R&J Broadcasting's Christmas with the Kids 2016

Christmas with the kids – Interviews from local First Graders about holidays - have begun on KRJB, KRJM & KKCQ.  Here is the schedule 

KRJB (Beginning November 28th)

Ada Borup 8:15am, 3:15pm

Norman County West 1:15pm

Norman County East 2:15pm

Hillsboro - 10:45am, 4:15pm

KRJM (Beginning November 28th)

Mahnomen 8:10am, 1:10pm

Waubun(Ogema) 9:10am, 2:10pm

Red Lake Falls 10:10am, 4:10pm

Fertile Beltrami 11:40am, 3:40pm

KKCQ (Beginning December 1st)

Fosston 7:40am, 9:40am, 1:40pm
Clearbrook Gonvick 9:10am, 2:10pm
Bagley 10:10am, 1:10pm, 3:10pm
Win-E-Mac 11:10am, 2:40pm 

DNR announces northwestern Minnesota furbearer registration stations

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds northwestern Minnesota fur trappers to register their pelts in December and January at one of several furbearer registration stations.

At the following locations, furbearers (all species) may be registered from noon to 7 p.m., or 3 to 6 p.m. (depending on the office), on Dec 2. Bobcat and otter only registration will be held between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Jan. 10.

• Backus DNR forestry office, 4391 State Highway 87, 218-732-8452.
• Baudette area wildlife office, 204 Main St. E., 218-634-1705.
• Bemidji area wildlife office, 2114 Bemidji Ave., 218-308-2339.
• Detroit Lakes area wildlife office, 14583 County Highway 19, 218-846-8470.
• Fergus Falls area wildlife office, 1509 1st Ave. N., 218-739-7576.
• Park Rapids area wildlife office, 603 First St. W., 218-732-8452.
• Roseau County courthouse, 606 5th Ave. SW, 218-463-1130.
• Thief Lake WMA office, Middle River, 42280 240th Ave. NE, 218-222-3747.
• Wadena County Highway Department, 221 Harry Rich Dr., Wadena, 218-732-8452.
• Warroad DNR forestry office, 804 Cherne Drive NW, 218-783-6861.

Registration is also available by appointment throughout the furbearer season at any of the following DNR area wildlife offices. Trappers and hunters must call ahead to make an appointment.

• Baudette area wildlife office, 204 Main St. E., 218-634-1705.
• Bemidji area wildlife office, 2114 Bemidji Ave., 218-308-2348.
• Park Rapids area wildlife office, 603 First St. W., 218-732-8452.
• Crookston area wildlife office, 204 Main St. S., 218-281-6063.
• Detroit Lakes area wildlife office, 14583 County Highway 19, 218-846-8374.
• Fergus Falls area wildlife office, 1509 1st Ave. N., 218-739-7576.
• Glenwood area wildlife office, 23070 N. Lakeshore Drive, 320-634-7337.
• Karlstad area wildlife office, 202 Main St. N., 218-436-2427.
• Red Lake WMA office, Norris Camp, 218-783-6861.
• Roseau River WMA office, Roseau, 27952 400th St., 218-463-1130.
• Thief River Falls area wildlife office, 246 125th Ave. NE, 218-681-0946.
• Thief Lake WMA office, Middle River, 42280 240th Ave. NE, 218-222-3747.

Pelts must be removed from the carcass and thawed for inspection purposes. The entire carcass of bobcats, and the heads of each pine marten and fisher, must be presented at the time of registration. Trappers must present completed site validation coupons for each fisher, pine marten and river otter when presenting these pelts for registration. The site validation tags must be notched to indicate the date and time of harvest. Trappers can obtain four otter tags and two fisher/marten tags, which are available upon request from license vendors. Trappers may have two combined (one fisher and one marten) or two fisher or two marten.
To expedite registration, trappers must produce their license (trappers should also bring their small game license) and should bring the following written information for each animal to be registered: species; sex; date and location taken (county, township and range); method of take, including type of trap used; and the DNR number as shown on the license.
Fur registration forms and additional information are available from the area wildlife offices or the DNR website at www.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/trapping.

Public meeting on storm water pollution prevention set for Dec. 14 in East Grand Forks

BEMIDJI, Minn. – The public is invited to attend an informational meeting to learn about the storm water pollution prevention program for the City of East Grand Forks and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, including the permit process for the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4).

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in the training room of East Grand Forks City Hall, 600 Demers Ave.

City and MnDOT staff will give a brief overview and describe the coordination and education components of the MS4 program with other entities.

Individuals who cannot attend the meeting, but wish to comment or ask questions, can contact

·         John Wingard, MnDOT District 2 hydraulics engineer, 218-755-6527 or john.wingard@state.mn.us

·         Jason Stordahl, East Grand Forks public works director, 218-773-1313 or jstordahl@egf.mn

To request an ASL or foreign language interpreter, call 651-366-4720. To request other reasonable accommodations, call 651-366-4718; the Minnesota Relay Service toll-free at 1-800-627-3529 (TYY, Voice or ASCII) or 711, or email your request to adarequest.dot@state.mn.us. 

For real-time travel information and road conditions anywhere in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org.

Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee seeks applicants

The Department of Natural Resources, the Metropolitan Council and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission are seeking qualified applicants to serve on the Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee.
“The Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee plays a critical role in helping us achieve the vision Minnesotans have for use of the Parks and Trails Legacy Funds and creates an accessible and equitable, integrated system of state and regional parks and trails in Minnesota,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr.
The purpose of the Legacy Advisory Committee is to promote and coordinate implementation of the 25 Year Parks and Trails Legacy Plan. Funding recommendations for individual projects is not a part of this committee’s work. Find the plan at www.legacy.leg.mn/funds/parks-trails-fund/plan.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, Dec. 14.
The committee is made up of 17 members, including, to the practical extent possible, diverse geographical and demographic representation. The committee has a mixture of park and trail professionals and Minnesota residents. Committee members should have expertise in two or more of the four strategic pillars of the plan:

• Connect people and the outdoors.
• Acquire land and create opportunities.
• Take care of what we have.
• Coordinate among partners.

Terms are two years with the option of being reappointed a maximum of three terms. Meetings are scheduled every two months around the state and can be attended remotely.  
Interested individuals may complete the application form online at
www.legacy.leg.mn/ptlac/member-application or print it out and return it to Paul Purman, Department of Natural Resources, Box 39, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155. Anyone with questions can contact Paul via phone at 651-259-5643 or email at paul.purman@state.mn.us.

DNR announces art contest for state’s first pollinator critical habitat license plate

Minnesota will release a new critical habitat license plate early next year with a design that will feature pollinators in native habitat, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The new design will be selected from a public contest among Minnesota artists and their original artwork.  
Wildlife artists can submit entries for the critical habitat pollinator plate from Monday, Dec. 5 through 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12. Contest Rules, application and artist agreement forms will be available online next week at www.mndnr.gov/plates.
“Pollinators such as butterflies and bees have been of concern in recent years due to many of the challenges that affect our native insects,” said Crystal Boyd, DNR bee specialist. “These challenges include pesticide use, habitat loss, pathogens, parasites, climate change, invasive species, and other factors.  A pollinator license plate is a great way for Minnesota motorists to express their concern and appreciation for our native insects.”  
To learn more about pollinators, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/pollinator_resources/index.html.
The Minnesota Legislature created the critical habitat license plate program in 1995 to provide additional opportunity for Minnesotans to contribute toward conservation. Motorists who purchase a critical habitat plate pay a $10 initial fee, plus a minimum annual contribution of $30 to the Reinvest in Minnesota program. Every dollar generated through the sale of the license plate is matched with private donations of cash or land. The annual $30 contribution is not tax deductible.
Critical habitat license plate revenue has generated more than $59 million to acquire or improve 22,000 acres of critical habitat and helped fund nongame wildlife research and surveys, habitat enhancement and educational programs. Information about the program and details about how to order existing plates is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/plates.

Zebra mussels confirmed in Franklin Lake in Otter Tail County

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed zebra mussels in Franklin Lake in Otter Tail County. This is one of several recent confirmations across the state as lake property owners and lake service provider businesses check equipment for invasive species at the end of the season.
A lake service provider business notified the DNR of suspected zebra mussels on equipment they were removing from Franklin Lake. During a preliminary search of several dozen pieces of equipment in the area, DNR staff found and removed five adult zebra mussels from four locations. The DNR will conduct a more extensive search of Franklin Lake and consider potential treatment options early next spring.
“This new confirmation is another reminder of the importance of carefully examining all equipment when taking it out of the water,” said Heidi Wolf, DNR invasive species unit supervisor. “A few simple steps now can help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species.”
The DNR recommends these steps for lake property owners:

• Look on the posts, wheels and underwater support bars of docks and lifts, as well as any parts of boats, pontoons and rafts that may have been submerged in water for an extended period.
• Hire DNR-permitted lake service provider businesses to install or remove boats, docks, lifts and other water-related equipment. These businesses have attended training on Minnesota’s aquatic invasive species laws and many have experience identifying and removing invasive species.
• Contact an area DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if discovery of the invasive species has not already been confirmed in the lake.

It’s especially important to keep docks and boat lifts out of the water for at least 21 days before putting them into another body of water. This state law is central to the training DNR-permitted lake service provider businesses receive. Anyone transporting a dock or lift from the adjacent shoreline property to another location for storage or repair may need a permit, to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Zebra mussels are an invasive (non-native) species that can compete with native species for food and habitat, cut the feet of swimmers, reduce the performance of boat motors, and cause expensive damage to water intake pipes. Less than 2 percent of Minnesota’s 11,842 lakes are listed as infested with zebra mussels.
More information is available at www.mndnr.gov/AIS.

Red Lake winter walleye regulations announced

Anglers fishing Upper Red Lake this winter will be able to keep three walleye of which only one may be longer than 17 inches, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The regulations, effective Thursday, Dec. 1, are the same regulations that were in place last winter.

“These regulations were very well accepted by anglers, and meet our harvest plan objectives by spreading harvest over a wide range of sizes and removing some of the surplus spawning stock,” said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor with the DNR.

In fall assessment netting by the DNR and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, walleye abundance was excellent with large numbers of fish from 12 to 20 inches.

More information on Red Lake fishing regulations are available at www.mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing.