Title
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE DULUTH NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PLAN AND AUTHORIZING IMPLEMENTATION AS FUNDS PERMIT
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper city officials hereby approve the Duluth Natural Resources Management Program Plan (NRMPP): The NRMPP, attached as Exhibit A and available as a story map at: <https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/a82dd3aa0ded405b8172cc03db15e7f1>, and authorize implementation of the program plan by the City and its inter-agency partners as funds permit.
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Natural Resource Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of the Duluth Natural Resources Management Program Plan.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution approves the Duluth Natural Resources Management Program Plan (NRMPP) and authorizes implementation of the plan by the City and its inter-agency partners as funds permit.
The NRMPP is attached as Exhibit A and is available online as a story map at: <https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/a82dd3aa0ded405b8172cc03db15e7f1>.
This resolution was preceded by Council approval of three closely related resolutions:
1. Resolution 20-0275R authorizing application for a $900,000 US Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant to fund land acquisition, land restoration, and development of the Duluth NRMPP that is the subject of the current resolution.
2. Resolution 20-0607R authorizing acceptance of the aforementioned EPA grant for the aforementioned purposes.
3. Resolution 20-0654R authorizing an agreement with Emmons and Olivier Resources, Inc. for the development of the Duluth NRMPP funded by the aforementioned EPA grant.
The work was carried out in close collaboration with the USEPA Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecological Division Laboratory and the Minnesota Land Trust with extensive input from natural resource scientists representing numerous federal, state, tribal, local, and nonprofit natural resource management agencies that are actively working to restore and protect natural resources in Duluth.
Public input opportunities were provided in association with a virtual public open house on November 8, 2021, progress report presentations at public meetings of the Natural Resource Commission, and presentations at public meetings of the Parks Commission and Energy Plan Commission.
The completed Duluth Natural Resources Management Program Plan outlines long-term goals, strategies, and decision-making processes to preserve, repair, nurture and assess over 12,000 acres of Duluth’s public open space lands consistent with the Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan and the newly approved Duluth Climate Action Plan.