News from the Rum River Watershed Volume #3 Issue #3

Fall 2007

Environmental Groups of -
Central and East Central Minnesota

“Shooting the Rapids” ca. 1879

by Francis Anne Hopkins Beechey
Contents:

• This Issue: Environmental Groups in Central and East Central Minnesota,: Their Role in the
Natural Environment
• Winter 2007 issue: Members of the Paraguayan Society of Wetland Scientists and other
Paraguayan NGOs describe effects of Global Warming in South America

From the Editor:

Busy busy busy… aren’t we all! I’ve been busy trying to get a handle on a new laptop,
transferring files, programs, and email capabilities over. All the groups that I contacted for this
issue are also very busy. In this issue I planned to introduce you to some of the many groups
and organizations involved in some way with environmental work in our locality. Usually I end up
with a few meaty articles, and develop a newsletter around those. It turned out I got the best
response from groups in Isanti County – perhaps because I live here – go figure! In addition, I
will attempt to give you an idea of what other groups are around, alive and hopping in the Rum
River Watershed, and in our neighboring watersheds of the Sunrise River, Snake River, Elk
River, and of course the grand old Mississippi. With a little bit of contact information and some
introduction, you can take it from there.

Please feel free to contact me so that we can expand this list to include groups I’ve missed in
your geographical area in a later issue – and if you would like your group or business featured
and already have a write-up ready or have someone who is savvy with the pen, let me know!
Since we don’t have all day now, let’s get going…
 News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 2
The following are examples of organizations working in our area that often
educate, have an interest in, or work with watershed related issues.

Nonprofits and the like:

Active Living By Design Lisa: 763-552-3254 www.activelivingbydesign.org

ARC Retreat Center Jan: 763-689-3540 www.arcretreat.org
Friends of the Rum River Kriste: 612-309-5838 RumRiverNews@yahoo.com
Friends of the Snake River Tom: 651-486-6471 www.snakerivermn.org
Friends of the Sunrise River Larry: 763-783-8226 baker127@umn.edu
Friends of the Mississippi River 651-222-2193 www.fmr.org
Friends of Wild River State Park Bill: 763-689-1442 www.wildriverparkfriends.org
Isanti County Environmental Coalition: Susan/Rob: 763-689-5250 http://icec-online.org
Isanti County Sportsman’s Club Carl: 763-691-1604
Minnesota Waters Bruce: 218-824-5565 www.minnesotawaters.org **
** Check this website for contact info for local lake and river associations
Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota 800-944-0707, www.parksandtrails.org
Wild River Audubon Society: Sue: 651-257-6044 www.wildriveraudubon.org
Women’s Environmental Institute Jackie: 651-583-0705 www.w-e-i.org

Check Phone Listings and the Internet for the following:

Protected Areas:
Anoka County Park System Sherburne Wildlife Refuge
Isanti County Park System St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
Cedar Creek Natural History Area Wild River State Park
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park Wildlife Management Areas
City Parks and Recreational Areas

Educational:
Schools: Primary and Secondary
Pine Technical College
Anoka Ramsey Community College - Cambridge Campus
Anoka Ramsey Community College – Coon Rapids Campus

Businesses:
Country Camping, Isanti
Outdoor Edge, Cambridge
Prairie Restoration, Princeton
Rendezvous Coffee, Isanti
Christmas Tree Farms
Sugar Bush (Maple Sugar) Farms
Agricultural Producers: Crops, Timber, Livestock, Equine, etc…

Governmental Agencies and related:

County (Agricultural Extension/4-H, Parks and Recreation, Zoning)
State: MN Dept. of Natural Resources (Fisheries, Water, Forestry), MN Pollution Control Agency
Federal: U.S. Department of Agriculture
(Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Rural Development)
Department of Natural Resources, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Resource Council & Development (RC&D) Districts – located by region
Soil and Water Conservation Districts – located by county
Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (LRRWMO) – Anoka County
Upper Rum River Watershed Management Organization (URRWMO) – Anoka County
News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 3
 News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 4

From: “Paddle Whispers” 1993. Written and illustrated by Doug Wood, singer,
songwriter, poet. Go to www.douglaswood.com to learn more about how to
schedule Doug for an event, or to order his CDs or his other books, such as the
classic “Old Turtle” (illustrated by watercolorist Cheng Khee Chee.)
 News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 5

ARC Retreat Center: Greening the Soul

One of Isanti’s better kept secrets, the ARC Retreat Center north of Cambridge welcomes groups
and individuals seeking time and space apart for rest, peace, and spiritual renewal. In the shelter
of towering white pines along Little Stanchfield Creek, a tributary of the Rum River, visitors
experience the land much as it existed 150 years ago, before logging and agriculture changed the
surrounding landscape forever. Long a site sacred to Native American culture, the property was
passed to ARC’s founders in 1976 as a gift from the owner, who desired that the spiritual quality
of the land be recognized and preserved.

From its birth, ARC (for Action, Reflection, and Celebration, the three pillars of community life)
has recalled the purpose of the original ark: to preserve created life amid the storms of the
world. The resident staff members are drawn to ARC to live in intentional community: simply,
sustainably, spiritually. They are committed to listening to the land, working with the forest to
maintain its original integrity and practicing organic gardening techniques. Friends and residents
of ARC have formed a Land Stewardship Committee to ensure that the five natural plant
communities represented on ARC’s 90 acres continue to offer the best possible habitat for
wildlife native to stream and forest.

This year marks ARC’s 30th anniversary. In keeping with the philosophy that “the journey inward
inspires the journey outward,” the community has chosen to focus on water both as a central
symbol of the spiritual life and a key part of our threatened environment. Through the gentle
persuasion of art, literature, and conversation, guests on retreat are reminded of our global
interdependence and the necessity of living lightly on the planet. ARC embodies the truth that the
individual spirit cannot thrive apart from the wellbeing of all. When all souls are green, the earth
itself will flourish.

Friends of the Rum River wishing to walk in the woods of ARC or view the “Water Works” art
exhibit on display through December, 2007, are invited to call 763-689-3540 to arrange a time to
visit. ARC is located at 1680 373rd Avenue NE, Stanchfield, Minnesota. Visit the website for
directions: www.arcretreat.org.

An Active Living by Design Community Partnership

The Isanti County Active Living partnership strives to create an environment that encourages
residents to be more physically active and healthy. The partnership helps create safe biking and
walking routes throughout Cambridge, Isanti, and Braham, the county’s three primary cities. They
also promote the benefits of daily activity and help residents overcome the psychological barriers
and habits inhibiting healthy lifestyles.

The Isanti County Active Living partnership is a model for promoting policy changes in a
multijurisdictional setting, especially for rural communities interested in trail projects. The
partnership engaged the Cambridge Lutheran Church to form the senior walking program and
 News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 6

assisted the Cambridge Medical Center with its obesity program, which has included providing
“Walk the Town” maps for distribution in waiting rooms and examination rooms. With support
from the Chamber of Commerce, the partnership has also published walking routes of
Cambridge, Braham, and Isanti on the Isanti County map. The Heritage Green development,
currently under construction, was influenced by the partnership to create an active living
community design. The development features sidewalks on both sides of the street, alleys,
front porches, mixed housing and office space, and a community park. Part of the Cambridge-
Isanti Bike/Walk Trail, for which the partnership successfully raised over $175,000, will run
through the neighborhood.

The Isanti County Active Living partnership includes the cities of Cambridge, Isanti, and
Braham, Isanti Township, Isanti County, the Cambridge Medical Center, the School District,
the Minnesota Department of Health, Cambridge-Isanti Bike/Walk Trail Committee, Isanti
County Parks and Recreation, Isanti County Environmental Coalition, Isanti County Commission
on Aging, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Grandview Christian Ministries, Rotary
Club, Anoka Ramsey Community College, and others.

Isanti County Sportsman Club

\
Sportsmen, we cannot forget, are often some of the most faithful supporters of maintaining
excellent wildlife habitat. “Pheasants Forever,” for example, receives support from members
of the Isanti County Sportsman Club, and is involved with habitat restoration throughout
Minnesota and the rest of the U.S.A.

Originally called the “Cambridge Rod and Gun Club”, the Isanti County Sportsman Club
maintains a shooting range in the part of the county that has the nickname of “Little Africa,”
which, local legend says, was applied when the idea of African safaris became popular in the
U.S. of A. This is the part of the county where the “wild and scenic” Rum River meanders from
the Walbo Bridge, located just south of Hwy 95 between Princeton and Cambridge, to the
Oxbow Bridge, on County Road 14. The Club’s property borders along the new Becklin Family
County Park/Wildlife Management Area, situated on the Rum. Through a joint agreement
between Isanti County Parks and the Isanti County Sportsman’s Club, this park is now open on
a seasonal basis to handicapped hunting – the first of its kind in Minnesota. The rest of the
year it will soon be open to the general public.

The Club has 40 acres, affording trap shooting, “sporting clays” along a walking course
throughout the property, archery, and a pistol and rifle range. Members pay annual or lifelong
dues, and may bring paying guests. A popular “rifle sight-in” event is held towards the end of
October, open to both members and non-members for a nominal fee.

ICSC welcomes groups of students from Cambridge/Isanti School District #911, and
particularly from the High School Natural Resources Class, to use the range and facilities.
Other conservation efforts are conducted jointly by members of the ICSC and the Minnesota
Deer Hunters Association of Isanti County, which makes available equipment for starting and
 News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 7

maintaining food plots for wild animals and fowl. An annual “Youth Day” is held each May for
kids of all ages, cosponsored with local chapters of Ducks Unlimited, MN Deer Hunters,
National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, and the Ruffed Grouse Society.

I began attending the Isanti County Environmental Coalition in 1999. This is an excellent,
strong citizens group focusing on identifying and addressing issues that can affect the
quality of life at the county level. Come check it out! You may want to start something
similar In your own county, or just be looking for additional ideas and support for your
own group. All are welcome. No need to bring a potluck item the first time – just your
appetite, interest and ideas.

Isanti County Environmental Coalition

The Isanti County Environmental Coalition is a volunteer citizen’s group whose purpose is to
increase environmental awareness and to promote individual and community stewardship of
our local natural resources. Our group began in the fall of 1989. Those attending initial
meetings felt there was a need for an environmental voice in the area.

Since 1989 we have participated in and sponsored educational, service, and political activities
such as the following:

• Cleanups of the Rum River

• Helping to build a 400 foot bogwalk at the Wayside Prairie Park
• Participation in public meetings about the county and Cambridge city comprehensive
plan and zoning ordinances to help preserve open space
• Lupine Project – planting native plants in county parks
• Wildlife Corridors Project – presentation to organizations promoting this idea
• Sponsorship of workshops on planned growth and land trusts
• Sponsorship of lectures on native plants and animals of Isanti County, and climate
change, the importance of habitat restoration, the orchids of Minnesota, wetlands
and their function, and outside lighting which preserves viewing of the night sky
• Study of a “poor fen” – a pristine wetland in a local park, funded by a DNR
Environmental Partnership grant
• Publication of articles written by members in a local paper on environmental topics
• Annual celebration of Earth Day with booths, speakers, music and nature hikes at the
Spirit River Nature Area and Cambridge Community College Food Court (Anoka
Ramsey Community College – Cambridge Branch)
• Annual clean up and picnic an Isanti County Park – this year it will be at the
Legsund Family County Park on Lake 17 west of Stanchfield! Be sure to come on
Sunday, October 7th, 1- 5 pm. Opportunities include clearing brush, sprucing up
trails, and maybe even clearing out buckthorn! (fun fun…)
Call Joe and Jean for directions, at 763-689-5756.

We meet the first Monday of the month at 6:30 at varying locations, starting with a potluck
supper. For more information contact Susan or Rob at 763-689-5250.
News from the Rum River Watershed Fall 2007 8

Friends of the Rum River meeting: Saturday, October 27, 2007 10:00 am – noon,
MilleLacs Kathio State Park Nature Center
Join FRR as Roland Sigurdson, Fisheries Biologist with the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources, updates us on his exploits. This will be followed by a tour either on foot or
by canoe (weather dependendent) featuring the cultural history of the Rum River. Please RSVP
to Lyle Bradley (763-421-1663) if you intend to come and wish to take the canoe tour – it
will be limited to 18 people (two 10 people cedar canoes with guides.) Otherwise, the rest of
us will “hoof it”! (Let the park attendant at the gate know that you are attending the FRR
meeting, so that you will not have to pay the park entrance fee. Check the MN DNR website for
directions and a map, or call the park at 320-532-3523.)

Mission Statement:
To provide a base of knowledge that we can use to make wise decisions concerning the
Rum River Watershed, and to preserve, enhance, and enjoy its resources.

Vision Statement
To improve our ability to care for the Rum River Watershed and all of the associated
watersheds that make up the Mississippi River system.

Contact Information:
Kriste Ericsson, Editor
PO Box 82, Grandy, MN 55029
RumRiverNews@yahoo.com

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Online link to the newsletter:

www.millelacsswcd.org/water_group_news.htm

“Voyageurs at Dawn” ca. 1871.

by Francis Anne Hopkins Beechey