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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF A MINNESOTA HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE GRANT FROM THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $130,100 FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WAABIZHESHIKANA (THE MARTEN TRAIL) InTERPRETATIVE PLAN.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper city officials are hereby authorized to accept and execute the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant contract agreement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, with the Minnesota Historical Society, for the implementation of the Waabizheshikana (The Marten Trail) Interpretative Plan, in an amount not to exceed $130,100, with said funds to be deposited into fund 452-030-5530-HANDHTAX-1501-06 (Tourism and Recreational Projects; Finance; Half & Half Tax Projects; Western Waterfront Trail; SLRC Heritage Trail).
FURTHER RESOLVED, the city of Duluth has the legal authority to accept the money and financial, technical, and managerial capacity to ensure proper planning and maintenance of the project. The match requirement will be met with funds contributed by US Steel (see Exhibit B).
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes acceptance of a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant in an amount not to exceed $130,100 to implement portions of the Waabizheshikana (The Marten Trail) Interpretative Plan approved by the City Council in March of 2021. See the grant agreement attached as Exhibit A.
City Council authorized the application for this grant in July of 2021. The grant will be used primarily to implement the interpretive plan on the existing 3.3-mile northeast end of Waabizheshikana (The Marten Trail) extending from the Irving neighborhood to the Riverside neighborhood. Grant funds may also be used to implement portions of the interpretive plan on Waabizheshikana (The Marten Trail) Segment 2, connecting the Morgan Park and Smithville neighborhoods, which the City expects to construct with state funds in 2023 or 2024.
The grant will be matched by a $105,000 contribution from US Steel that will be used to pay for implementation of the interpretive plan on Waabizheshikana (The Marten Trail) Segment 3, bounding the Morgan Park neighborhood and the US Steel property, after that trail is constructed with US Steel funds in 2023 or 2024. A letter from US Steel expressing their intent to contribute $105,000 for this purpose is attached as Exhibit B.
The interpretive plan provides the framework for creation and installation of interpretive elements and signage for the entire 10-mile Waabizheshikana (The Marten Trail) corridor. The interpretive plan is attached as Exhibit C. The plan is intended to help users understand and appreciate the history, wildlife, geography, and ecology of the river landscape that have made this an attractive destination for people and wildlife for millennia. The plan envisions an interpretive trail experience for a range of audience interests and backgrounds. By integrating artworks, historical accounts, and highlights from the natural world, the completed interpretive plan will cultivate new ways of seeing the landscape from diverse and sometimes unexpected perspectives.
The plan is the result of an unusually diverse and inclusive community-based process. Undertaken in close partnership with the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the interpretive planning process included significant stakeholder engagement, two community workshops, and review by the Indigenous Commission, the Natural Resources Commission, the Heritage Preservation Commission, the African Heritage Commission, and Public Arts Commission. A final public meeting presentation was held in February of 2021 followed by a two-week comment period. The Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approved the plan at their March 2021 meeting followed shortly thereafter by City Council approval.