(gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) - Welcome to "Almanac North."

I'm Maarja Hewitt.

- And I'm Brett Scott.

- Tonight we are taking a deep dive into the Minnesota State Park system.

We'll be joined by leaders and managers of the parks, as well as journeying to some of the most iconic and progressive state parks in our region.

We'll also be joined by a local board member trying to establish a new park in Gary.

That's what we have in store for you on "Almanac North," but first, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Swinging Bridge at Jay Cooke State Park.

As a part of the celebration, they're having a free park day on Saturday, June 8th.

The Swinging Bridge, originally built in 1924, has been restructured multiple times over its century long history.

Throughout the summer, park naturalists will provide tours and talk about the bridge's history, including the skilled stone masons and the floods that shaped it.

Detailed program schedules are available on the Minnesota DNR's Parks and Trails events calendar.

Looking to the future, the DNR is planning accessibility improvements at Jay Cooke State Park, funded by the Get Out More initiative.

Those improvements include upgrades to the Oldenburg Point Trail and the addition of an all-terrain track chair and supporting infrastructure.

Free Park Day allows visitors to explore state parks without a vehicle permit.

Remember, while admission is free, other fees like camping and equipment rentals still apply.

For more information, visit the DNR website.

Don't miss this chance to enjoy Minnesota's natural beauty and celebrate a piece of our state's history.

- Meanwhile, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce's Grow Minnesota program released a study today on business expansion trends in Minnesota.

The report seasoned with a critical data and figures is designed to inform businesses, economic developers, and policy makers to better understand the strengths and challenges that Minnesota faces to drive business investment.

Grow Minnesota is a program of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, partnering with dozens of local chambers of commerce and economic development organizations across the state to collect on the ground economic insights and connect businesses with resources to grow and expand in the state of Minnesota.

"Minnesota has many of the essential assets "needed to compete for innovative projects "and is using these strengths "to secure notable investments "from key sectors around the state," said Sean O'Neill, director of Economic Development and Research at the Minnesota Chamber.

O'Neill continued, "Yet our state is also losing out on investments "from businesses due to a variety of supply side challenges "and self-imposed actions increasing the cost "and complexity of operating in our state."

- Thank you, Brett.

Now we have a special parks report from Dennis Anderson on Denny's desk.

Over to you, Dennis.

- And thank you very much, Maarja.

Good evening and welcome.

Now tonight we delve into the fascinating world of Minnesota's state parks, exploring their significance, their history, and the role they play in our lives.

Before we embark on that journey, we ask, what is a park and what makes a local park different to a state or a national park?

Well, a park is a designated area set aside for recreation, enjoyment, and the preservation of natural environments and certainly parks come in various forms, including public parks, state parks, and national parks, each one serving unique purposes and managed by different levels of government.

Now public parks, such as Anger Park or Brighton Beach Park, are managed by local governments, in our case the city of Duluth, and are accessible to the community for recreational activities.

They often feature amenities like playgrounds, sports fields, and picnic areas, making them ideal for day-to-day pleasure.

Now state parks, on the other hand, are managed by state governments and they're focused on preserving larger natural areas.

These parks offer a range of outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, fishing, and educational programs, which differ from park to park.

They actually play a crucial role in protecting local natural resources and wildlife, providing a deeper connection to nature for visitors.

Now national parks managed by the federal government are established to preserve significant natural, cultural, and historical sites.

They aim to protect large, unique landscapes and ecosystems, providing opportunities for recreation, for education, and conservation on a national scale.

Closer to home, Minnesota is home to a rather impressive array of state parks, showcasing a wide array of natural beauty.

The first of these, Itasca State Park, was established in 1891.

This park is particularly notable for containing the headwaters of the Mississippi River, one of the most iconic waterways in the United States.

Itasca State Park offers a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing, making it a beloved destination for nature enthusiasts.

Now the value of parks, especially state parks, extends beyond recreation.

They offer spaces for exercise, relaxation, and connection with nature.

State parks also preserve regional biodiversity, protect important ecosystems, and they serve as vital educational resources.

Additionally, they boost local economies through tourism, attracting visitors who contribute to surrounding communities.

Now whether the park you visit is a local, a state, or a national park, these spaces are valuable to our wellbeing and the conservancy of our natural wonders.

They offer a right regular sanctuary where we can escape, we can explore, and we connect with the natural world.

Now, back to you, Brett.

- Denny, thank you.

Now we join Maarja in the conversation area with Minnesota Parks and Trails Northeast Regional Manager, Chuck Carpenter, Maarja.

- Thank you Brett and Chuck, welcome to "Almanac North."

- Thank you, Maarja.

- We're happy to have you here.

Maybe we could start with an introduction of your role with Minnesota State Parks and what you do.

- All right, I am the regional manager for state parks and trails in the Northeast region.

I guess I think of my job as supporting all of our folks in the field, working towards their success in terms of our mission is providing unforgettable experiences and so I work towards that end and the measure of doing that is business type of things, so budgeting, long range planning, and things like that.

- Sure, I feel like we are pretty lucky in this region of the state in terms of parks and trails, and I know the whole state has a lot to offer, but I feel like we have a lot of crown jewels up here.

Can you tell us a little bit about how parks and trails have evolved in the northeast section of Minnesota and kind of like a brief history?

- Sure.

The North Shore, I think that we have a number of parks, well, with Jay Cooke, I think being 1915 that that park started and along the shore, a number of the other parks started.

Really where a lot of the development happened was in the Conservation Corps years in the thirties and a number of the parks weren't parks at that time, but were built and a lot of the features with the road when Highway 61 was built as that happened and so in the region, a number of those really special places were set aside one by one and not just on the shore, but the rest of the region and it's kind of a rough history, but with the logging and as that evolved, setting aside those special places I think was really key.

- Yeah, I think we're pretty lucky there.

What are some of the popular parks and activities that you find people are kind of drawn to?

- Well, one thing I was gonna say about our parks in the northeast, we have huge variety and so that's, I think that that really kind of captures that That we've got kind of your iconic parks, like Gooseberry, Tettegouche on the North Shore with great hiking, Lake Superior, camping and so you have, and then those are min.rest stops, so you have hundreds of thousands of people coming through every year, but we also have like, say Kauna Country state recreation area over by Crosby Ironton, which is a premier mountain bike facility and so we have great trails there.

We've got up, those are all non-motorized, and we have motorized up at Gilbert with Iron Range Wreck area and so McCarthy Beach beautiful, half a mile of Sand Beach.

And so, so I think we have a little bit of everything for everyone and so they're all tremendously popular.

- I have to ask, since you, you've seen them all, you know them all very well, do you have a favorite or is there a hidden gem that stands out for you?

- Yeah, we're, we don't usually pick favorites.

- Yeah, I just, I'm sure there's something for everybody.

- Everyone asks me that, but I don't, I don't actually.

- It's like picking a favorite child.

- So looking ahead, are there any initiatives or projects that people can keep an eye out in the future?

- Yeah, I think with kind of the legacy of these amazing parks we have, we have over 800 structures in our parks and so we have a huge amount of taking care of what we have and a lot of it's historic conservation core era, but our challenge going ahead is kind of balancing that with offering and working, navigating with making things more accessible to get more people in the outdoors and for all abilities.

The other thing is climate and particularly downpours of rain.

We're having a lot of washouts, so we have a great system of trails, but it's getting difficult to manage all that, so taking care of what we have is a big part, but also making it accessible for more people.

- How do you ensure the parks and trails are taken care of and can remain open to the public?

I have to imagine you have a pretty large team to ensure that they all stay open.

- Yeah, yeah, we have a couple hundred folks in this region that are Parks and Trails staff and dedicated to the work, shout out to the Parks and Trails staff, but they're the subject matter experts of the trails and the parks that they manage and I kind of work to help support that, but those teams are really what happens and also the key part there too is the taking care of the resources is one thing, but also a big part of the job is connecting with the public, people visiting, and kind of that connection and then also working with partners and so it's a big team, very big team of people that work together on that.

- How are visitor numbers for the parks and how is that something that you track?

- We do have, at most of the parks, we have counters and so during the 2020 and the pandemic, the numbers just skyrocketed and they kind of dropped off a little bit, but they are higher than historic and so we do try to track that way and we have some other methods as well, but like camping for example, yeah, we've been full, like coming into Memorial Day all the whole region that weekend and so we're seeing real high numbers.

- Well, now we're heading into a season where hopefully we can all get out and enjoy those beautiful parks and trails.

Chuck, thank you so much for joining us tonight.

- Well, thank you very much.

- Well, next the "Almanac North" team paid a visit to some of the most popular state parks along the North Shore of Lake Superior to learn more about them.

Let's take a look.

(upbeat music) (people laughing) - Gooseberry Falls is so unique because we have these huge waterfalls that you can see within a few blocks.

I can't think of any other place that I've actually been to see even around the world where you can go just a short distance and see some pretty large waterfalls.

So I've tried to explain the magic of the North Shore to people who have never been here, but it's really rugged and it hasn't really been developed like other places in Minnesota, maybe for agriculture or other developments, so you get a glimpse into what the world used to look like before settlers took over and built and so this sense of ruggedness, wilderness, solitude, I think people really feel along the North Shore and Lake Superior has some magic to it.

The fact that you can be so close to this body of water along the cliffs and in the deep forest just creates this scenery that people come from miles away to see.

We also have such a unique ecosystem.

We have the coniferous forest that's merging with the deciduous forest, so we have so much biodiversity here at the park.

We have also like the charismatic mega fauna that wander and like wolves and bear and the occasional moose, possibly lynx and bobcat.

I just can't describe a more perfect place to work.

We have about 10 waterfalls actually in the park.

We have two little creeks that run through the park as well that have smaller waterfalls, but of course, everyone comes to see the four or five main ones.

I think if you're looking for a place to come explore, Gooseberry Falls State Park has a little bit of everything.

We have the rushing water, we have the beautiful lake, we have berries.

I didn't even mention how many edible fruits that you can come and learn about.

The diversity here at the park is beautiful.

You can spend a few hours and see many different parts of Minnesota ecosystem and I can't name another park that has all these different pockets and so come explore.

We have so many animals to learn about and we have an amazing staff as well, so I think we are the place that you have to come check out.

(gentle music) - Split Rock is located six miles north of Gooseberry Falls State Park and we're about 12 to 15 miles south of Tettegouche State Park located on the beautiful north shore Lakes Superior.

- We've got a variety of trails.

We've got everything from the Superior Hiking Trail, which is a pretty back country trail, or we also have the state Gitcha-Gami Trail, which is the paved trail that goes through the park, starts at Gooseberry and goes all the way to Silver Bay.

- I think we're probably the most iconic state park in the state.

I can say that confidently just because we have the lighthouse and people love to come here and camp and hike and also get great views of the lighthouse that's got this long history and it's just an amazing place.

There's no other place like it in the state.

- [Heather] Originally the lighthouse was part of the state park.

The state park was established in 1967, and then eventually the Minnesota Historical Society took over running the lighthouse.

A lot of our visitors will come through and don't know that the Historical Society is separate from Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, so we do get a lot of questions about the history of the lighthouse that we are able to answer, and then we can also direct them up to the Historical Society.

- We are two separate entities.

We work together very closely and we're just trying to provide a great service to the public.

- So when you turn off of Highway 61 and you enter the park, if you stay to the right, that's our state park building and that's where you'd get your park permit that allows you to get down into the park, to the shoreline, to Pebble Beach, to those iconic views of the lighthouse from the distance.

If you stay to the left, that gets you up to the Lighthouse Historical Society.

If you're not going in the park at all, you can go right up to the lighthouse and pay the fees up there.

They have their own programs and they do tours of the grounds and the lighthouse.

Come on up and visit us at Split Rock.

If you're here visiting the lighthouse, step on over into the state park and hike on the trail, come down to the water and just enjoy the views.

(upbeat music) - So the name Tettegouche is a little mysterious.

I don't think the way we spell Tettegouche at the park here, I don't think there's anyone else in the world that uses that word.

The original word of Tettegouche is spelled differently.

T-E-T-A-G-O-U-C-H-E and that name we do know comes from a river in New Brunswick, Canada.

We've got a number of other lakes within the park that also have place names from New Brunswick and the connection there is that the Elder Smith Logging Company 1895 to 1905 had a logging camp in what's now the park.

Despite the fact that what they were doing was clear, cutting old growth forests, they were really struck by the landscape around here and left place names from home behind.

Tettegouche was really set up to be a hiker's park.

When it was set up in the late seventies, it was decided we're not gonna punch a bunch of roads into the waterfalls and put parking lots all over the place.

If you wanna get to these places, you had to hike.

That can be problematic for people that don't have the abilities to do that, but it really helped kind of retain a wilder feeling in the park and we kind of have less impact that way.

When Tettegouche Park was first set up, what is now the lower the southern half of the park had been used by the locals in the area for generations for recreating.

There were a few little cabins back in there.

There was ATV trails, there was a lot of hunting and trapping that happened back there and as sort of a nod to that tradition and the local use of it, the southern half of the park is actually a place where people can come to deer hunt, come to grouse hunt, ATV, do some of the things that you don't normally get to do in a state park.

The northern half of the state park is very much traditional state park.

The southern half is managed as a state recreation area, which has some different rules and allows for more activities.

But one of the things we have going for us is the fact that it is a fairly good sized park just under 10,000 acres with almost no roads through it.

This park I think offers a bit more backwoods outta the way kind of feel to it.

(gentle music continues) - Joining me today is Tom Jamar, our Director of Marketing and Communications and together we're reaching out to remind you that there's still time to show your support for "Almanac North" during our June fundraiser.

- Glad to be with you Maarja and when you tune into PBS North, you're enjoying programming created specifically for our community.

This includes many locally produced shows that shine a light and a spotlight on regional news and events here in the Northland and with only a few days left in our fundraiser, now is the perfect time to show your support.

- As the host of "Almanac North," I wanna extend my appreciation for your dedication to our work.

It's your ongoing support that empowers our team to create these programs and each day we witness firsthand the impact of your generosity, - Our commitment to quality, trusted news, and information programming has you at the very center of PBS North.

We aim to nurture your curiosity, keeping you informed and connected to the people here in the neighborhood across the region.

- And 2024 marks a significant milestone for PBS North as we celebrate 60 years of serving the Northland.

This achievement reflects the lasting impact of your support.

Your generosity today builds on that legacy, enabling us to continue inspiring and enriching lives for a more vibrant and connected community.

- If you've already made a thank you gift, I'm sorry if you've already made a gift, thank you.

If not, we invite you to take a moment now to join us by calling 218-788-2844 or visit our website at pbsnorth.org and when you do, you can select one of the special gifts we have available, including a gift card to the Minnesota State Parks.

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Now let's take a quick look at those thank you gifts before we continue the show.

- [Narrator] When you support PBS North as a $10 monthly sustainer or by giving a one-time gift of $120, we'll say thank you with a Minnesota State Parks pass, your ticket to explore all 66 of Minnesota's State Parks or when you make a sustaining contribution of $15 a month or a single gift of $180, we'll say thank you with a one year digital subscription to the "New York Times."

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- Our next guest is Laura Preus, Statewide Programming and Planning Manager for the Parks and Trails division.

Thank you for joining us today, Laura.

- My pleasure.

- It's nice to have you up here in the Twin Ports.

- It's great to be here.

- So in your, you said 13 years, 12, 13 years with the Parks Department, what are some of the favorite things that you've had to experience?

- Oh, that's a big question, but I tell you what, connecting with Minnesotans who love the outdoors is a great part of the job as well as just supporting our incredible state parks and trail system.

So I've had a lot of good opportunities to get out and see our system as well as work with people.

- Just provide a brief overview as to your role with the state of Minnesota and what you are able to do for the community.

- Sure, so I'm a statewide programs and planning manager and that basically means that I take a statewide look at our parks and trail system.

Some people manage places.

I try to see how all of the pieces of the puzzles fit together.

What are our visitors needing?

What do our incredible staff need to support the visitors?

What research trends are there?

What legislative packages might we need?

So it's really a lot of planning for the future while supporting our current system.

- Sure and how do you ensure consistency across the state of Minnesota for those parks?

- Yeah, we have an incredible team of people who really tries to again understand what Minnesotan's value and what they need and then we work together in teams to provide some consistent guidance while listening to feedback as well and following rules and laws, but trying to be adaptive while we stay consistent.

- Sure, exactly.

What are some of the key statewide initiatives currently taking place throughout the state?

- Yeah, there's always so much going on with our state parks and trails system.

We try to think about how do we see what people need, how do we maintain the system, how do we plan for the future, so I'd say I could talk about what people might see out in our system these days.

I could also talk about some of our funding initiatives.

There's a lot going on.

- We would love to talk about the parks right now.

What are some successful programs that are currently being implemented?

- Sure.

Let me tell you about how we try to really focus on serving people.

We do planning and engagement, but we're also just out there trying to serve the visitors.

So our programs, if you're getting out there, you're gonna see naturalist programs, there's tours, and there's also a whole series of I Can programs and these are great ways for people to get connected to the system.

Our naturalist programs allow people to really understand what's out there.

Maybe it's a Dakota skipper reintroduction or the prairie potholes or a bison herd that they can be learning about, so the naturalist programs really ground people in learning and place.

Our tours also are an easy way for people to get connected to a place, whether it's touring a cave or learning about getting out on a bison buggy to see the prairie.

There's just a great way for people to get out and see our system, so every year we're trying to plan and prepare for those programs.

Another thing that I think people would be interested in is our series of I Can programs and this is a great kind of skill building program where we wanna make sure everyone feels welcome into the park system and so if people haven't done a lot of that before, these are like skill building programs, I can camp, I can fish, I can paddle, I can mountain bike and we have people who really know their stuff and are there being coaches, mentors, providing equipment, making it easy for people to feel comfortable and confident out there.

- I had no idea about that program.

That's wonderful.

- Yeah, so people get out there.

We have a lot of information on our website for people to learn about our system that way.

- Sure and Minnesota is so geographically different, the terrains and everything like that.

How is it different would you say from maybe here in the Twin Ports to you mentioned prairies we even have?

- Yes, you bet, definitely.

Minnesota is really lucky at a statewide level for the incredible natural resources that we have, so you're used to these sort of wonderful places along Lakes Superior, which are amazing, but let's go to the southwest part of the state.

That's a prairie part of the state.

We have, for example, Blue Mound State Park.

Gorgeous prairies, if you haven't seen them in the fall, they're just incredible.

So a lot of the prairie area and grassland and agricultural region in that part of the state.

Then if you toggle over and go to the southeast portion of the state, we have cars to geography bluff lands, so in like a Forestville mystery cave and incredible caves to explore or nestled in our corner, we have trout streams with bluffs and forests at Beaver Creek Valley.

If you head up to the northwest part of the state, we have all of our peatlands and we have a place called Big Bog State Recreation area where you can get out on a boardwalk or the headwaters of the Mississippi.

So you get a feel that across our landscape, we have a forests, prairies, and waters, 11,842 lakes, so Lake Superior, we have a lot of water access that other states don't have.

- There's a lot of exploring out there.

Are there any new parks, trails, or maybe major projects in the works that you could give us a sneak peek on?

- Yeah, sure.

We're really focused on something called a Get Out more initiative.

It's modernizing outdoor recreation experiences and I think people will be seeing that happening around the state and it's very exciting.

We're of thinking of it as a once in a generation, one time investment to try to catch up some of our infrastructure.

A lot of our system was built 60 to 90 years ago and so it's really in need of modernizing and reinvestment and so we're working on making things accessible across the state.

You may have heard about some of those examples in the northeast region, but around the state we're trying to improve the bathrooms, improve the accessibility, make for pleasing clean places where people can enjoy their experience, ensure it's accessible so everybody's welcome.

We also have adaptive equipment that we're expanding, our track chairs as well as beach chairs, beach mats, other types of adaptive equipment, again, to make sure that everybody can feel welcome and experience the amazing things that our state parks have to offer.

- Inclusiveness for all visitors to the state parks.

- Yes, everyone should feel welcome at the state parks.

Everyone is welcome at the state parks.

- Right and school is ending for many students.

- Yes, I know.

- How would you maybe convey to parents to get their student out in the parks this summer?

- Oh yeah, well, for some kids we have a new junior naturalist program.

It's really updated and a great way for parents to say, here's this program kids, let's do these activities.

They do the activities, they turn it in, they get a junior naturalist patch, so that's a great thing for parents and then I also wanna say I'm a parent myself.

I have middle schoolers and our family enjoys getting out in the state parks and that sense of having a campfire, getting to see the stars in Milky Way, seeing fireflies dance at night, you connect in a way as a family that you might not get to in the day to day and whether it's family or family and friends, these are like the quality of life that Minnesota has to offer and it's worth it to get out there and explore it.

It's really special.

- Disconnecting from the technology.

- Yes, I know in our family it's like a reset.

It's a good thing.

- Laura, thank you so much for being with us.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you so much.

I hope you all get out there and enjoy.

- Now our Almanac North team took a trip to McCarthy Beach State Park to learn more about their continuing efforts to upgrade accessibility so the park can be enjoyed by people of all ability levels.

Let's take a look.

- Hi, I'm Dawn Vogues, the Park Manager at McCarthy Beach State Park.

McCarthy Beach State Park was founded in 1945.

It's got an interesting history to it.

So the area that's behind me, our famous swimming beach, the McCarthy family had owned and was looking to potentially sell and so the community pulled together and started finding donations and pooling their funds together because this is such a beloved lake shore front and they wanted to ensure that going forward it was still an public use and available for their future generations of family members to come back and enjoy, so it was really a local initiative to bring this to become McCarthy Beach State Park.

Obviously our half mile sandy beach front is by far everybody's favorite, but the little lesser known or hidden gem of the park is really the beautiful hiking trails that we have here.

So our landscape was created by the glaciers thousands of years ago and so we've got some wonderful hilly terrain, little pothole lakes that our trails wind through and people don't realize, like all the hiking trails that we have to offer and all those good get out in the woods and just relax and take in nature kind of trails that yeah, everyone's busy with the beach front, but the ones that discover those trails are always appreciative.

We offer winter activities as far as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice fishing, but the majority of our visitors are really coming from that Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend timeframe because of our beloved beach.

Some of the items that people can find when they come to our park is we have, on the beach front, we have a beach mat that allows people with any level of disability to be able to follow that mat through the sandy loose soil of that beach beachfront and be able to access that water's edge, so it's very helpful, especially for folks that maybe had hip surgery or have a bad ankle or knee.

They're able to walk down that mat and actually enjoy the beachfront and the beach water and then we also have an adaptive floating wheel wheelchair that allows family members who are disabled to be able to put 'em into this floating wheelchair and they're able to go out in the water with their family, with their friends, and actually enjoy the water and enjoy time on the beach front.

We also offer a disability deer hunt that we partner through Access North in Hibbing and so every fall folks with disabilities are able to apply for that deer hunt and we're able to partner them with a hunt mentor that goes out in the blind, sits with them, and helps 'em through that hunt process.

I think of Steve Cooper and his family.

Steve helps with the disability deer hunt and he has a young grandson that is disabled and last summer, they were able to come in, his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson and utilize our track chair and get out in the woods on Cooper's own terms, so that for me is why you get into this job is to see those successes and to be able to connect people with nature and get out recreating.

It was the first time he was able to go out on his own, under his own control steering and getting out in the woods and just enjoying the birds and the deer and just being back into nature.

I think there were a total of eight parks that started with the track chairs and now they're looking to expand it further, so it's been a great just being able to show that, hey, this is a needed item out there.

Being able to petition and get grants and different funding sources to be able to then perpetuate it out into the system further.

The mission statement is really about creating that space for the public and visitors be able to come in and to share our passion for the resource, for the recreation for future generations.

It's not verbatim, but essentially we all have this passion for recreation and connecting people to the land and to the outdoors and through that mission, we're able to do that and ensure that future generations have as many opportunities as the past generations have had.

(gentle music) (gentle music continues) - Our exploration of Minnesota State parks doesn't stop here.

Our team also visited the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park to learn about the history of the mine, the addition of the Lake Vermillion grounds, and the continuing improvements being made to the park.

- Hi, I am Sarah Guy-Levar.

I am the Interpretive Supervisor at the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park.

The Soudan Underground Mine started actually way back in 1865 when there was a mini gold rush here.

So they started mining in 1882 and as they got deeper and deeper, it became much more dangerous.

The Soudan ore formation lies at a 78 degree angle and so as they got deep into those open pits, they were following the angle of that ore body and of course with the freeze thaw cycle in Minnesota, the rock up above and the overridden became very, very unstable and they frequently would have cave ins and so it was determined that they need to start mining underground and believe it or not, underground mining was a lot safer than the open pits.

Soudan iron ore was a specialty ore.

The soudan iron ore is about 67% pure iron and about 30% oxygen with less than 3% of impurities and soudan iron ore was valued for that oxygen content because you could take a small amount of soudan iron ore, dump it into your batch that you were gonna make steel of, that oxygen would help elevate the temperature and it would help burn off impurities so it leave you with a really, really high quality product.

The innovation of oxygen being able to be put into the steel mining process without needing soudan ore, that took away a little bit of the need of this ore and so economy of scale put this mine out of business.

And so that's what closed this mine and aren't we lucky because normally when a mine closes, it gets shut down, the pumps are shut off, it floods, and that's the end of it, but US Steel Corporation was kind enough to gift it to the state of Minnesota and tours started in the summer of 1965, so we just started our 59th year of safely giving tours at the Soudan Underground Mine.

One thing that I think is so extraordinary about the Soudan Underground Mine as a state park is that we are a state park in the traditional sense in that we have a campground, we have nature programming, but we also have a historic and cultural side that has incredible depth.

Many, many projects have gone on here, but the two major projects that happened were the MINOS project, which is the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search that was done in conjunction with Fermi Lab in Batavia, Illinois and then CDMS, which is the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search and we still do offer tours of those spaces.

The detectors themselves have been decommissioned and removed, but those physicists left us enough stuff that we give a phenomenal, phenomenal science tour.

It is so inspiring for young minds and if physics isn't your thing, there is a huge mural that was painted underground in the physics lab.

If you are an art lover, it's worth the visit to the physics lab alone just to see that mural.

The Soudan Underground Mine first was put on the map because the iron range in Minnesota provided 75% of the iron ore for the steel that was used in World War II, which is pretty phenomenal, so the airplanes, the tanks, the munitions, Minnesota's iron ore was instrumental in the war effort and then you combine that now with international recognition because of these high energy physics experiments.

Pretty extraordinary.

We've just completed a whole month of school tours and we haven't been able to do school tours for about four years because of COVID-19 and then also because of our shaft rehab project and now that that project is finished, we have been able to once again bring school tours.

The shaft is made up of three compartments.

We have the west side, the east side, and then a utility shaft and there is structural steel in those three compartments being exposed to water and the Minnesota elements, some of that structural steel was losing its stability and then we were having issues with what they had previously used for the shaft lining degrading and starting to fall in on top of the cage and so the project totally put in new steel beam structure and then shock creed and rock bolted and shock creeded the walls so that we don't ever have to worry about anything breaking off and caving in on top of the stays cage and it was a 24 hour a day operation, it was a hard, dirty job.

You're working with a half mile hole in the ground, you need to be very, very careful and they did it very safely.

I'm so grateful to their work.

Over the course of the last two years, we worked in incredibly hard to tell the story, not just of the Soudan Underground Mine, but also of the Soudan community and also of the Ojibwe people that were here first and so it was such an honor to be a part of that project and so wonderful to see our professionally designed exhibit installed and as a part of that, our maintenance crew here totally revamped the visitor center, which is a historic building and it's beautiful.

I hope everybody comes and visits us and sees the new exhibit and takes a trip underground and please make a reservation online.

I hate to have you drive all this way and be disappointed because tours are sold out.

Well of course we offer our wonderful slate of underground mine tours, but on the Lake Vermillion side of our park, we do this summer have a naturalist core intern and so he will be providing nature programming on the Lake Vermilion side of our park and a few programs up here too once he learns all about the geology of the Soudan area, so we're excited to be able to offer that to our campers on that side of the park.

The events calendar will have listed what our naturalist core intern has planned for the week.

You asked me what is special about the Soudan Underground Mine.

The Soudan Underground Mine at the 27th level where you are 2,341 feet underground is a constant 51 degrees.

So that makes the Soudan Underground Mine literally and figuratively the coolest state park in Minnesota.

- And a reminder that the park is now offering underground mine tours.

Space is limited, so be sure to call ahead to make a reservation if you are interested.

Now I'm joined by Fran Morris, a board member of the Gary New Duluth Development Alliance.

Fran, welcome to the show.

- Thank you for having me.

- We are excited to have you.

Can you share a little brief history of the Gary New Duluth Development Alliance and what it's done over the years?

- Oh, there's been a lot happening.

That was a real busy place throughout my childhood and generations after me and in 2009, the city closed down the recreation area due to budget shortfalls as happens often and that was left a big void in the community.

So a group of people led by Mark Bobin wanted to see what they could do to get things going again, so after a lot of meetings with city personnel, all the different departments, speaking to Mayor Don Ness, the GND Development Alliance was formed in 2013 and off they went planning this project.

- So this was a vital part for you as you said when you were younger and how important was it to bring it back now in your life?

- Oh, it was very important.

Obviously, I don't have young children anymore, so it's not gonna benefit me directly as far as the outside amenities, but for the families, the young families, and people of all ages, it benefits from very young kids all the way through seniors.

- Can you describe a few of the key facilities and amenities that we can find at the Gary New Duluth Development Center?

- We have something for everybody.

We have two soccer fields, we also have a baseball backstop, so if anybody wants to come and play baseball, we've got a large green space and a performance pavilion, so that's been used by Stowe School for programs.

We've had a wedding there, we've had concerts there, and then of course across the street we have two dog parks, one for small dogs, one for large dogs, then we have a community garden and past that we have a beautiful sport court with basketball courts and hopscotch and foursquare and right now we're in the midst of completing our crown jewel, which is a state of the art urban skateboard park with concrete surface.

We've got grid line skateboard park contractors in there doing all the finishing, so we are just thrilled and of course we have our rec building, which is home to youth programming as well as four exercise classes for adults during the week.

- So something, as you mentioned, for all ages now, this skate park has taken years to put together and many generous community sponsors as well, correct?

- We live in a very giving community, but that being said, it's a very expensive project.

We've got $750,000 into it already and it'll be a million dollars to finish it, but we are happy to say we've got the funds to complete it this year, so we hope to see people out there skating, well, we will by this summer sometime.

It depends on the weather, but we will be skating this summer.

- I wanna try it out.

I don't even have a skateboard or anything, but I'm gonna try it out.

- Good luck with that.

- How does the Gary New Duluth Rec Center engage with the local community and also the school, as you mentioned, Stowe nearby?

- You know, what we've done with Stowe is pretty much we give them the keys, they can use the building when they want, they have access to everything in the garage and of course all the amenities.

There's not a school in Duluth that has the amenities available to them that Stowe has because of the recreation area being there.

They even get three plots in the community garden to use for the kids so they can teach the kids how to grow their vegetables and how it all works.

- That's wonderful and how can community members as yourself, how can you get involved with the Gary New Duluth Development Alliance?

- We are always looking for volunteers.

We've got information on our Facebook page, GND Community and our website as well and you can always call one of us.

We're easy to get ahold of.

Donations are always welcome.

We're finishing this last amenity and it's all paid for, but this is a city of Duluth Park, but the GND Development Alliance has, we're just in the second part of our second five year agreement with them where we run everything, we pay for everything, we pay for the programming, we pay for the utilities, we pay for everything that we add, upkeep to the building, so that's what the donations will be used for.

- Definitely.

You mentioned programming.

How could somebody in the community get involved with that programming or maybe they have an idea?

- Well, we've been really lucky.

We've had the YMCA doing youth programming in the past and this summer, we're gonna have the Boys and Girls Club do summer programming and it begins June 17th, noon to five and it's for ages six to 18 and there's something different each day that the kids are gonna be doing, so there's really something for everyone.

All of the great amenities that we have, sports especially, are gonna be able to be utilized on a daily basis there.

- It's great that you keep that programming, that content fresh for everyone.

How can somebody learn more about the Gary New Duluth Development Alliance or even get involved with the park?

- Well, please feel free to check out our website, GNDcommunity.com.

There's contact information for all of us on there.

You can certainly Facebook message us and it's just a great place and it's become the center of the community.

There's been so many friendships that have been formed, so if you wanna get involved, if you wanna hear more, please contact us.

We'd welcome you with open arms.

- Wonderful.

Fran, thank you so much for being with us today.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you, Brett.

- Now for a peek at what you might be up to this weekend back at the desk to Maarja.

Maarja.

- Thanks, Brett.

Summer is right around the corner even though it feels like it's already here.

Let's take a look at what you might be up to this weekend.

On Saturday from 2:30 to 6:00 PM, WLSSD and the Duluth Folk School are partnering for a Fix It clinic at the Duluth Folk School.

Get paired with a volunteer to guide and assist you in repairing your broken household items or volunteer yourself if you're handy to help others.

If you're interested, you can visit wlssd.com/fixit to learn more.

Sunday at 10:00 AM the Duluth Flower Farm Garden Center is hosting Farmer Doug at their location on Hammond Avenue in Superior.

Learn from Farmer Doug's 40 years of experience about everything from vegetables to growing strategies, succession planting, and more.

And Saturday from two to 4:00 PM, the McRosty Art Center will be hosting their Bells and Wind Chimes Pottery Class in Grand Rapids guided by an instructor who will lead the group on an immersive journey through crafting ceramic bells you can shape, carve, and glaze your own masterpiece to display and enjoy forever.

There's a lot going on out there.

Make sure you go and enjoy your weekend.

And once again, I'm joined by Tom Jamar, Director of Marketing and Communications here at PBS North and before we go, we wanna ask for your support as we enter the final stretch of our June fundraiser.

- Thanks again, Maarja.

We take pride in our commitment to showcase the best of what our region has to offer from in-depth coverage of local topics to heartfelt stories that capture the essence of life in the Northland.

Our programming is truly a reflection of our communities.

- When you tune into PBS North, you're not just watching television, you're connecting with your neighbors, learning about the issues that matter most to our neighborhoods and celebrating the unique culture and heritage of the Northland.

- And it's all made possible because of viewers like you.

Your support enables us to produce high quality, locally focused programming that informs and inspires.

Please give us a call at 218-788-2844 or go to pbsnorth.org to make your contribution and when you do, you can select one of these special gifts we have available.

- [Narrator] When you support PBS North as a $10 monthly sustainer or by giving a one-time gift of $120, we'll say thank you with a Minnesota State Parks pass, your ticket to explore all 66 of Minnesota State Parks or when you make a sustaining contribution of $15 a month or a single gift of $180, we'll say thank you with a one year digital subscription to the "New York Times."

Enjoy unlimited anytime, anywhere online access to all "New York Times" content, including breaking news, politics, food, travel, and so much more and when you make a sustaining contribution of $25 or $300 at once, we will thank you with this "Almanac North" branded Yeti stackable mug.

Sip your Morning Coffee in style.

This mug will be your ultimate companion for keeping beverages hot or cold during any adventure, meticulously crafted for durability and designed to withstand the toughest conditions.

Whichever amount you choose and whichever thank you gift you select, the most important part is that you make your donation to ensure that PBS and PBS North remain strong.

Do your part by calling 218-788-2844 or by giving online@pbsnorth.org.

- Here in Minnesota, we're fortunate to have some of the most beautiful state parks in the country and the best part, you can enjoy the many wonders of these parks right in your own backyard while also showing your support for PBS North.

- If we inspired you to get outside and enjoy some of the natural beauty our region has to offer, make that call or click of support right now and receive your Minnesota State Parks gift card.

- That's great, Tom.

With this gift card, you can renew your vehicle pass, rent a canoe or kayak, or secure your camping reservations.

It's all up to you, - So don't wait.

Give us a call at 218-788-2844 or go online@pbsnorth.org to make your donation now.

Thank you for your continued support.

- Thank you, Tom.

That's it for "Almanac North."

We hope you enjoyed our state park special.

Now that you know a bit more about them, you might wanna go out and check one out for yourself.

For everyone here at Almanac North, I'm Maarja Hewitt.

- And I'm Brett Scott.

Thank you for joining us.

- We'll see you all next time, goodnight.

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