as authorized by City Council resolution 22-0408R and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding as accepted by City Council resolution 22-1059R.
The Duluth Cemetery Association Board of Directors, responsible for the Forest Hill Cemetery property, is a willing seller though final property boundaries and a final sale price have yet to be agreed upon.