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MINNESOTA COURT OF APPEALS: Reverses water appropriation permits ruling PAGE 2
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has opened a 30-day public comment period on the Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area Environmental Assessment. This is a federally required assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act. It evaluates the environmental impacts of the potential federal action of applying a Land and Water Conservation Fund encumbrance to 455.55 acres of the area. An encumbrance is created when federal funding is used to purchase or improve land for public outdoor recreation. The encumbrance specifies that the land be managed for outdoor recreation in perpetuity; however, federal law allows the encumbrance to be moved from one location to another if certain conditions are met. The process of moving an encumbrance is known as a conversion. The DNR is asking the National Park Service to place the encumbrance that was removed from land at the former Upper Sioux Agency State Park in Yellow Medicine County onto a portion of Keystone Woods. This conversion was necessitated by the ownership transfer of the former state park land to the Upper Sioux Community. As a result of the ownership transfer, that land no longer provides public outdoor recreation, and the encumbrance must be placed on other land of equal or greater market value that will be used for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity. The environmental assessment reviews the proposed placement of an encumbrance on Keystone Woods, with associated construction of gravel parking lots to support public outdoor recreation. The environmental assessment solely addresses the conversion triggered by the ownership transfer of Upper Sioux Agency State Park. It does not address the management of Keystone Woods or efforts to provide new and expanded recreational opportunities in the Upper Minnesota River Valley, each of which are separate DNR efforts. The DNR is taking comments on the environmental assessment through Friday, Aug. 23, at 5 p.m. Mail-in comments must be postmarked on or before Aug. 23, 2025. Comments can be submitted to Sarah Wennerberg, DNR Parks and Trails Division, by: • Email to sarah.wennerberg@state.mn.us; please put “LWCF on Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area” in the email subject line • Calling 651-259-5579 • Mailing Sarah Wennerberg, Parks and Trails Division, Minnesota DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155 The environmental assessment can be found online at files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/environmentalreview/keystone-woods/keystone-lwcf-ea.pdf. Department of Natural Resources
SDSU graduate helps Dakota Prarie become certified kindness school In a world that can feel divided, South Dakota State University School (SDSU) of Communication and Journalism graduate Annika Hanson chose to focus on what brings people together. Her master’s project, rooted in empathy and connection, helped Dakota Prairie Elementary School in Brookings earn the title of Certified Kindness School, a first for the community. The Hugo native earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication studies with minors in human development and family studies and health communication in 2023
and her Master of Arts in communication and media studies in 2025, both from SDSU, and was a substitute teacher the past two years, which influenced her project. She decided to make an impact by collaborating with the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to complete a kindness challenge. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a nonprofit aiming to inspire and empower individuals, businesses, schools and communities to spread kindness. SEE COLLEGE GRAD, PAGE 11
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Blue Heron Days Blue Heron Days is set to kick off Thursday, Aug. 14, and run through Sunday, Aug. 17, in Lino Lakes. The weekend-long celebration will feature food trucks and a fun festival, parade, the Waldoch Farm corn feed and other activities. See pages 8 & 9 for more information.
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South Dakota State University graduate Annika Hanson shows off the coffee sleeves that elementary students decorated with messages of kindness as part of her master’s degree project.
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Comment period open for Keystone Woods