HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2020 (03) Resolution No. 3 (2020)
ST RC3 UNTY RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT FOR DESIGNATION FOR THE NORTH
WOODS AND WATERS OF THE ST. CROIX NATIONAL HERITAGE
AREA
1 WHEREAS,the United States Congress has designated 55 national heritage areas to
2 commemorate, conserve and promote important natural, historic and recreation resources; and
3
4 WHEREAS, national heritage areas have, on average, a five-to-one return on investment
5 and together contribute $12.9 billion annually to the U.S. economy and support 148,000 jobs;
6 and
7
8 WHEREAS, national heritage areas are community-based efforts that are managed by
9 the local leaders and residents that live in them; and
10
11 WHEREAS, national heritage areas are living, working landscapes that honor traditional
12 uses and support continued economic activity in the region; and
13
14 WHEREAS, national heritage areas do not use program funding to acquire land, have no
15 regulatory authority over zoning or land use, and do not infringe upon private property rights;
16 and
17
18 WHEREAS, legislation has recently been introduced to designate the St. Croix River
19 watershed region, covering all or part of 18 counties in northwest Wisconsin and east central
20 Minnesota as the North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix National Heritage Area (see attached
21 map); and
22
23 WHEREAS, the National Heritage Areas (NHA) Initiative has engaged hundreds of
24 residents throughout the region in a multi-year process to explore the possibilities and
25 appropriateness of designation, and strong public support was expressed for the concept; and
26
27 WHEREAS, the scenic St. Croix watershed region, which links the Great Lakes to the
28 Mississippi River through the St. Croix River and its tributaries, has a rich geological, cultural
29 and industrial history that exemplifies the Upper Midwest; and
30
31 WHEREAS, designating the St. Croix watershed region, with its abundant wildlife and
32 white pine forest, as national heritage area would increase awareness and understanding of
33 important geographic locations and events in the region that represent key developments in
34 American history; and
35
36 WHEREAS, the designation would allow diverse cultural groups who have influenced
37 the area, including the people of the four sovereign Ojibwe Nations who have ancestral lands and
38 ceded territories in the region, to share their stories with a wider audience; and
39
40 WHEREAS, the designation would also create new opportunities for local historians,
41 scientists, artists and others to interpret the nationally important stories of fur trading and later,
42 logging that brought development and prosperity to the central plains states but also left the land
43 in the North Woods forests devastated; and
44
45 WHEREAS, that devastation in turn fostered the rise of a conservation ethic led by,
46 among others, Gaylord Nelson, who grew up in the St. Croix watershed region and went on to
47 found Earth Day, inspiring millions of people around the world to become good stewards of the
48 land; and
49
50 WHEREAS, designation as a national heritage area would help conservationists
51 showcase forestry and agricultural practices now operating in the region that are national models
52 for sustainable resource management; and
53
54 WHEREAS, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the watershed's existing national
55 park, established when the St. Croix River, along with its major tributary the Namekagon River,
56 was designated as one of the nation's first congressionally recognized wild and scenic rivers in
57 1968, would gain greater recognition for its natural beauty and plentiful recreational resources if
58 the area is designated; and
59
60 WHEREAS, the proposed legislation recognizing the scenic and historic significance of
61 the St. Croix river watershed would bolster the local economy by bringing more paddlers, hikers,
62 campers, ice climbers and generally curious tourists to the region; and
63
64 WHEREAS, designation as a national heritage area would create opportunities for
65 communities and residents to work together across traditional boundaries and build a sustainable
66 regional economy using our cultural and natural heritage as a foundation; and
67
68 WHEREAS, designation as a national heritage area would not only increase the St.
69 Croix watershed region's competitiveness in seeking grants, donations and sponsorships to
70 conserve and promote the area but also bring a new sense of regional identity and deserved pride
71 to people living in the area.
72
73 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the St. Croix County Board of
74 Supervisors supports the Congressional designation of the North Woods and Waters of the St.
75 Croix National Heritage Area in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Legal-Fiscal-Administrative Approvals:
Legal Note:
Fiscal Impact: no fiscal impact
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cott ,Cox,Corlporation Co&W 1 /27/2019 K �i�ar Cou A it tr4r r 12/27/2019
11/21/19 Adopted
11/21/19 Community Development Committee APPROVED
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] Next: 1/7/2020 8:00 AM
MOVER: Ed Schachtner, Supervisor
SECONDER: Judy Achterhof, Vice Chair
AYES: Ed Schachtner, Daniel Hansen, Judy Achterhof, Dick Hesselink
ABSENT: District 13
EXCUSED: Tom Coulter
Vote Confirmation.
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p56 Hansen CommuityD6 nvelopment,Chairman 1112212019
St. Croix County Board of Supervisors Action:
Roll Call -Vote Requirement— Majority of Supervisors Present
......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .........
RESULT: ADOPTED [12 TO 3]
MOVER: Dave Ostness, Vice Chair
SECONDER: Daniel Hansen, Supervisor
AYES: Schachtner, Sjoberg, Malick, Moothedan, Fosterling, Ostness, Larson, Hansen,
Tellijohn, Peterson, Achterhof, Hable
NAYS: Jim Endle, Tom Coulter, William Peavey
ABSENT: Lynda Miller, Bob Feidler, District 13, Paulette Anderson
This Resolution was Adopted by the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors on January 7, 2020
Cindy Campbell, County Clerk
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Map 8:Proposed boundary for the North Woods and Waters of the St.Croix National Heritage Area.
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North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix � Feasibility Study
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