GRAND RAPIDS — The small U.S. Forest Service research office in Grand Rapids has two major focuses: woods and water.

It makes sense, given its proximity to Minnesota’s Northwoods and the state’s two national forests, the Chippewa and Superior.

In the 65 years since Sen. Hubert Humphrey successfully advocated for funding to build the lab, the office and its scientists have made more of a name for themselves than most people understand.

But the office on the Minnesota North College-Itasca campus is slated to close amid a major reorganization of the Forest Service announced Tuesday, March 31. The agency has shared little other information about what this means moving forward — for the scientists or the research.

Brian Palik was a research forest ecologist in Grand Rapids before he retired in February 2025. In his 30 years at the office, he worked to understand natural forests and how to manage them in a more natural way.

“Between me and about three colleagues across the country, we really spearheaded the development of this whole idea of ecological forestry: what it is and how it works,” he said. “And I can tell you, it’s just ignited like a wildfire nationally and internationally with organizations and agencies and different stewards of forests latching onto these ideas.”

The wetlands research coming out of the office has probably had an even larger impact, Palik said. Early work helped establish how different types of peatlands function, and scientists have continued to make significant discoveries about carbon emissions and capture, mercury and other pollutants, and how climate change will impact forests and wetlands alike.

“The only reason we’ve been able to pull this off — these long-term, large-scale studies that are impacting how people manage wetlands and forests nationally and internationally — is because we’re close to the resource and can develop these partnerships with the different people that actually steward these ecosystems,” Palik said.

“It’s just a short-sighted, just very fickle-feeling decision that is really not serving the history of research there,” said Jessica Gutknecht, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota.

Closure part of nationwide reorganization

Grand Rapids was on a list of research and development facilities to be closed shared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service on Tuesday.

As part of the agency-wide reorganization — which includes moving the headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City — the Forest Service will consolidate leadership of its research division. Rather than five research stations with their own leadership, there will be one research organization based in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“These changes are designed to unify research priorities, accelerate the application of science to management decisions, and reduce administrative duplication,” a news release stated.

The Forest Service declined an interview request Friday.

The research office has sat on the Minnesota North College-Itasca campus since its inception and shares a building with the U.S. Geological Survey. About 10 Forest Service employees work out of the office, and some university researchers also work out of the space.

The building is owned by the federal government on land leased from the University of Minnesota. The U said Friday there is no cost to the lease. It was first signed in 1959 and renewed in 2009 for 49 years.

Minnesota’s other research station facility in St. Paul will remain open. Part of the State, Tribal and Private Forestry division is based there, and the national Forest Inventory and Analysis program — the nation’s “tree census” — is run out of that office.

Ely was also listed as one of the research and development facility locations to be closed. But the only research facility in Ely is the Kawishiwi Experimental Forest, and experimental forests are not believed to be part of the research closures. It is unclear what facility in Ely is meant to be closing.

Loss of world-renowned researchers ‘a tragedy’

Jim Manolis, director of forest strategy and stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota and the Dakotas, said the Grand Rapids office’s research is fundamental to the nonprofit’s work. The Nature Conservancy manages 24,000 acres in Northern Minnesota, and this spring it will plant 3 million trees on land managed by its partners.

“Managing forests is challenging,” he said. “And forests are incredibly valuable for our timber economy, for clean water, for wildlife, for biodiversity. And the research just helps forest managers and ecologists, helps them figure out how to do it.

“It especially is challenging in the light of a changing climate, and there’s been some leading research on that that has given us a lot of ideas on things to try to best manage forests.”

Kawishiwi is one of four experimental forests in Minnesota on the Chippewa and Superior national forests. It is unclear how research in these forests will be impacted by the Grand Rapids office closure, but Palik is unsure how research could continue as it has without local staff.

“University researchers cannot do this. They simply don’t have that ability to pull off that long-term, big-scale, placed-based research like that. And that’s been our strength,” he said.

“ ... Many of them [the projects] require somebody to be working on them every day. Some measurement or some monitoring needs to be done a regular basis. And it can’t be done when you’re three hours away. It would be extremely costly for one thing and logistically difficult.”

Gutknecht agreed. The U of M professor in the Department of Soil, Water and Climate has partnered with researchers in Grand Rapids for more than a decade. Not only is the physical distance a challenge, but university researchers are also juggling teaching and mentoring responsibilities.

“It’s a tragedy. It’s just really devastating because they do excellent research,” she said. “ ... These are people who get invited internationally to present research. We’re talking about people who are globally known that study these really, really important ecosystems.”

It’s a privilege to work with colleagues in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she said, who get to focus on research full time. They lost almost an entire USDA soil research unit during last year’s federal funding cuts, she said.

“The loss of these colleagues has been very deeply felt,” she said. “So, this is just one more blow.”

The human side

The Forest Service said in a statement Friday that the reorganization will occur in phases.

“Employees will receive clear information about relocation timelines, available options, and resources to support their decisions,” the statement read. “The number of relocations beyond those already identified in the National Capital Region is unknown at this time.”

Gutknecht noted researchers often gave tours in the Marcell Experimental Forest, north of Grand Rapids.

“This is probably not appreciated what a loss it is to those local communities who get to experience these ecosystems from leaders who know the most about them,” she said.

Since the Trump administration began making changes to federal agencies in early 2025, she said, researchers have known that more could be coming.

“It’s already been very stressful, uncertain times for those colleagues that it’s already impacted their work,” she said. “Science has just been so under fire by this administration.

Palik is most worried about how this decision will affect his former colleagues.

“The big thing is just the human side of it. Just the uncertainty in their lives and what it means for them in the future,” he said. “I know that these things happen and people deal with this on a regular basis. But when you’ve been a fixture in the community for 65 years, it will be different.”

BEMIDJI — U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar toured Bemidji on Thursday, April 2, to see how storm recovery is coming along and hear from the groups working together to assist the community with the years-long recovery effort.

Clearing the twisted timbers from the June 21, 2025, storm that toppled 9 million trees around Bemidji has been a top concern for Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood.

Despite several inches of snow falling in early April, the tree debris on public and private lands creates a glut of dry fuels, which is especially concerning during the spring wildfire season.

“While the trees have only been gone for months, it's extremely dry,” he said Thursday.

The Conservation Corps conducted a controlled burn outside the Northwest Juvenile Detention Facility, Wednesday through Friday.

Klobuchar met with Conservation Corps members at the site, a group that deployed twice in Bemidji: first in September 2025 for storm recovery work, and again in March through Monday for wildfire mitigation.

“We loved this opportunity to work with partners and be in contact with Serve Minnesota, United Way and [the] Bemidji fire chief, because this is perfect,” said Nalani McCutcheon, the executive director of Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. “This is allowing our members to apply their skills and experiences to serve ... and connect with professionals.”

Nearly 100 Conservation Corps members have been involved in the Bemidji storm recovery effort so far.

“This snow really creates less risk,” Klobuchar said to the Corps members conducting the burns. “A major boon just made for us in the spring.”

Beyond Bemidji’s forested areas, businesses, homeowners and local officials continue to navigate the aftermath of the storm, nearly nine months later.

“There are a few [structures] that have been deemed uninhabitable. There are some other structures that are being taken down, but there are still houses with trees on them, and there are houses that are leaking,” Sherwood said. “Our city staff and county staff are still out there assessing. There's many we just don't know about.”

While Beltrami County qualified for state emergency disaster assistance, where 75% of non-insurable costs for public structure repair could be reimbursed, the county fell short of the threshold for federal assistance to individuals.

“As a city, pretty close to $9 million in damage. A lot of that covered by insurance, but certainly not all of it," Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince said. “That's before you get to the damage that was done to our private businesses and residents, and so many of those folks are still working on recovery.”

Members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe qualified for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. The western portion of the reservation was heavily impacted by the same storm.

Following the tour, Klobuchar presented the National Association of Broadcasters’ Crystal Award to the staff of KBHP-FM in Bemidji. The Hubbard Broadcasting-owned country radio station, KB101, was recognized for its public service work in the aftermath of the storm. The station has now received seven such awards in its 54-year history, an NAB record.

Winter storm warnings are in effect with another 8 to 13 inches of snow in the forecast for some Northern Minnesotans as a second round begins Friday night, April 3, through Saturday.

Moderate to heavy snow rates will bring travel disruptions, especially Saturday morning, and winds will be the strongest on Saturday. Gale warnings are in effect near Lake Superior. But even with stronger winds, the wet, heavy nature of the snow will prevent much blowing and drifting, the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, North Dakota, reported.

Their Duluth counterparts added a third round of winter weather to the forecast, with a clipper system expected to develop late Sunday into Monday. The snow will likely stick around for at least a few days, with temperatures near zero possible Monday night in the extreme north. Temps head back into melting territory Tuesday into Wednesday, with 50s in the forecast for some.

Take heart: the snowfall totals will likely end up on the lower end of the range, said Bryan Howell, Duluth weather service meteorologist.

“We're going to see the higher snowfall amounts during the overnight hours, and as we head into the daytime hours [Saturday], even though we're cloudy, the sun angle is stronger,” Howell said during a weather briefing Friday morning.

“So that's going to help melt some of that snow as it falls during the daytime. And with it being a heavy wet snow, there's gonna be a lot more compaction. So even though we've got these 8- to 12-inch ranges, there is probably going to be closer to maybe the lower end of that, because of all the compaction and melting that's going to be going on.”

In the southern areas of the forecast range, near the Brainerd lakes area and Mille Lacs Lake, freezing rain is expected at the start of the system with a change over to snow Saturday afternoon as colder air starts to move into the region.

A sharp snowfall gradient is expected within that area because of the mixed precipitation, northward through Duluth and between the Iron Range and North Shore. Brainerd, Aitkin, Duluth and Two Harbors all fall generally within the 4-inch to 8-inch range of expected snowfall.

Northwestern Wisconsin along the Minnesota border could experience what Howell described as a “significant icing event,” leading to potential power impacts and tree damage.

“This still can change and ice accumulations can change. It's going to depend on the precise storm track and what our surface temperatures end up being,” he said. “This is one of those cases where a degree or two is going to make a lot of difference.”

The storm is expected to taper off in the northeast by about 6 p.m. Saturday, with a couple of lighter snow showers lingering through Sunday morning. The third-round system will likely move in about 6 p.m. Sunday, with some rain chances and some snow lingering through much of the day Monday.

But the Duluth office said there is the potential for snow squalls as part of the third event — particularly where Cass, Crow Wing and Aitkin counties meet, and across Lake County and northern St. Louis County.

Snow squalls are quick, intense bursts of snow accompanied by strong, gusty winds. They normally occur during the day and are short-lived, but they can rapidly reduce visibility and create treacherous travel conditions.

Snow squall warnings are usually 30-60 minutes in length and are issued for small areas, similar to a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning.

THIEF RIVER FALLS — The Minnesota Farmers Union is sponsoring two People's Town Halls in Northern Minnesota, Wednesday and Thursday, April 8-9.

The first is 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Heritage Community Center in Thief River Falls, and the second is noon-1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Blandin Foundation in Grand Rapids.

The events are free and open to the public, regardless of whether you are a farmers union member.

The town halls are meant to be an opportunity for community members to share how they want elected officials to act to strengthen family farms, build vibrant communities, improve health care and give everyone opportunities to thrive.

“Across the state, Minnesotans are coping with challenges and managing uncertainty. Grocery prices keep rising while the prices paid to farmers are stagnant or falling, and some farmers are struggling to get financing to plant a crop this spring," said Gary Wertish, Minnesota Farmers Union president, in a news release.

"Health care premiums jumped again in the new year, forcing some people to go without health insurance because they can’t afford to pay the premium. At the same time, it’s getting harder just to access healthcare with clinic closures happening across the state. And now some families are afraid to leave their home to go to work or even school."

Pre-registration for the events is requested.

GRAND RAPIDS — The U.S. Forest Service’s Grand Rapids research office on the Minnesota North College-Itasca campus is slated to close amid a major reorganization of the agency announced Tuesday, March 31.

The facility is one of 47 research and development facilities that the Forest Service said will close. Minnesota’s other research station facility in St. Paul will remain open.

As part of the overhaul, the agency will move its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City and transitioning from its current regional organizational model to a state-based model. A news release from the Forest Service said the shift is "a common-sense approach to improve mission delivery."

"This is about building a Forest Service that is nimble, efficient, effective and closer to the forests and communities it serves," said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz in the release. "Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital. Through this transition, we will strengthen our connection to the forests and the people who depend on them, while supporting our employees and honoring the dedication that has always defined our service."

Ely was also listed as one of the research and development facility locations to be closed. But the only research facility in Ely is the Kawishiwi Experimental Forest, and experimental forests are not believed to be part of the research closures. It is unclear what facility in Ely is meant to be closing.

A request for additional details from the Forest Service was not returned as of Thursday evening.

Kawishiwi is one of four experimental forests in Minnesota on the Chippewa and Superior national forests. It is unclear how research in these forests will be impacted by the Grand Rapids office closure.

Research conducted in Northern Minnesota facilities has been key to scientific understanding of peatland ecosystems, environmental mercury pollution and managing red pine forests.

Few details about the impacts of the Forest Service's reorganization at large were available as of Thursday.

The Forest Service said the national fire response coordination system, which includes the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids, will not be impacted by the reorganization.

A spokesperson said in a statement Thursday the announcement includes no changes to forest or district offices or their staffing.

"The Superior and Chippewa National Forests are committed to ensuring that all operations — including wildfire readiness and response — continue without interruption," the statement read.

KETTLE RIVER — Minnesota's rural ambulance providers remain passionate about their mission but still hope for light at the end of the tunnel regarding funding woes, and the recognition of one staffer's efforts illustrates the balancing act.

The Legislature has several bills on the table to enhance aid for rural emergency medical service teams. Lawmakers leading support efforts say rural EMS crews often cover long distances while operating on tighter budgets, putting added pressure on recruiting and retaining staff. The state approved $30 million in funding in 2024, but advocates said more sustainable models are needed.

Jennifer Johnson, an emergency medical responder for the Kettle River Fire Department and treasurer of the Carlton County EMS Council, said despite any hardships, she and her colleagues know they have to always be ready.

"We have to be the people that are leaned on," Johnson acknowledged. "We have to provide that support not only to our patient but also to their families. The community does expect us to show up when they call 911, and we do."

Beyond 911 calls, pooling together resources at the administrative level led to Johnson recently being named Carlton County EMS Person of the Year. She noted the skills spill over from separate union roles under the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees. Rural EMS providers like Johnson's responders tend to be volunteers but some crews are paid with union benefits.

No matter the status, Johnson stressed EMS teams need proper training support and other funding to ease workloads. She added making sure first responders are not stretched thin, especially in rural areas, gets to the heart of addressing mental health needs within the field.

"Historically, it's a 'suck it up' culture. We don't like to admit our vulnerabilities," Johnson observed. "We don't like to ask for help. We like to just stuff it down."

She emphasized not fighting for a good work-life balance creates unhealthy coping mechanisms for her line of work. A number of the state aid bills in the Legislature carried over from 2025, and it is unclear whether they will get a strong look this year as lawmakers debate other pressing needs.

Ever wonder how a chilly snake convinces its neighbors to share their hard-won body heat?

It's time to find out!

Co-hosts Heidi Holtan (director of public affairs, cat wrangler) and Charlie Mitchell (phenology coordinator, David Attenborough acolyte) discover the hidden lives of garter snakes, learn about the Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network, and cause lepidopterists everywhere to break out in a rash by calling a chrysalis a cocoon.

In addition, we hear from Josh Leonard at Belwin Outdoor Science, Baxter Elementary School, and (as always), our phenology phrontiersman John Latimer.

Attributions

1. Boreal chorus frog call by Jonathon Jongsma, XC138641. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/138641.
2. Eastern Phoebe song by Jonathon Jongsma, XC132866. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/132866.
3. Voice memo by Josh Leonard provided through SpeakPipe.
4. John Latimer's phenology report, the Baxter Elementary School's phenology talkback, and Ketzel Levens' CoCoRAHS segment originally aired on KAXE.
5. This episode was produced by Heidi Holtan.

Love the podcast? Want to learn more about animal genitalia? Let us know! Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!

Email us at seasonwatch@kaxe.org.

HIBBING — St. Louis County commissioners are being forced to choose between supporting local union workers or receiving millions in federal dollars for road and bridge construction.

Administrator Kevin Gray described it as a "rock and a hard spot" at the Board's March 24 meeting. Because the federal government has yet to approve the county's use of labor agreements in projects that use federal dollars, county staff are asking the commissioners to waive the longstanding practice for five projects this year.

The story was first reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The Federal Highway Administration told the county that if it moves forward on PLAs without approval, the projects will not be eligible for federal funds.

The commissioners and county staff discussed the issue extensively at the County Board and Committee of the Whole meetings last week.

For over a decade, the county has used project labor agreements, or PLAs, in construction projects over $150,000, unless prohibited by law, explained Public Works Director Jim Foldesi.

PLAs are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements that typically establish wages, benefits, holidays and other labor protections, according to the Minnesota Building Trades and Construction Council.

The county has to get permission to require PLAs in projects that use federal dollars. Foldesi said that usually means submitting a request to the government the August before the construction is planned, with an approval usually coming in October.

“This time around, we did our normal process last August, and October, November, December — we haven’t gotten our normal go-ahead, and so we started asking questions," he said. " ... We just haven’t gotten an answer. And so administratively, today we still sit in this limbo land.”

The county has made multiple inquiries with federal officials, elected officials and lobbyists, according to a presentation Foldesi gave to the Board.

The delay means the county is already behind on getting bids for five projects set for this summer, totaling $14.3 million: resurfacing County Road 21 in Pike and Embarrass townships, a County Road 84 culvert replacement, a County Road 88 repair and culvert replacement in Morse Township, 40th Avenue West reconstruction and a roundabout in Duluth, and overlaying Canosia Road.

If the County Board doesn't waive the PLA requirement, the county stands to lose $6.5 million in funding this year and the projects will be delayed, according to the presentation.

Foldesi said sending the money back will also hurt the county’s reputation, which may impact its ability to get funds in the future.

He also noted that over the last five years similar projects have always gone to local contractors, and trades can still sign a PLA outside of the county contract.

This isn't the first time PLAs have been impacted by federal decisions. President George W. Bush issued an executive order prohibiting PLAs on federal projects not long after St. Louis County first adopted its policy. President Barack Obama rescinded the order, and St. Louis County became the first in the state to use a PLA on a federal road project in 2014.

Steelworker and Board Chair Mike Jugovich represents southeastern St. Louis County. He told the room full of laborers at the March 24 meeting that this is union-busting 101.

“If we don't stand up to this, this is the tip of the spear, and the spear will drive in, and it will put the wedge in, and it will break," he said. "I'm not willing to do this. ... We don’t want to lose that money. But I don’t want to lose my soul along the way.”

Keith Nelson represents the south-central part of the county and became emotional as he discussed the issue.

“I never thought I’d live to see this day, where PLAs are costing us money. They’re not supposed to cost us money. They’re supposed to keep work local," he said.

" ... We can't give away money, and I hope labor understands that I can't give up money this year and next year and the year after that."

The County Board is expected to vote on a resolution that would waive the PLA requirement for five projects this year at its Tuesday, April 7, meeting.

BRAINERD — Travel can transport and even reshape how you see the world.

Gary Payne became interested in other cultures while serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, when his ship visited the Philippines and Japan.

His travels intrigued him even in college where he wanted to learn more about the world. At first politics seemed to make sense, but politics didn't provide the answers to his curiosity. Sociology did, leading Payne to a career in sociology at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and a life of travel.

Payne and his wife Mary Rosenberg, also an educator, have traveled extensively over the years. The pair has spent nearly four months in Argentina, between two trips spanning 10,000 miles.

The pair went from museum to museum and World Heritage Sites. Though Payne describes himself as a news junkie, he said he didn't know that much about Argentina, including the history and connection to the United States.

"We have quite a history there, and people don't really know about it," he said during an interview on Bright Spot on the KAXE Morning Show.

As a world traveler to places like Somalia, Ethiopia and Guyana, Payne found Argentina an easy and safe place to travel. As a sociologist, he is intrigued by the comparison of cultures: he noted Argentina has much lower homicide and incarceration rates than the United States.

"They have found a way to get along with each other that is missing here in the United States," he said.

Payne and Rosenberg will share some of their favorite photos and experiences in a Cultural Thursday program Thursday, April 9, at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. There will be two presentations: one at noon in the Chalberg Theater and one at 7 p.m. in the school's lecture lab (room E354).

The stated goal of Cultural Thursday is to build understanding of diverse peoples, perspectives and places on Earth. It takes place eight times each school year, usually on the first Thursday of each month. The April program was rescheduled due to snow.

Payne has led dozens of Cultural Thursday programs, and thinks travel can break down cultural barriers that beg the question, "What can we learn from them?"

Listen to our conversation above to hear about Payne's favorite national park in Argentina and more!

Is there a Bright Spot in your community? Let us know!

The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

Ever wonder what keeps a winter bear cozy during the deep cold, or how deeply they sleep?

I remember Yogi Bear (and Boo Boo, too) having a big old slumber party in the wintertime, in pajamas in a human bed. Because cartoons are probably not the most reliable source of information, we decided to call in a guy in the know on the KAXE Morning Show.

We welcomed in the very patient Andy Tri, bear project leader from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group. He was willing to answer all our questions about bears in their state of winter torpor.

"They'll take long naps. Their heart rate drops. It'll actually stop for like almost 30 seconds at a time," Tri said.

"In between, they take breaths and then it'll speed up to about 60 to 90 (beats per minute) and then it'll stop again when they finish their respiration."

Tri says in between the napping during hibernation, bears have a job to do.

"They give birth. They tend to the cubs. They have to keep them clean and not stinky. So they're cleaning up, when they pee and poop after the cubs are born. Bears are fully aware."

Tri also explained how he starts to see the bears in March, after giving birth in January to the "little peach fuzz-covered cubs with their eyes closed." Tri said these infant bears are about the size of a pop can, at just half a pound.

As the bears emerge, their main objective during 20 hours of the day is looking for a 20,000 daily calorie load.

The DNR says bears are curious and will follow their powerful noses to just about anything with an odor, looking for food.

Check out BearWise to learn what attracts bears and how you can keep bears away from your home and property, and stay safe.

They recommend people:

• Never feed or approach bears
• Secure food, garbage and recycling
• Remove bird feeders when bears are active
• Never leave pet food outside
• Clean and store grills and smokers
• Alert neighbors to bear activity

Click the play button above to hear our full conversation about bears, including how Tri visits the collared bears during hibernation, Superman style, to collect data.