Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department (2023)

Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department

(SPRING)

Special points of interest:

B

Naomi Tillison, MNRD Director - director@badriver-nsn.gov

~MISSION STATEMENT~

Mashkiiziibii Natural

Resources Dep ar t ment

72682 Maple Street

PO Box 39

Odanah, WI, 54806

Phone: 715-685-7840 - 715-682-7123

Fax: 715-682-7118

Email: NRDOutreach@badriver-nsn.gov

The Department strives for resource management which both conserves the natural resources for the future generations and provide

for the needs of the present. The departments

existence reflects the importance the Bad River

Tribe places on its right and ability to exercise

sovereignty, self-determination and selfregulation in the area of natural resource

management.

Were on the Web!

Visit www.badriver-nsn.gov

oozhoo, this edition of

our quarterly newsletter focuses on our accomplishments from 2020-2022. Although there have been multiple challenges over the last

couple of years (e.g., changes

in how we communicate and

function, changes in staffing)

we’re proud of what we accomplished, which would not

be possible without our devoted employees and good teamwork within Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department

(MNRD), throughout the organization, and with funders

and other partners; miigwech

to all who have helped!

We continued implementing

our Indigenous Arts and

Sciences (IAS) Program in

collaboration with the Education Department. Miigwech to Stephanie Julian

for leading our efforts to

adapt our 5-week summer

youth program to keep everyone safe. We also initiated a community research

project to focus part of the

youth program on our plant

relatives and collaborated

with partners to engage educators in how to bring IAS

into their classrooms.

In addition to the great content

in the pages to come, I want to

highlight a few other achievements. In April 2020, MNRD

turned 35, and although we

weren’t able to celebrate in

person, we were happy to

reach this milestone and grateful for Erv Soulier, former

Director. Since 2020, we’ve

created eleven (11) new fulltime positions, building our

capacity in Land, Manoomin,

Non-Local Beings, THPO,

Water, and Wildlife Programs.

We’ve secured Great Lakes

Restoration Initiative funding to purchase land back

within the Reservation to

protect water and critical

habitat. Parcels were primarily within the Conservation and/or Watershed Protection Areas described in

the Band’s Intergrated Resources Management Plan

(IRMP), and includes, but is

not limited to, 120 acres

near the confluence of the

Potato and Bad Rivers, hundreds of acres in the Graveyard Creek area, and over

400 acres in the Upper Bad

River Falls and on Cameron’s Creek (Miigwech to

THPO for contributing to

this purchase!), and the

Band is now utilizing this

area for traditional cultural

practices.

Our Hatchery remained operational and over the last couple

of years, raised millions of

walleye fry and fingerlings

and yellow perch fry and fingerlings, and released them

into local waterways to support the Lake Superior fisheries.

• Heartfelt Condolences to Couture Family

We’ve released an interactive

webmap that displays layers,

such as the wild rice waters,

and other high-quality waters

designated under the Band’s

Water Quality Standards:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/

View/index.html?

appid=6f44c371217e4ee8b5f1c2

c705c7c7c5

We also kept implementing

our project review process and

initiated online software to try

to improve the process for all.

Although our project review

process is not always everyone’s favorite part about

MRND, it’s critical to ensure

impacts to our waters and other natural resources are avoided and minimized.

Although we are proud of

what we accomplished, we

recognize there’s more work

to do and opportunities to continue to learn and improve our

services to the community.

Your input is needed to help

us update the IRMP and better

protect and restore the natural

resources for the current and

future generations; please see

the last page for more details.

We also hope to see you at the

MNRD Open House on Thursday, 3/30 from 10 am to 6 pm

at the Bad River Casino and

Convention Center. Miigwech.

• New Water Resource Specialist

Introduction

• New Indigenous Arts & Sciences

Coordinator Introduction

• Updated Earth Day Celebration

Flier

• Program Updates

Inside this issue:

Air Program

Accomplishments

2

Environmental Program

Accomplishments

3

Brownsfield Program

Accomplishments

4

Forestry Program

Accomplishments

5

Renewable Energy

Highlights of 2022

6

Non Local Beings Program 7

Accomplishments

Condolences to Couture

Family

8

Wildlife Department

Accomplishments

9

Program Updates

10

Introductions

11

IRMP Survey & Updated

Earth Day Flier

12

Page 2

COMMON GROUND

H

Nathan Kilger, Air Quality Specialist - air@badriver-nsn.gov

T

he Mashkiiziibii Natural

Resource Department’s

Air Quality Program has

a clear contender for the top story

since 2020 for the biggest project

worth talking about, but it has

some big names and a couple acronyms.

The National

Atmospheric

Deposition

Program

(NADP) is a

large grouping

of several

monitoring

networks

Figure 2 Air Quality Specialist at the new

NADP site

across the

United States and Canada. One

network under NADP is what

people think of as acid rain monitoring. Another is mercury deposition from the atmosphere. The

acid rain network is more than

just acid rain and is called the

National Trends Network (NTN),

the mercury network is called the

Mercury Deposition Network

(MDN).

A MDN monitoring site has been

at the mouth of the Bois Brule

River since 1996, providing a

very long-term trend as the only

site in the Lake Superior Watershed. In 2022, the Grand Portage

Band started

a MDN site

and will provide a second

site in the

Watershed.

NTN sampling was

added to the

Figure 3 Air Table at 2022 Lake

Superior Days Celebration

mouth of the Bois Brule

River a bit later.

River’s ambient monitoring

of fine particle pollution,

twenty years! Twenty years

The Bois Brule River site

ago in 2003, Bad River

has been extremely imstarted fine particle polluportant because it’s been in

tion monitoring in Odanah

place almost 30 years and

and that length of time

it’s the only site in the

shows trends and values in

Lake Superior watershed

with that long of a record. Figure 4 Air Monitoring Site that relation to the National

For those reasons, the pro- was established in 2003 in Odanah Ambient Air Quality Standards. With twenty years of

posal of closing the Bois Brule Rivdata, our data shows extremely low

er site prompted the Mashkiiziibii

levels of fine particulate pollution

Natural Resource Department’s Air

generally, but we do see periods of

Quality Program to work with a

wildfire smoke and increased

group of local agencies and tribes to

woodsmoke in the winter that bring

find a way to continue the operation

those values higher than usual.

of a mercury monitoring site in the

Lake Superior watershed.

As an alternative to simply closing

the site at the mouth of the Bois

Brule, it was moved to

Chequamegon Bay, and is currently

being operated by the Bad River

Mashkiiziibii Natural Resource Department staff to continue the vital

mission of the site in the Lake Superior Watershed.

In addition to sampling such as

mercury and acid rain, this NADP

monitoring site is also a test site for

sampling PFAS (per- and

polyfluoroalkyl substances) from

precipitation. PFAS testing in the

environment is still in the early

stages, but this

is one site in

Wisconsin that

is being used

to investigate

PFAS further.

2023 also

marks a milestone in Bad

Page 11

Figure 1 Air Quality Specialist checking the acid

rain and PFAS samples

A quick run-through of other monitoring milestones shows nineteen

years of ground-level ozone data in

Odanah, eleven years of monitoring

mercury in tree leaves, and five

years of collecting ambient ammonia samples. Each of these pollutants are of concern for different

reasons, there are reasons for both

short-term and long-term monitoring.

Some of the other work routinely

completed by the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resource Department’s Air

Quality Program includes modeling

prescribed fire smoke when notified

of nearby prescribed fire by state

and federal agencies, representing

the Band at state, federal, and tribal

forums and associations, and much

time has been spent supporting and

pushing along the Bad River Band’s

renewable energy Strategic Energy

Plan to further energy resiliency

and sovereignty on the Bad River

Reservation.

ello, my name is Chris McNerney, I am the new Water Resources

Program Manager at MNRD. I am originally from Green Bay, WI and

graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. I have researched endangered and invasive fish populations as a Fisheries Biologist with Colorado State University, provided technical expertise on

water quality monitoring as a Technical Consultant with Hach Company, and conducted scientific research on water issues in the Great

Lakes region at Northland College with the Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation. My family and I have lived in Northern Wisconsin

since 2012. My interests outside of my professional career are centered

around my family and the outdoors. We enjoy the waters of Lake Superior and its tributaries, gardening, mountain biking, soccer, hiking,

camping, fishing, skiing & snowboarding, and photography.

B

I am truly honored and privileged to be part of the MNRD. I am

excited to be in this position and look forward to serving the

community and protecting the natural resources throughout the

Bad River Reservation.

wqs@badriver-nsn.gov

715 685-7840 ext. 1566

Miigwech,

Chris McNerney

oozhoo! My name is Nathanael David Secor

and I am happy to be joining Mashkiiziibii’s

Education & Natural Resource Dept as Indige-

nous Arts and Sciences (IAS) Coordinator. I grew up in

Illinois in that endless swath known as “Chicagoland” but

have always felt most at home in the woods near water and

in the garden. I studied Fine Arts and Environmental Studies at Northland College, graduating with a BA in 2004.

During this period, I was lucky enough to intern with

GLIFWC as Manoomin Intern where I fell in love with

manoomin. After graduating, I worked as an AmeriCorps

VISTA in Bad River for the Gitigaaning Restoration Project under Becky Lemieux and Luis Salas.

Much of my work history as an adult has been working in

the natural resource and traditional food systems fields as

well as working with youth. In 2014-15 I was blessed to

serve the Ashland School district as Nutrition Educator for

two years where I started a sugarbush in the school forest,

grew produce for the school lunch program with the kids in

the school garden, and generally had a blast with the kids.

From 2016-2018 I also worked for the Red Cliff Tribe as

Farm Manager/Food Systems Coordinator. During this

tenure, I helped establish a weekly produce box program

(CSA) from produce grown at

Mino Bimaadiziiwin Farm,

wrote grants for a tribal sugarbush as well as a restoration

project, and maintained the

high tunnels, fields, livestock,

and orchard at the farm.

When I’m not working, I love to cook from scratch, forage for

food and medicines, garden, read, hang out with my wife Liz and

baby Gareth, run with the dog, canoe, bike, and tromp through

the woods.

I have high hopes for the IAS program and am excited to get to

know the youth that we’ll be working with! We’ll be tapping

trees up on Birch Hill this March, so keep an eye out for that as

well as the applications for our summer youth program which

will be out in April. We collaborated on a winter storytelling

event this month, some other upcoming programs that we’ll be

organizing/collaborating on include a hide tanning workshop,

and supporting youth harvest camps. If you have any ideas or

suggestions for me, I’d love to chat with you! I can be reached at

ias@badriver-nsn.gov and 715-682-7111 ext 1535.

Page 10

COMMON GROUND

Dan Powless Sr., Manoomin Oshkaabewis - Manoomin@badriver-nsn.gov

I

n the recent past, the Kakagon Headwaters and adjacent areas underwent extreme water level fluctuations that have ranged from drought-like to excessive flooding. Habitat changes from this have reduced

the production of manoomin substantially to the point of

being out competed by native competitors and invasives.

These same conditions have made their way into the rich

wild rice beds of the Kakagon Sloughs and other areas as

well.

The Tribe has been awarded GLRI FY22 funding to conduct a feasibility study focused on determining the benefits and impacts of restoring the Kakagon River Headwaters in the Old Odanah region on down towards the

hatchery. Specifically, we will look at whether current

land use ( historical and present) would allow for the

restoration of ecological benefits and increase in the

resiliency of manoomin, through

support of community engagement

and education. The study will provide field assessments to acquire

baseline data that will accommodate

restoration planning efforts that considers climate change effects. It will

also take Traditional Ecological

Knowledge and other cultural connections into consideration.

Manoomin Oshkaabewis

Page 3

Jessica Strand, Environmental Specialist - environmental@badriver-nsn.gov

2021 Virtual MNRD Open House

Despite the pandemic’s impact on inperson events, the MNRD was still able to

host of biennial Open House event virtually. Fourteen virtual sessions were host-

ed weekly from the end of February to

mid-April in 2021 across a range of topics. Over the course of those fourteen

sessions we recorded 187 participants with many

people logging in

or calling in for

more than one

Mark Arbuckle; Water Resource Technician - wrTech@badriver-nsn.gov

A

mazing how time flies! As of one year to date (3-14-2022),

I’ve been a part of the water team here at MNRD and talk

about a whirlwind of a year. Anticipating ice out to find myself

with the hatchery crew setting/checking nets for the annual

spawn. After eight weeks with the hatchery, I jumped into my

first field season of Surface Water/ Wetland sampling, which

believe me is a challenge in its own combatting the elements,

typically flies and mosquitoes, maybe equipment issues, just to

find myself dancing with the October/November waves trying

to get good data and samples to close out the season. During

the down time of winter I found myself dealing with the analytical side of the job and what we do with all our data. Not to

This preliminary Phase 1 monitoring

work has helped shape a Phase 2

project to refine additional data collection on streams and rivers where elevated parameters were detected to improve the dataset and hopefully lead to

identifying sites of concern for future

partnership projects focused on reducing

NPS pollution. The Phase 2 project has

also been funded from BIA using Great

Lakes Restoration Initiative

hosted a youth

mention filling in the gaps

with occasional snow

shoeing and field maintenance. The first three

months of this 2023 year, I

find myself trying to get

through work related certifications and doing my

first winter sampling season in anticipation of the next ice out.

monitoring

same time, receiv-

should hopefully

ing a handful of

commence this

submissions from drawings from the

field season.

younger kids to essays from the older

Overall, while

youth. If you are interested in seeing the

presentations given and the youth entries,

scroll towards the bottom of our Environ-

environmental/ .

there were some

elevated levels of NPS detected in the

watershed during the Phase 1 monitoring, comparatively the levels overall

were indicative of a healthy watershed.

MNRD hopes to work with partners to

help address potential sources of pollu-

Taylor Parker-Greene, Wildlife Specialist - wildlife@badriver-nsn.gov

jects, information on Snapshot

Wisconsin and CWD, real animal furs and paws, and lots of

fun activities for the kids!

funding and

activity at the

www.badriver-nsn.gov/natural-resources/

he Wildlife Program has been working hard this winter

season! We have been out tracking on foot, putting out

camera traps and reviewing photos, and participating the Wisconsin Carnivore Tracking Program. So far, we’ve tracked

wolves, coyote, fox, otter, mink, and bobcat. If you ’re interested

in joining us on a tracking day or participating in the Wisconsin

Carnivore Tacking Program yourself, contact the Mashkiiziibii

Wildlife Specialist at wildlife@badriver-nsn.gov or (715) 2929443. Come join us at the Open House on March 30th from

10am-6pm where we will have info and updates on current pro-

its confluence with the Bad River.

session. We also

mental Program webpage at http://

T

the watershed from its headwaters to

Potato River Watershed Monitoring

tion to improve and maintain surface

– Phase 1

water quality.

Potato River Watershed focused on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to better

understand the levels of pollution across

that were addressed or continue to

be addressed include the exposure

of the pipeline at “Slope 18” within

an unnamed tributary to Denomie

Creek (shown above), remediation

of the helicopter crash site just north

of the Line 5 corridor near the

Denomie Creek Tributary area, and

the imminentthreat of the pipeline at

the Bad River Meander. Off Reservation issues that MNRD has been

putting many hours in reviewing

and commenting on is the proposed

Line 5 Reroute within the watershed

around the Reservation. Staff have

been busy reviewing hundreds of

documents, completing field work,

attending technical meetings, and

completing comments to state and

federal entities on the proposed pro-

ject. Additional work on Enbridge

Line 5 is ongoing. If you would like

to see more details of some of the

work MNRD has on Line 5, visit

The MNRD completed a preliminary water quality monitoring assessment in the

Reservation. On Reservation issues

Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline Work

The MNRD has continued our work addressing Enbridge Line 5 on and off the

our webpage at http://www.badriver

-nsn.gov/natural-resources/threats/.

Page 4

COMMON GROUND

Page 9

Wildlife Department Accomplishments 2020 -2022

Andrew J. Spychalla, Brownfields Specialist– Brownfields@badriver-nsn.gov

T

he Brownfield Program,

alongside others in the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources

Department (MNRD) focused on tasks

a little differently beginning in 2020.

While the approach may have shifted,

the tasks that required attention were

still given time and effort; and a varied

workplace allowed the opportunity to

complete other tasks that may have

gone overlooked before.

topics.

As “stay safe” became common parlance during the last few years, the

Brownfield Program and MNRD emphasized that safety was important in

certain facets of the workplace, too. In

May of 2021, the program setup a virtual emergency response training activity that was led by the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA). This training Figure 2 MNRD Flood response tabletop exercise.

The Brownfield Program maintained a

was the first of two parts, and 28 staff

record of

Few Tribes have gotten involved in the

from many of Bad River’s departments

known

sampling of these chemicals at such an

attended. In April of 2022, MNRD fol‘brownfield

early stage. More monitoring and samlowed up with an in-person tabletop

sites’ - whethpling of PFAS will be done in 2023.

activity that was specific to the departer they be

There is always a need to clean up or

ment’s role in responding to a hypofrom spills,

fix something back to the way it was.

thetical flood. This exercise was

accidents,

There will also be a plan in place to do

planned by the MNRD Air Program –

prior use, or

so. Whether it

staff who were around during the flood

otherwise is updating the

Figure 3 No spills allowed!

of 2016 - and Brownfield Program.

that are in

Band’s preThis internal exercise included most of

various stages of monitoring or remedidisaster mitigathe MNRD staff, who learned a bit

ation. The old fire hall, where an undertion plan, creatmore about the roles and responsibiliground storage tank was ruptured in

ing more conties of the department during emergen2016, was previously cleaned up, and

tacts with partcy events. The next training of this kind

that property now houses a new public

ners and other

is

currently

being

developed.

safety building. The site of the old J&S

Tribes, or conQuik Mart had extensive sampling acOver the past few years personal health

sulting with

tivities completed in 2021, showing the

maintains its spot as a top priority for

community

previous sites of the underground tanks

many people and the Brownfield Promembers on

no longer had high contamination levFigure 4 Cleaning up Mashkiiziibii.

gram made sure that emerging contaminatural reels. This site will have vapor testing

nants, namely PFAS, were addressed

source issues – the program will conand private well sampling done in the

quickly. PFAS are, now in 2023, the

tinue to strive to protect the woods and

near future. The site of the 2018

hot-topic chemicals-of-concern for huwater that are held so dearly. Because

Enbridge helicopter crash had many

man and environmental health. The

no matter what, there is always the

rounds of soil remediation completed,

program began planning in 2021 for the

chance of an accident, or a spill...or

samples taken, and trees were finally

sampling of these chemicals in the soil

forgetting your SCUBA tank in a river!

re-planted on the site. While the

and groundwaIf you have questions about anythingwork surrounding this site may

ter at three

or-everything relating to natural rebe ongoing, it is moving in the

known ‘sludge

sources, feel free to reach out to

right direction. The program has

sites’ on the

Brownfields@badriver-nsn.gov, or any

increased its knowledge in many

Reservation.

MNRD staff. Miigwech.

different areas of potential conThe results of

tamination, and has attained difthese sampling

ferent certifications, trainings,

efforts came

and reviewed the ever-changing

back in Januliterature on many remediation Figure 1 Helicopter site with plants growing and trees planted. ary of 2023.

Taylor Parker-Greene, Wildlife Specialist - wildlife@badriver-nsn.gov

T

he Mashkiiziibii Natural

Resources Department

(MNRD) Wildlife program has had

many accomplishments throughout

the last two years. We have spent

much of our time outdoors, tracking

and camera monitoring our four residential wolf packs, as well as monitoring mammalian and avian species

within the Kakagon Sloughs. The

Wildlife program continues to conduct howl surveys, which the public is

encouraged to participate in. We have

been gauging the concern and potential impacts of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) nearing the reservation

boundaries, and surveyed 30 hunters

to be able to better address people’s

questions and concerns regarding

CWD and testing protocols.

The Wildlife program continues to

participate in Lake Superior Days and

other major events, as well as the Bad

River Summer Youth Program. We

make it our goal to get the kids excited and engaging with the natural

world and all the critters that come

along with it. We have been tracking

with the youth, as well as homing in

our safety and survival skills by prac-

ticing building fires and shelters with

only the materials you can find in the

woods.

The Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources

Department, in cooperation with multiple partners, have been leaders in the

monitoring and protection of the endangered Piping Plover of Gichigami.

In 2022, two piping plover monitors

were hired to observe and document

any nesting pairs on Chequamegon

Point. Monitors documented six (6)

nests, with 22 total young that made it

to fledging stage. This was the most

successful year for the plovers on

Chequamegon point since MNRD first

started monitoring. We are hopeful that

those numbers will continue to increase in 2023.

Mai’ingan Symposium

January 31- February 2nd, 2020

Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department hosted a 3 Day event the

“Ma’iingan Symposium” at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. The

gathering was the last largest in-person

event hosted by the Tribe before Covid

-19 hit the United States Homefront.

The symposium was prompted to raise

awareness and share the culturally significant importance of Ma’iingan

(Wolf) and Anishinaabeg, as well as

acquaint supporters and scholars. The

symposium was also in response to the

Federal delisting of the wolf from the

Endangered

Species Act, and

the potentials of

the Wisconsin

Wolf hunt of

2021.

The 3 Day event

hosted storytellers, feasts,

informational

tables and

presentations, with a collaboration to

present the Ma’iingan Treaty.

As of 2022, the Wolf has been relisted on the Endangered Species Act,

and the Bad River Reservation maintains a no kill zone within one mile

of the reservation boundaries.

“Stewards of All Creation”

Produced by the Bad River Tribe,

funded in part by the Midwest Environmental Justice Network – Windward Fund, a short video to present

how metallic mining threatens the

Bad River Reservation and surrounding communities. The production

was directed by Kristin Ojaniemi,

supervised by Lucy Koivisto and

Aurora Conley, during Summer 2020

and released November 2020.

A big Chi-Miigwetch (Thank You)

to all that contributed to the video

production: Mashkiziibiing Natural

Resources Department Staff and

Outreach; Planning and Administration Department; The Bad River

Ojibwe Language Trainee program

and our wonderful communityMashkiziibiing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=xJxvBRPcRtk

Page 8

Aurora Conley, Land Records In-take Specialist - landrecords@badriver-nsn.gov

•

•

•

•

•

•

Land Records In-Take Position Development- February 2021-March 2023

 Return from Maternity Leave March 2022- Healthy Baby!

 Expand/Improve File System

 Initiating online application system with Momentum Company

Successfully executed Service Line Agreements

 Electric and Gas

 Individual Sites

 Tribal Sites: Public Safety Building; Fish House.

Process Initiation for 2 ROW Applications

Established rapport with:

 Bureau of Indian Affairs

 ROW Companies; Xcel Energy, Bayfield Electric and TransCanada

 Legal Counsels for ROW applications

Education/Outreach with Summer Youth Program

Presented Land Records Open House Virtual Session

For Job Opportunities within MNRD visit

http://www.badriver-nsn.gov/careers/or SCAN

QR Code to the right.

T

he Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department send our

heartfelt condolences to the family of Ken (Basher) Couture, who passed away on March 9, 2023. Basher worked for the

Tribe for around 45 years. He was a dedicated member of our

Hatchery Crew, who retired in 2018. Basher also served as a member of the Wild Rice Committee for 20 years. He will surely be

missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Page 5

Gena Abramson, Forestry - forester@badriver-nsn.gov

B

oozhoo Mashkiiziibii Anishinaabekaa!

This edition focuses on the accomplishments and achievements of our programs

within the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources

Department. While 2022 was a year filled

with successes for the Forestry Program, many

of those effects won’t be felt until far into the

future. That’s how it is with forestry, though.

Patience is something that is learned. When

you’re waiting for trees to grow, you learn to

be very patient and forward-thinking.

We’ve been thinking a lot about climate

change since what we do now will have more

dramatic impacts as time goes on. We incorporate climate change awareness and mitigation into almost everything we do.

Currently, the 10 Year Forestry Stewardship

Plan is being developed. In this document, we

are planning for the next decade’s worth of

timber management through plantings, seedings, clearings for urban development, regeneration of long-lived species, and stand conversions through aspen removal. We’re calling it the “Mitigoog Gitigaan”, or “Many Tree

Garden” Stewardship Plan. Please come to

the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Open

House on March 30th to find out more!

Additionally, the Bad River Forest / Mitigoog

Gitigaan Silviculture Guidelines are being

developed through the Forestry Program. This

document, too, will have climate change

awareness and impacts incorporated into the

forest treatments in order to provide a more

stable, healthy, and resilient environment

overall. These Silviculture Guidelines express

the values and priorities of the Tribe in the

“prescriptions” so that anyone working on the

Bad River Forest will know how we want to

guide each cover type into being healthier and

more climate change resilient.

Projects that the Bad River Forestry Program

has accomplished have all provided a lot of

the information needed to put these plans together. Without my experience working within the community and in the Bad River Forest,

I wouldn’t have the knowledge to write such

important planning documents. Here are a list

of some of the projects that have helped us

succeed to this point:

•

Working with The Nature Conservancy

and planting of over 100,000 trees (2020

and 2021) (including White pine

(zingwaakwaatig), silver maple

•

•

•

•

•

•

(zingwaakwaatig), silver maple

(zhooniyaaninaatig), hemlock, yellow

birch (wiinizikaatig), white birch

(wiigwaasaatig), cedar (giizhik), and

sugar maple (ziinzibaakwadwaatig or

aninaatig).

2020 - Oversight of the development of

the Continuous Forest Inventory Forest

Inventory Analysis – This document

provided us with much data including

an annual allowable cut for timber

harvest. This data allows us to manage

sustainably for all future generations.

2022 - Oversight of the development of

Forestry Best Management Practices –

This work has included much of the

Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department along with a conservationminded contractor who is doing the

actual writing of this document. A

public comment period will be planned

(2023) prior to us asking the Tribal

Council to approve this document.

Establishing, advertising, contracting,

and administration of the Mack Road

aspen and ash removal timber harvest

(2021-2022). The Tribe sold the dying

aspen and ash to Sappi, North America, and now the stand will have more

room to grow and populate with oak

and red maple. About $11,000 in proceeds were collected by the Tribe.

Establishment and contracting of the

Birch Hill Red Pine Thinning (2021) –

set to begin after September 1st, 2023.

This thinning will allow more airflow and

sunshine into the Birch Hill community.

Those north facing homes will hopefully

get much better signal on their satellite

dishes as well! By thinning, the residual

red pine and plethora of red oak will be

provided with much needed nutrients so

that they can grow and remain healthy.

This is one of the sites included in the 3year Timber Harvest Plan( 2021-2023)

approved by Tribal Council.

Madeline Island Hazard Tree Removal –

Both in 2019 and in 2022, dozens of trees

were safely removed from around the

cabins on Mooningwanekaaning’s northeast shore. Gichi-miigwech, to Evergreen Tree Service for providing excellent service and great results!

Contracting and administration of the

Reservation-wide Trust Lands Stand

Exam (inventory)- 2022 - This project

provided us with the data we needed to

address all of the management needs

on Trust lands. This data is instrumental in helping us to put together the

Mashkiiziibii 10 Year Mitigoog Gitigaan (Forestry) Stewardship Plan

Our lovely “Mitigoog Gitigaan”

is more than just trees. Many

understory plants will be cared

for with our gentle forestry

practices. One of our goals is to

increase gathering opportunities for tribal members for current and future generations.

Love the forest and

she’ll love you back!

Page 6

COMMON GROUND

Page 7

COMMON GROUND

Renewable Energy 2022 Highlights

-Air Quality/Radon Program

Jacob Slattery, Non-local Being Program Manager - nonlocalbeings@badriver-nsn.gov

A

s many community members may have noticed solar has

been installed all over the reservation. Since 2021 the Tribe

has installed over 800 kilowatts (kW) of photovoltaic (PV)

solar and over 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of battery storage on the

reservation. These projects have focused on government buildings

and tribal housing. They have also been financed at little to no cost

by the Tribe and homeowners.

T

Picture shows JOLMA Electric with Tribal members to install solar on Tribal members homes as part of

the FOE Project.

Elderly Apartment Building

The Bad River Housing Authority Elderly Apartment’s also received

a grant from the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF), which fully

funded the 20kW PV system installed at the site. TSAF uses a community-centric approach, as they partner with tribes to identify, develop, finance and implement solar power projects that meet community needs. More information on TSAF can be found at https://

gridalternatives.org/tribal-solar.

Focus On Energy

A majority of the solar in 2022 was installed on 41 Tribal Members

homes that lived within the Reservation boundaries, and that added

up to over 240kW of PV solar.

The 240 kW Project was made possible through the State of Wisconsin’s Focus On Energy Program, which directly funded 80% of project costs for the solar that was placed on or near the 41 tribal members homes.

Focus On Energy is a

Wisconsin based program

that partners with Utilities and contractors to

deliver energy efficiency,

renewable energy products, and expertise directly to Wisconsin residents

and businesses. Both

contractors and Utilities

must be an active participant in the program for

residents and businesses

to qualify for those incentives and rebates, which

also continue to evolve

and change each year.

Focus On Energy and

tribal staff will review the

2023 incentives when

they are posted and plan

to work with homeown-

ers to develop an action plan when incentives fit Tribal needs.

More information on Focus On Energy and incentives can be

found at https://www.focusonenergy.com/.

Anaerobic Digesting and Biogas Feasibility Study

The Tribe has started the process of gathering data around feeder

stock that could feed an anaerobic digestor or biogas project. Projects that look at reducing waste on the multiple landscapes are

being considered with the Bad River Wastewater Treatment Plant,

along with working with local farmers. This project is still in the

process of analyzing the data and a report should be posted by May

of 2023.

Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Microgrid Project

The Bad River Tribe was also awarded a USDOE Grant in 2019

for the Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Microgrid Project and focused

on resiliency after the 2016 Flood and while experiencing lengthy

electrical outages. The Tribe partnered with muGrid Analytics,

Cheqbay Renewables, Madison Solar, and Faith Technologies and

was able to successfully commission the system in May of 2021.

Currently the three systems at the H&WC, WWTP, and the Chief

Blackbird Administration Building primary goal is to provide clean

back-up power for resiliency during outages. Secondary goals were

set for savings and offsets in utility bills. In 2022 the three system

were able to provide over $35,000 in savings. Saving for individual

buildings can be seen in the tables provided.

Greenhouse Gases Eliminated from Energy Projects to Date:

55,840 Gallons of Diesel or 1,149

barrels of oil

549,060 pounds of coal

96 homes electricity use for oneyear

CO2 Sequestered: 8,206 tree seedlings grown for

10 years

he Bakaan Ingoji (Non Local Beings) program has worked through

this Winter on several different projects

like monitoring, control and prevention

of (new) non-local being introductions

and current establishments. We've also

begun to take charge both the ishkode

study work (in consultation with the Manoomin program) and monitoring and

restoration work throughout the reservation. These accomplishments are summarized below as well as the 2022 work

accomplished:

1. Cattail harvester and other procurement – A timeline has been set for the

delivery of the Tribe’s new cattail harvester. The NLBP is also in the process

of purchasing other mission critical

equipment such as a mobile pressure

washer to assist watercraft operators and

Clean Boats Clean Waters (CBCW) inspectors at the boat launches to remove

and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).

2. Ishkode study progress and external

partnerships – The ishkode study has been off to a slow

start, but significant progress is being made. NLBP staff

are working toward completing a comprehensive literature review, outreach materials and public talks about the

benefits and obstacles of reintroducing traditional fire to

the landscape, particularly the wetland areas where manoomin is harvested. A new partnership is being worked

on and coordinated between representatives of Red Cliff,

Fond du Lac, GLIFWC, NIACS and other staff with the

Forest Service in the Northwoods. A more comprehensive timeline and the first draft of a white paper

(preliminary report on the issues, obstacles and focal

points of a complex topic, in this case represent the

views of the author(s) to shape and steer the direction of

the tribe’s Rx fire management plan short-term) are currently being developed.

3. New NLB program grant submittals – Last year

more than $300K in new grant funding was submitted

and awarded to our program. We’re proud to announce

that another $300K in new grant funding for next fiscal

year has also been submitted.

4. Access trail restoration – The NLBP completed a

preliminary report on the impacts and pass-through degradation affecting an access trail off Birch Hill Road in

November. This report is being used as a blueprint for

evaluating other vulnerable and degraded forest roads

and access trails. This will help to prevent the introduc-

tion of invasive plants to disturbed areas, and promote

short-term remediation from impacts of rutting, soil compaction, water and unnatural braiding and expansion of

access trails with high traffic. An example of an access

trail evaluation of impacted areas is provided at MNRD

Open House.

5. Non-local beings accomplishments – apakweshkway

(cattails; 10.67 river miles monitored), purple loosestrife

(33 miles monitored), buckthorn (15 acres monitored and

removed), wild parsnip (24 acres monitored/follow-up and

removed), garlic mustard (NCWMA hand-pulling event,

Mellen, WI; covered ~130 acres), 55 equipment inspections, 31 projects reviewed.

The NLBP and other natural resources departments will

soon be looking to hire NRS Aide positions to assist in the

monitoring and invasive species control efforts, and other

natural resources field work. If you or somebody you

know loves to be outdoors or is looking to start a career in

Natural Resources, please we encourage you to send them

our way! Please stay connected to the “careers” page at

www.badriver-nsn.gov or by email us at nonlocalbeings@badriver-nsn.gov for questions about forthcoming

job announcements.