Minnesota DOT looking for your input
July 25th, 2017
The DOT says it wants to hear from us, so let’s not disappoint:
Take this short 10 minute survey
There have been a number of issues I’ve worked on that the DOT’s been involved in, particularly transmission and silica sand transport, and a noteworthy project here that thankfully did not go forward was Zip Rail. These days, we’ve also got the Hwy. 63 bridge over the Mississippi River, and construction has started. The night view of what they’re building:
They’re also working on a 2nd passenger rail train to and from Chicago, which would directly serve Red Wing! YES!
Let the DOT know what’s important to you, those little things like BRIDGE REPAIR, and maintenance. Road work must be done, and now we’ve got the budget to get to the many things that were neglected during the Pawlenty era. Expect delays, that’s the price we have to pay!
Landowner comments on Freeborn Wind Project
July 14th, 2017
Here are Comments filed on behalf of Association of Freeborn County Landowners:
Association of Freeborn CountyLandowners_Petition & Initial Comments – Filed July 6, 2017
Association of Freeborn County Landowners — Add to Service List
Process Issue – Timing of Request for Contested Case
Reply CommentsCompleteness – Association of Freeborn County Landowners
Missouri Supreme Court ends Ameren’s Transmission plan
June 29th, 2017
click for larger version
Congratulations to Neighbors United Against Ameren Power Line, and to their attorney, Paul Henry, on this victory against Ameren’s Mark Twain Transmission Project (How dare they name something like this after Mark Twain, he”d be rolling in his grave). The Missouri Supreme Court will not take up the Court of Appeals decision that Missouri does have jurisdiction over Ameren’s transmission project. Here’s the decision from the Court of Appeals:
Ameren claims were bizarre:
And the Missouri Court said, “We don’t think so.” Ameren tried to get it before theMissouri Supreme Court, and failed.
As recently as April, Ameren was proposing new routes through Missouri. Guess again!
Comment on the St. Croix State Park Draft Management Plan
May 28th, 2017
FYI, there’s a St. Croix State Park Management Plan open for comment, due July 7! Never been to this one, yet, have looked but… Last year after Lindbergh, I sent the DNR a “We’re All Ears” comment about general experiences in the state parks, and this is more specific, so what the hell!! I want to encourage them to have wifi in all the camps, particularly where there’s no phone access. In Michigan, the park way way up at the tip of the peninsula of the UP has WiFi, why can’t we?
Here’s a tour of campsites at St. Croix State Park:
Their page about this plan is HERE.
The DNR will host an open house on June 22, 2017 at the St. Croix Lodge visitor center in St. Croix State Park from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions and collect comments on the draft plan.
And the plan itself? It’s here, check it out:
Draft St. Croix State Park management plan
Comments are due by July 7, and should be sent to:
Jade Templin via email: jade.templin@state.mn.us
MNDNR Division of Parks and Trails
St. Croix Management Plan Comments
500 Lafayette Road Box 39
St. Paul, MN 55155-4039
There’s also a 25 year Parks and Trails Legacy Plan and from that, there’s a Minnesota State Parks and Trails System Plan, and parks are one of three categories, a “Destination” park, a “Core park, or a “Rustic” park. The “Rustic” parks are ones that they say have minimal amenities, but Charles A. Lindbergh, classified as “Rustic,” had great facilities, and even canoes for rent! Anyway, I’m digging through this today because we’re not out camping until later this month.
Check how they’ve categorized the parks in the Parks and Trails Legacy Plan, above. The only one I’d not recommend for any reason is Big Bog, it’s buggy, hot, pretty much just a grassy parking lot, and full of big honkin’ RVs and big honkin’ pick up trucks and big honkin’ boats (it does have docks for most of the campsites). It’s a class thing. UGH!
Destination Parks and Recreation Areas
Bear Head Lake
Forestville/Mystery Cave
Fort Snelling
Gooseberry Falls
Itasca
Jay Cooke
Lake Carlos
Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine
Mille Lacs Kathio
Sibley
Split Rock Lighthouse
St. Croix
Tettegouche
Whitewater
Wild River
William O’BrienCore/Adventure Parks and Recreation Areas
Banning
Blue Mounds
Cuyuna Country
Interstate
Iron Range OHV
Temperance RiverCore/Gateway Parks and Recreation Areas
Afton
Buffalo River
Camden
Flandreau
Frontenac
Grand Portage
Lake Bemidji
Lake Maria
Maplewood
Minneopa
Myre-Big Island
Nerstrand-Big Woods
Upper Sioux AgencyCore/Classic Parks and Recreation Areas
Big Bog
Big Stone Lake
Cascade River
Crow Wing
Father Hennepin
Fort Ridgely
Glacial Lakes
Glendalough
Great River Bluffs
Hayes Lake
La Salle Lake
Lac Qui Parle
Lake Bronson
Lake Shetek
McCarthy Beach
Moose Lake
Red River
Rice Lake
Sakatah Lake
Savanna Portage
Scenic
Split Rock Creek
Zippel BayRustic Parks
Beaver Creek Valley
Carley
Charles A. Lindbergh
Franz Jevne
Garden Island
George H. Crosby Manitou
Greenleaf Lake
Hill Annex Mine
John A. Latsch
Judge C.R. Magney
Kilen Woods
Lake Louise
Minnesota Valley
Monson Lake
Old Mill
St. Croix Islands
Schoolcraft
RCMP cleared in shooting of Site C dam activist
May 23rd, 2017
James McIntyre was shot outside an open house for a dam project, “Site C” for the dam. You know, those open houses they hold to tell the public what they’re going to do before they do it… There was an investigation of the shooting by Canada’s “Independent Investigations Office,” and I’d had an alert and checked now and then, particularly a year after the shooting, but didn’t find the articles on the IIO’s November release of information until yesterday! Here’s the report from the IIO:
Here are some press write ups:
Police ‘begged’ Site C activist to put down knife before shooting him, witness says
IIO clears RCMP in shooting of James McIntyre
RCMP officers cleared in shooting death of Site C protester in Dawson Creek
Look at the way the press framed this article:
RCMP officer cleared in shooting death of B.C. activist that sparked Anonymous revenge campaign
This shooting of McIntyre hit home for me because of my routine of going to the open houses and hanging out at the door, and I know so well how angry people get when there’s infrastructure proposed in their community, on their land. They published my LTE about this in the Alaska Highway News:
Here are my older posts about the shooting, including a video of the shooting by someone in the hotel who was looking out the window:
RCMP shoots hydro dam protester? Nope, misidentified!
James McIntyre ID’d as man shot by RCMP
It’s been a year since McIntyre was shot in BC