[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6241178,"mediaKeyId","3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf","parentId",3308005,"title","County moves to seek Great Lakes sediment-and-nutrient grant for Scandia Cemetery shoreline work","audioSeconds",194,"startMs",2896000,"endMs",3090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf&start=2896&end=3090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf/thumbnail_2896000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6241178/St-Louis-County/Minnesota/County-moves-to-seek-Great-Lakes-sediment-and-nutrient-grant-for-Scandia-Cemetery-shoreline-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241178-1450f48f0ac492dc9d2baed8ccc0bf03/orig.mp4?Expires=1770912159&Signature=dgjK~MtrGPxT58ofhSDRIZNzgHamSRq0sZj3RatUqWO~HE2YslME3Zr2fT~46Nv~M2xaAew20DIjD2MkdDhKPQca2MdWTI3yAz7JO8jcr7WKWvtrwd6T8NR7oqlMK~ESxZZdS2azelcCpM7eK6fPgwOCqmy0K0Wc0vQ3iYLddF92P32VVqNZtCN3q2IPjXWrXBWIGLtPdVUcGnwq7FyPcXj9QUa6ujUUJEsHzvuCcrgWx-h7YI6LhjQG4sxBM~xmBXSmQnaUcTJfYW1HAqw4E67cDa5RwOMP5OKfikPy-r37~Rr9t9SyP13dZoIdZKnErx3eIEz75W4BCP0eK5Od-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Louis County, MN","date","2025-05-15T00:59:57.93Z","article","St. Louis County approved applying for funding from the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program to support engineering and project development for a shoreline restoration at Scandia Cemetery, county staff said.

Director Jim Kovasi told commissioners the engineering and project development budget is roughly $270,000 and that the grant would cover about $204,000 of that cost; staff said they plan to pursue additional matches from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), the Minnesota Clean Water Fund and other sources for construction funding if the engineering grant is awarded.

Kovasi said the county has researched multiple funding sources and might request a funding match from the city of Duluth if necessary. Commissioners and staff noted the county is not legally responsible for private cemeteries, but described the exposed human remains and shoreline erosion as an ethical and environmental problem requiring a permanent solution; the board said county staff had stepped in to advance a project while seeking partner funding.

Commissioner Boyle and others thanked staff for the grant work. County staff said decisions on grant awards could come by mid-summer for the engineering funding, and construction funding candidacy would be decided after the next legislative session and related LCCMR awards.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Louis County Board Meeting - 05-13-2025","oneSentenceSummary","St. Louis County authorized staff to apply for Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program funding to support engineering for shoreline restoration at Scandia Cemetery and pursue other state and federal funding sources for construction.","taxTitle","St. Louis County, Minnesota","taxId",3768,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241182,"County approves development agreement to pursue 10 MW solar project on Hibbing closed landfill",1514,2411000,3925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf&start=2411&end=3925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf/thumbnail_2411000.jpg","/articles/6241182/St-Louis-County/Minnesota/County-approves-development-agreement-to-pursue-10-MW-solar-project-on-Hibbing-closed-landfill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241182-fd9f7634e37acbdbf45b69f89a0ffabd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770912159&Signature=NIRPh7E-7XuAk27nwy~sbWlnE95yNwW5QsEQb5RD2KVHtwTIWzBgU3e8N4ZjJ6wZlD8OjnjiX0dW96p-NP3FLK-zbDpd6Q1rzysPix8Sn9saxkR0j3LnwoZ-4bC1YMIaCAnqoG3dcueU405Qz1dKmm5iuHAQA~QCgXZaRwMwEhnwTfX2rwlWTDMAzYveIalKO93clFsel2T~r98sQp4xQlCTxXElIR8lr3meX6ynveauzi6fUDH8Z-~EJAhCWeVC8mqufsRI-wTvRGsmb0LNoiByWOavzsbjKWBPRvYiq1xHvOg0~fncIqiCjgulc8AW9L8db--19LMrg-6rm7XMkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Louis County approved a development agreement to allow Eden Renewables to pursue construction of a solar array at the closed Hibbing landfill, staff said.

Dave Fink, St. Louis County environmental services director, told the board the proposal is for a 10-megawatt (AC) or larger solar installation at the closed Hibbing landfill and that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Power have prioritized closed-landfill development in recent programs. Fink said the county would own the land and receive revenue while a third-party developer would manage monitoring and cap protection under an eventual lease with MPCA input.

Tom Cosby, project manager for Eden Renewables, said the project would deliver local renewable energy to Minnesota Power\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 and that the company expected the site to power roughly 1,800 homes. Cosby said Eden had been working on the county project for about three years and is competing in a Minnesota Power RFP; county staff indicated a submission deadline to Minnesota Power of May 29 for the RFP round referenced.

Fink and Eden representatives said the project would be among the largest U.S. solar installations sited on a closed landfill and that the Cook site (another county landfill) is being considered at a smaller scale (approximately 2.5 MW) due to substation constraints. Fink said a 10 MW project typically requires about 60 acres but, because of cap slopes and passive methane vents at Hibbing, the county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 project footprint may be closer to 80\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u000090 acres pending MPCA approval for cap protection and layout.

Board members emphasized local labor and manufacturing opportunities. Commissioners noted conversations with a nearby panel manufacturer in Mountain Iron and the inclusion of a project labor agreement (PLA) with Hunt Electric as the construction partner; county and Eden representatives said they prioritize local trades when possible but that supply-chain availability can constrain sourcing. Commissioners also asked about timetable: Eden said construction could target third quarter 2026 (or second quarter 2027) with a Minnesota Power requirement that projects be online no later than the end of 2028 if selected by the utility.

The board voted unanimously to authorize the development agreement to advance the Eden Renewables proposal and to allow county staff to finalize documents to support a Minnesota Power bid.

","St. Louis County authorized a development agreement with Eden Renewables to pursue construction of a roughly 10-megawatt solar installation on the closed Hibbing landfill, a first-of-its-kind project in Minnesota and among the larger U.S. landfill solar sites.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241187,"Sheriff Ramsey briefs county board: three active fires in St. Louis County, residents urged to prepare for evacuations",361,1474000,1835000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf&start=1474&end=1835","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf/thumbnail_1474000.jpg","/articles/6241187/St-Louis-County/Minnesota/Sheriff-Ramsey-briefs-county-board-three-active-fires-in-St-Louis-County-residents-urged-to-prepare-for-evacuations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241187-bbefb3a8939ee9ea8be88c146afd8967/orig.mp4?Expires=1770912159&Signature=l15~mNquMWWnZdpFh3-KA4vWB2l2t8V7nbDL6uhkI7ZDwSGtLztKfeATVVKjVz7Ouhk1~MoB4gqWH1HfyAyqPPeir5~qPd41nPReIumkly2VsK3EGL4HrMIaQFOt~BX5JeFhgkRtfwNrzEY10AhrIgzHJjQosgXjn2lW3B0yEqJMmLUn1mXkQm1edrXo-uXj0JhE5WgvBrLsgSpIlZg0ewJnK5xcrVmrBVx1NZ8hMj~GIYmVS87mIsaXbEMOjqCTEJUWJOiMn9HOK1Q4m2QtkWGuDj7IInczsZVGH4lJYYWgPbiucge416igbsuP9PJPkMjn~06lLyGFg-iyV0Acdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Louis County Sheriff Ramsey updated the board on three major wildfires affecting the county and urged residents near active incidents to be prepared to evacuate.

\"We have got three major fires,\" Sheriff Ramsey said, identifying the Brimson (Brimston) fire at over 12,000 acres and growing, the Jenkins Creek fire at about 6,800 acres and growing, and the Mungershaw (3 Lakes Road) fire at roughly 1,300 acres. He told commissioners that containment was listed as zero for the Brimson and Jenkins Creek fires and that the Mungershaw fire was \"somewhat contained\" but flaring.

Ramsey said more than 40 structures, including year-round houses and cabins, have been lost in the Brimson area but that there were no confirmed injuries. He said incident commands expected a very dangerous day for fire conditions and asked residents in threatened areas to have evacuation plans ready. The sheriff said federal, state and local air and ground resources had been mobilized, with additional federal aircraft and crews arriving to support suppression efforts.

Board members asked about public notification and on-the-ground outreach. Ramsey said the county maintained GIS evacuation maps and a short URL (saintlouiscountymn.gov/wildfire) for the latest evacuation zones and urged residents to check that page. He said deputies and rescue squads have been doing door-to-door checks in rural areas and that the county is documenting where crews made contact and whether residents left or chose to stay. Ramsey said the county was encouraging the DNR and U.S. Forest Service to meet with affected neighbors to answer technical questions that law enforcement cannot.

Commissioners thanked law enforcement, volunteers and federal partners and emphasized the challenges of multi-incident communications. The sheriff said road and recreational area closures were expected in multiple locations, and that residents should heed evacuation orders and public-safety warnings.

","St. Louis County Sheriff Ramsey told the board three large fires are burning in the northern part of the county, with zero containment on two and evacuations in several areas; officials advised residents to monitor county resources and have evacuation plans prepared.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241191,"St. Louis County holds joint public hearing on proposed land exchanges with Conservation Fund and Minnesota DNR",643,219000,862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf&start=219&end=862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308005-78831a43b14a328f23673a5c63e968cf/thumbnail_219000.jpg","/articles/6241191/St-Louis-County/Minnesota/St-Louis-County-holds-joint-public-hearing-on-proposed-land-exchanges-with-Conservation-Fund-and-Minnesota-DNR","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241191-06870189307778bdaf78686b4327ee08/orig.mp4?Expires=1770912159&Signature=SM46H0bV57RmoEGJgSTgWWKqgBmTSoIEAUjFSxg2c7Q6pIjnqBU-gB243oyrXvG~~fo7sK1qJx339YTgof2Ogpj~yAo8cxATdHC03zjgR0p-52okNLnW3aV5xaX3qSopEEv~SvUTs3K3tBeqa-0InK~Uz2T54PJvgLOqWLa2RRwD-cm4c1RBHph6YnIfgKe8rL5jTCBR~G3iC1BjAl-PToK0CeNQDTePuufYhMW~1CSaaouLwWaYFNf~dr5d7h-rxjxmwfTJolWoE2ZeYPRhE15SA7LkuXs6frsiuKpmnGrEY6sozGvaQKEPqyjWCjA7wD9gOVjEawq5dGXr7TZgBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Louis County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources held a joint public hearing to receive public comment on proposed land exchanges with the Conservation Fund, county staff said.

The exchanges would transfer parcels in Kelsey, Meadowlands and Cotton townships. Jason Meyer, director of the county Land and Minerals Department, said the Conservation Fund proposes to exchange 3,190.09 acres of private forest land for 4,172.91 acres of state tax-forfeited (Class B) land; the county would receive 3,190.09 acres valued at $2,871,000 and give away 4,172.91 acres valued at $2,295,000. Meyer said the county obtained a 2023 session law that lets it receive 125% of value in land (or combination of land and money) for exchanges, which is being applied to this transaction.

Minnesota DNR Northeast Region Director Clarissa Spicer told the board the DNR\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 stated the DNR\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 is considering a separate Class A exchange that would consolidate 1,796 acres of trust land (valued at $898,000) for 1,014 acres of private land (valued at $1,141,000) that the Conservation Fund holds, and that the DNR review found no interdepartmental objections.

Meyer described the county parcels proposed to be exchanged away as lower-quality wetland forest (black ash, spruce, tamarack, cedar) and the parcels the county would receive as higher-quality upland forest dominated by aspen and pine. He said timber appraisals show timber value favoring the county going forward because much of the received acreage is near merchantable age. Meyer also noted the Conservation Fund plans to transfer the State-received parcels to Ecosystem Investment Partners (EIP), which intends to pursue permitting for wetland hydrology restoration and wetland mitigation credits; Meyer emphasized that permitting and wetland mitigation banking would be a separate regulatory process if the exchange is authorized.

The county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 attorney's office was conducting a title commitment search for the lands the county would receive, and the board conditioned approval on a finding of good title.

After presentations, the board closed the hearing and approved the county appraisals and the class B exchange package by vote. Commissioner John Nelson and other board members praised the interagency effort. Spicer said notice of the hearing and the list of lands were posted in the county auditor\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 office and published in the Mesabi Tribune on April 26, 2025.

If the state Land Exchange Board and title review proceed to final approval, the exchanges would consolidate ownership patterns that county and state staff said will improve forest management efficiency and enable wetland restoration by the Conservation Fund or its assignees.

","The St. Louis County Board and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources held a joint public hearing on proposed Class B and Class A land exchanges with the Conservation Fund that would consolidate county and state forest ownership and allow wetland restoration and a mitigation bank.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County moves to seek Great Lakes sediment-and-nutrient grant for Scandia Cemetery shoreline work

County approves development agreement to pursue 10 MW solar project on Hibbing closed landfill

Sheriff Ramsey briefs county board: three active fires in St. Louis County, residents urged to prepare for evacuations

St. Louis County holds joint public hearing on proposed land exchanges with Conservation Fund and Minnesota DNR