Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds, that are funded by offshore oil and gas leases may be cut as much as 80 percent from $350 million to about $58 million for the year 2011.
LaWCON funds are used to assist states, counties and municipalities in the development of parks and outdoor recreation. LaWCON funds must be matched with 50 percent local funding for all projects. In some cases the Department of Natural Resources provided the 50 percent matching.
LaWCON funds responsible for the creation of the Aitkin County Park Commission.
About 50 years ago the county board created the county park commission with the anticipation that federal funds would be provided for the development of camp grounds along the Mississippi River. As the result three campgrounds at Jacobson, Palisade and Aitkin were developed along the Mississippi River. Before that time there was not a single boat access along the 90 mile stretch of the Mississippi River. The Snake River Campground in the SOUTHWEST portion of the county was also developed using LaWCON funding and is now a popular campground for ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE campers.
The first chairman of the county Park Commission, Jim Marcum, a state game warden, had the idea of developing the Long Lake Conservation Center with minimum park funds of only $6,000 per year. The center is now a year around operation . Without LAWCON funding the park commission would have never been created or the Long Lake Conservation Center.
First and only LaWCON funded snowmobile trail.
Two years before state funds became available for snowmobile trail development on county lands, the park commission applied for LaWCON funds to build the Brown Lake snowmobile shelter and a 60 mile snowmobile loop starting at Blind Lake.
It took the Department of Natural Resources over one year to prepare an environmental statement for the project. The shelter was built on Brown Lake several years before lake shore zoning was adopted.
The area became so popular for snowmobiles that a private parking area was developed with the construction of the Blind Inn where snowmobilers could unload their machines and have a beer or lunch. A few years later when connecting snowmobile trails were built, the Blind Inn closed. There was a similar restaurant in Hubbard County that became a destination point for snowmobilers. The Brown Lake shelter was a popular stopping stop as a guest register indicated that snowmobilers were from all over the state and other states. When state funds became available it was much simpler to apply for state funds rather than going through the LaWCON route.
Lake shore zoning
When the lake shore zoning was adopted, the zoning commission wanted the Parks department to tear down the Brown Lake Shelter as it did not meet lake shore standards. It would mean that LaWCON funds used to build the shelter would have to returned to the state and federal government.
The shelter could not be seen from the lake but it was a few feet short of the 100 foot set back from the lake. At a zoning commission meeting I had to convince the members that it wasn't in the best interest of the county to destroy the shelter. The committee then dropped their demands.
It is interesting in 1980 the land department gave up snowmobile grooming and gave the trails to local snowmobile clubs. The shelter was burned to the ground by disgruntled deer hunters competing for the use of the shelter on a first come basis. The local Aitkin snowmobile club rebuilt the shelter. No problems with the zoning committee in rebuilding on the same spot.
Blue Lake project
The DNR administrator of federal LaWCON funding once called me stating that they almost had an unlimited amount of federal funds and wanted to know if we possibly had any other park projects.
I got to thinking of the 40 acre wilderness Blue Lake that was undeveloped. A relative of my wife owned most of the land and wanted to sell the property. We had a ski trail going around the spring fed lake and federal and state funds would pay 90 percent of the $300,000 estimated cost.
Some members of the park board met with the owner requesting a one year option to purchase the property. She would not sign a one year option so the project was never presented to the county board. It was doubtful that the county board would approve the purchase as the Parks only received about $7,000 per year, far short of the $30,000 needed for the purchase.
In retrospect it was probably a good thing that the county did not purchase the property. The lake now has 200 foot lots with many homes at least 150 foot back from the lake.
It still retains some of the wilderness aspects. The lake is stocked with trout and a walk in access is provided for fishermen.
Ridlington was a forester in Aitkin County from 1957 to 1980 and district forester in Park Rapids for seven years.
