Lower Sioux site

stays with state

Redwood County

Board kills

land transfer

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

REDWOOD FALLS -- The Lower Sioux Historical Site and related property near Morton will not be transferred to the Lower Sioux Community.

By a 4-1 vote, Redwood County Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday to not allow the transfer of the 242-acre site. It includes a restored stone warehouse, which is the oldest government building in Redwood County.

Commissioner Joe Schouvieller of Morton cast the dissenting vote.

The resolution came on a motion by commissioner John Schueller, seconded by Brian Kletscher.

Schueller said the County is interested in helping work out an agreement between the MHS and Lower Sioux to keep the site open. It is scheduled to close on June 30, 2004.

Kletscher said the County didn't consider the Site as surplus property.

Board Chairman Gene Short said the County has a good working relationship with the Lower Sioux and didn't want to jeopardize it.

"This is one of the toughest decisions we've had to make," Short said.

Kletscher said the decision doesn't mean the County will walk away from the Site.

Lower Sioux Site Technician Dan Fjeld has hopes the Site will open again soon after June 30. Between $7,000-$8,000 is needed to keep the site open on weekends this July and August. He is interested in creating a management agreement with the MHS to keep the Site open a year at a time.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a law allowing the transfer of state surplus land including the Lower Sioux Site.

Last May, the Legislature and Gov. Tim Pawlenty agreed to cut the Minnesota Historical Society's state funding by $4.3 million for fiscal year 2004-2005.

The MHS said the reduction would likely mean closing seven Greater Minnesota historic sites and a 30 percent staff cut. Sites on the close list were the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, the Comstock House in Moorhead, the Oliver H. Kelley Farm in Elk River, Historic Forestville near Preston, and interpretive sites at Fort Ridgely State Park and the Lower Sioux Agency near Morton.

Spearheaded by the efforts of the Redwood Development Corporation, the Lower Sioux Community donated $90,000 to keep the site open through June 30, 2004. The Friends of Fort Ridgely began raising money and are working on an 18-month management agreement with the MHS.

Denis Warta of New Ulm sent an e-mail Monday touting the historic sites as potential national tourism attractions within the Minnesota River Valley.

"An economic development opportunity exists which, to date has not been concentrated on," said Warta. "The tourism value of Civil War battle sites in the East and South are noted for their importance that results in thousands of visits each year by history buffs and many others."

Warta said the Lower Sioux Interpretive Center, Fort Ridgely, Birch Coulee, Wood Lake and Camp Release and others could and should be advertised and promoted as genuine battle sites.

He called for a national-scale push to promote awareness from which everyone would benefit, including the nearby casinos.

Commissioners also:

* Learned that a meeting regarding nine area counties interested in a solid waste incinerator project near Lamberton will meet at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 23 at the Lamberton Senior Citizens Center. French Agriculture Research of Lamberton is interested in locating near the incinerator and purchasing steam from it.

* Learned that a water quality fee proposed in the last legislative session was dismissed by the Pawlenty administration. A sales tax dedication is another clean water funding option that may get on the ballot this fall.

The costs of not addressing impaired waters are greater than doing so, since tourism brings Minnesota $10 billion annually, according to the Association of Minnesota Counties. Impaired water restoration is estimated at $600 million to $3 billion over the next decade.

* took under advisement a resolution for non-support of authorizing levy authority by statute for the Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Organization.