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Community
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tri-Countv News • Kimb. MN
Traffic signal and lighting installations begin in Crow Wing, Stearns, Todd, Wright counties
• Motorists may encounter inter-
mittent lane closures at the inter-
section of Highway 25 and Wright
County Road 138 in Buffalo begin-
ning Thursday, April 15, while crews
install new traffic signals. The work
should take approximately three
weeks to complete.
:NOUNG
LENDSn
Thursday, April 22, crews will
begin installing new signals at the
intersection of Highway 10 and 210
in Morley. This work is expected to
be completed by mid-May.
Lighting installations are sched-
uled concurrently for various loca-
tions on Highway 371 in Crow
Wing County, Highway 25 in Wright
County, Highway 23 in Stearns
County and Highway 55 in Wright
County. This work is expected to be
completed by early June. Lighting
intersections at night in rural areas
improves safety by helping motor-
ists see they are approaching an
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intersection, according to the Min-
nesota Department of Transporta-
tion.
Motorists should slow down
and watch for intermittent lanes
closures in areas where crews are
working.
Design Electric Inc. of St. Cloud
is the prime contractor for this
$340,770 safety-improvement proj-
ect.
For updated statewide traffic,
construction, weather and travel
information, visit <www.511mn.
org>.
Additional open burning restrictions
in effect April 12
Because of an increased con-
cern about wildfires across the
state, the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources (DNR) is
tightening restrictions on camp-
fires in 37 Minnesota counties
beginning at 12:01 a.m. April 12.
Counties affected by the new
restrictions are:
Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Bel-
trami, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Chis-
ago, Clearwater, Cook, CrowWing,
Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Isanti,
Itasca, Kanabec, Kittson, Kooch-
iching, Lake, Lake of the Woods,
Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs,
Morrison, Otter Tail, Penning-
ton, Pine, Polk (that portion east
of County Highway 6 and south of
State Highway 92), Pope, Roseau,
Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens,
St. Louis, Todd, and Wadena.
Campfires will not be allowed at
non-designated campsites and other
remote locations. This will impact
shore lunches, dispersed campsites,
day hikes, and backpacking trips.
Campfires are still permitted
in designated fire receptacles at
residences, dwellings, camp-
grounds, and resorts if they are no
larger than 3 feet in diameter and 3
feet in height.
In addition, fireworks will be
prohibited outside municipalities
because of the volatile nature of
these explosives.
Similar restrictions will be in
place on national forest lands in
both the Chippewa and Supe-
rior National forests including the
entire Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness.
Lack of rain after the rapid spring
snowmelt has heightened fire dan-
ger across much of Minnesota. The
restrictions will remain in place
until sufficient precipitation is
received to moderate fire danger. If
normal precipitation is not received
in the near future, additional restric-
tions may be imposed.
For the latest wildfire informa-
tion, visit <www.dnr.state.mn.us/
forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.
html>.
SWCD to host open house
The Stearns County Soil and
Water Conservation District
(SWCD) will be hosting an open
house in celebration of the SWCD's
60th Anniversary and Earth Day
from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, April
22. The open house will be held in
the Atrium of Marketplace Mall,
110 2nd Street South, Waite Park.
The Stearns County SWCD staff
and board will be available to visit
about programs, discuss natural
resource concerns, and showcase
completed conservation projects
in Stearns County. Refreshments
will be served.
The Stearns County SWCD
works with landowners and
groups on many soil and water
conservation projects. Some of the
more popular practices are ani-
mal waste management, lakescap-
ing, shoreline erosion control, lake
management planning, water and
sediment basins, grassed water-
ways, rain gardens, rain barrels
and well-head protection.
The mission of the Stearns
County SWCD is to:
• Address local environmental
concerns by providing technical
and financial assistance to private
landowners and operators.
• Assist schools and organiza-
tions with environmental educa-
tion.
• Collaborate with local state
and federal agencies in protecting
the natural resources.
• Dennis Fuchs, Administrator
of the Stearns County SWCD states,
"SWCDs are local units of govern-
ment that manage and direct nat-
ural resource management pro-
grams at the local level. SWCDs
work with private landowners in
both urban and rural settings to
protect our natural resouces."
The Stearns County SWCD
can be reached at (320) 251-7800,
Extension 3. Feel free to visit the
Stearns County SWCD Web site at
<www.stearnscountyswcd.net>.
All programs and services of
the Stearns County Soil and Water
Conservation are available with-
out regard to race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disabil-
ity, political beliefs, and marital or
familial status.
