White Earth Nation LSOH Grant Request 2015-2

8/20/2019 White Earth Nation LSOH Grant Request 2015-2

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Lessard-Sams O utdoor Heritage Council

Fiscal Year 2017 / ML 2016 Request for Funding

Dat e: June 03, 2015

Program or Project Tit le: Protecting Fo rest Wildlife Habitat in the Wild Rice River Watershed

Funds Req uest ed : $2,188,000

Manager's Name: Lorena Vogt

Title: Tribal Land Manager

Organization: White Earth Nation

Address: P.O. Box 495

City: White Earth, MN 56591

Office Number: 218-983-4650

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.whiteearth.com

County Locations: Clearwater

Regio ns in which work will take p lace:

Northern Forest

Activity types :

Protect in Fe e

Prio rity resources add ressed b y activity:

Wetlands

Forest

Prairie

Abstract:

This projec t will protec t forest wildlife habitat and prevent forest fragmentation through the fee acquisition of 2,034 acres of

forestland, riparian corridors, and meadows adjace nt to public land, en compassing over 6,500 feet of the Wild Rice River and

Design and scope of work:

I. Overview

White Earth Nation is p leased to submit this proposal to p rotect forest wildlife h abitat and prevent forest fragmentation through the

fee acquisition of the Conse rvation Projec t Area, which con sists of 2,034 acres of forestland, riparian corridors, and ope n meadows

enc ompassing 6,500 feet of the Wild Rice River and its tributaries. The Conse rvation Projec t Area is adjace nt to thousands o f acres o

state, c ounty, and tribal lands, creating con tiguous forestland and wildlife c orridors. There is great urgency to this projec t. The indus

forest owne r that owns this land was ac tively marketing for sale more than 1,500 acres of the p roperty until White Earth Nation e nte

into a purchase agree ment for the land.

II. The Diverse Landscape of the White Earth Re servation

White Earth Rese rvation en compasses approximately 829,000 acres in C learwater, Becke r, and Mahnomen Countie s, of whic h

approximately 63,000 acres are tribally owne d and managed. White Earth Rese rvation is at the heart of one of the most diverse

transition ec ological zon es in No rth America, enc ompassing three LSOHC e cologic al regions: Prairie, Prairie/Fo rest Transition, and

Northern Forest. White Earth Re servation c ontains the 160,000-acre Wh ite Earth State Forest. Tamarac National Wildlife Re fuge, a

significant refuge for migratory birds and other wildlife, is situated along the southern b ound ary of the reservation. Itasca State P ark

the sou rce o f the h eadwaters of the Mississippi River -- is along sou theastern bou ndary of the reservation. The diversity of habitat o

White Earth Re servation presen ts significant co nservation op portunities, including the 2,034 acres that would be protected through

this project.

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III. The Habitat of the Co nservation P roject Area

The 2,034-acre Co nservation P roject Area co nsists forestland, riparian c orridors, and op en meadows. The C onse rvation Projec t Area

adjacen t to thousands of ac res of forestland own ed by the state, county, and tribe. Virtually all of the Conse rvation Projec t Area is

within White Earth State Forest. Protecting the Conse rvation Projec t Area will maintain this intact forestland and the wildlife habita

corridors that are threatene d by the pote ntial sale of the se prope rties.

The C onse rvation Project Area is adjacent to Pe rch Lake State Wildlife Managemen t Area (WMA), which fe atures an open -water bo

The Conse rvation Project Area con tains similar wetlands, providing additional h abitat for migratory waterfowl. The C onse rvation Proj

Area inc lude s over 6,500 feet of the Wild Ric e River and its tributaries and is less than two miles from Lower Rice Lake, the largest la

on the reservation and the most significant rice-growing lake o n the reservation, producin g 200,000 pounds of wild rice e ach year.

Lower Rice Lake is one of the finest rice-producing lakes in all of Minnesota. Protecting the Conservation Project Area will expand t

buffe r that protects Lower Rice Lake .

The Conse rvation Projec t Area has e xcellen t habitat for migratory waterfowl, bald eagle, whitetail de er, ruffed grouse, wo odc ock, b

bear, gray wolf, and the go lden -winged warbler.

IV. Management of the Conse rvation Projec t Area

White Earth Nation h as substantial experienc e in land management and collaboration with othe r conse rvation partners. The 829,000

acre Wh ite Earth Rese rvation inclu des 360,000 acres of forests, 48,000 acres o f lake s, and 53,000 acres of we tlands. Of the 63,000 ac

that are tribally owned and managed, approximately 55,000 acres are forested.

In 2002, White Earth Nation adopte d an Integrated Re source Management Plan (IRMP) to guide its work and establish priorities. Bas

on the IRMP, in 2013, White Earth Nation ado pted a Forest Management P lan. Acquiring the Con servation Projec t Area is co nsistent

with the priorities o f the IRMP and Forest Management Plan. In rec ent years, White Earth Nation h as acquired the land surrounding

Lower Wild Rice Lake to protec t wildlife habitat. White Earth Nation manages Lower Rice Lake as a WMA. Acquiring the Co nservatio

Projec t Area is a logical extension o f the c onse rvation work along the shores of Lowe r Wild Rice Lake.

In rece nt years, White Earth Nation has worked collaboratively with the Natural Resources C onse rvation Service (NRCS) and staff fro

Tamarc National Wildlife Refu ge to restore habitat on 240 acres of tribal land e nco mpassing the Wild Rice River just north o f Lower W

Rice Lake and very near the Con servation Projec t Area. The restoration ac tivities in this collaboration includ e we tland impoun dmen

for waterfowl habitat, prescribed burns for prairie restoration, and d iversifying the forest habitat by establishing different age classe

tree s. White Earth Nation would see k to e stablish similar collaborations with NRCS and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Se rvice with respec t to th

Conse rvation Projec t Area.

White Earth Nation will manage the Conse rvation Proje ct Area to maximize the wildlife hab itat values. White Earth Nation will c reatediversity in tree species and age classes to expand the diversity of wildlife and enhance the resiliency of the forest. Openings and

young-forest habitat will be established along the edges of older forest stands, providing excellent habitat for the golden-winged

warbler and woodc ock . Existing meado ws will be p lanted with native forbs to promote po llinators. Upland areas will be rep lanted

predominantly in red and wh ite pine to restore the forest to pre-settlement cond itions.

V. There Is Gre at Urgenc y for This Projec t

There is great urgency for this project. Prior to White Earth Nation e ntering into a purch ase agree ment for the prope rty, Potlatch, th

industrial forest own er of the land, was actively marketing for sale more than 1,500 acres of the project site.

VI. Fee-to-Trust Proce ss

After White Earth Nation ac quires the Conse rvation Projec t Area, it will see k to transfer the land from “fee land” to “trust land” in wtitle is he ld by the United States government, while White Earth Nation retains the be nefic ial use of and fu ll management

responsibilities for the land. It is the o verriding po licy objec tive of the fede ral government to move tribal land into trust status. Whit

Earth Nation is well aware that, to rec eive LSOHC funds, restrictions will be plac ed on the title to the Conse rvation Projec t Area to

protect pe rmanen tly the n atural resources on the property. These restrictions will con tinue to remain in place after the land is in tr

status.

Crops:

Will there b e planting of c orn or any crop on OHF land purchase d or restored in this program - Not Listed

How does t he request a ddress MN habita ts that have: historical value t o f ish and wildlif e, wildlif e

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species o f greatest conservation need, MN County Biological Survey data, and/or rare, threat ened

and endangered species inventories:

The Conservation Project Area has habitat to support the following Minnesota Special Concern Species: acadian flycatcher, cerulea

warbler, northern goshawk, red-sho uldere d hawk, and trumpete r swan. The trumpeter swan has bee n sighted in the area.

The C onse rvation Project Area has habitat to suppo rt the following Minne sota Wildlife Sp ec ies in G reatest Conservation Nee d:

Franklin’s ground squirrel, American b adger, LeCon te’s sparrow, northern p intail, lesser scaup, American bittern, Swainson’s hawk,

whip-poo r-will, common n ighthawk, vee ry, northern harrier, mash wren, olive-sided flycatche r, eastern wood p ewe e, black throated

blue warbler, least flycatcher, common loon, wood thrush, red-headed woodpecker, swamp sparrow, black crowned nightheron, ro

breasted grosbeak, horned grebe, red-necked grebe, American woodcock, ovenbird, brown thrasher, and golden-winged warbler.

Bald eagles n est in the area. The re is a healthy gray wolf population around Lower Rice Lake with at least one pack.

White Earth Nation will manage Con servation Projec t Area to create young fo rest open ings on the edge of olde r forest stands,

providing excellent habitat for the golden-winged warbler, whose population has been in dramatic decline in recent years. White E

Nation will plant red and white p ine in u pland areas of the Co nservation Proje ct Area to establish pre-settlement forest con ditions

the historic coniferous forest.

What is t he nature o f urgency and why it is necessary to spend public money f or t his work as so on a

possible:

There is great urgency to this project. Prior to White Earth Nation en tering into a purchase agreement for the prope rty, Potlatch, thelarge industrial forest owne r that owns the land, was ac tively marketing for sale more than 1,500 acres of the property.

Describe the science based planning and evaluation model used:

This acqu isition is a high priority for White Earth Nation be cause : (1) the p roperty is adjacen t to thousands of acres of fore stland alre

owne d by the tribe, state, and cou nty; (2) the close proximity of the property to Lower Ric e Lake; (3) the o pportunity to protec t

permanently significant wildlife c orridors.

Which sections o f the Minnesot a Stat ewide Conservation and Preservation Plan are applicable to th

project:

H1 Protect priority land habitats

LU8 Protect large bloc ks of forest land

Which other plans are addressed in this proposal:

Outdo or Heritage Fu nd: A 25 Year Framework

The Nature Co nservancy's Superior Mixed Forest Eco regional Plan

Which LSOHC section priorities are addressed in this proposal:Northern Forest:

Provide acce ss to manage habitat on landloc ked public p roperties or protect forest land from parcelization and fragmentation

through fee acquisition, conservation or access easement

Relationship to other funds:

Not Listed

How does t his proposal accelerate o r supplement your current ef f ort s in this area:

A LSOHC grant will not displace e xisting White Earth Nation fund ing for con servation and n atural resource management. Instead, th

LSOHC grant will enable White Earth Nation to acc ele rate an d e xpand its conse rvation efforts. White Earth Nation h as acquired seve

properties in rece nt years to protect the shoreline of Wild Rice Lake. Rec eiving the LSOHC grant will enable White Earth Nation to s

the un ique oppo rtunity created whe n Po tlatch p ut up for sale more than 1,500 acres of forestland in the vicinity of Wild Rice Lake.

Acquisition of the C onse rvation Protection Area will enable Wh ite Earth Nation to acce lerate its efforts to restore the pre-settleme

red and white pine forest cover on the reservation.

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Describe the source and amount o f non-OHF money spent f or this work in the past:

Appropriation

Yea rS o urce Amo unt

2009-13 White Earth Natio n g enera l funds and s ettlement funds $283,500 us ed to purchas e 300 acres

How will you susta in and/or m aintain this work af te r the Outdo or Heritage Funds are expended:

White Earth Nation is not seek ing any Outdoor Heritage Fund s to support the pe rsonnel time that will be required to implement thi

project. Instead, White Earth Nation will implement this projec t using its existing staff funde d through e stablished source s. Since

sustaining management of the Co nservation Proje ct Area is not depe nde nt upon O utdoor Heritage Fund s, White Earth Nation will bable to maintain its forest and natural resou rces management wo rk after Ou tdoor Heritage Fund s are used to purchase the

Conse rvation Projec t Area.

Explain the t hings you will do in the f uture to maintain project out comes:

Yea r S o urce o f Fund s S tep 1 S tep 2 S tep 3

2018 White Earth Natio n g enera l fundsConduct natural resources

inventory and evaluation

2019 White Earth Natio n g enera l funds

Develop an ecological and

restoration management plan

that defines manag ement

zones on the property

2019 White Earth Natio n g enera l funds

Initiate implementation o f

management practices o nappro ximately 200 acres per

year

Activity Det ails:

f funde d, this propo sal will mee t all applicable criteria set forth in MS 97A.056 - Yes

Will local governmen t approval be sought p rior to ac quisition - No

None.

s the land you plan to acquire free of any other permanen t protection - Yes

s this land cu rrently open fo r hunting and fishing - Yes

The land is not ope n to public hunting. The current industrial landowne r leases out some of its properties for private hunting, but th

project area is not open to public hunting.

Will the land be open for hunting and fishing after completion - Yes

White Earth Nation strongly supports hunting and fishing. The C onse rvation Project Area will be ope n to pub lic hun ting and fishing

tribal and no n-tribal members. Since the Co nservation Project Area is within the bo undaries of White Earth Re servation and wou ld

tribally-owne d, there will be n o wolf hun ting on the p roperty in acc ordance with White Earth Nation hu nting regulations.

Accomplishment T imeline:

Activity Appro ximate Date Co mpleted

Neg o tia te with the lando wner and enter into a purchas e ag reement. Co mpletedC o n du ct du e d il ig e n ce fo r a cq ui s it io n o f t he pr o p er ti e s ( a pp ra i s al , t it le wo r k, en vi ro n m e nt a l a s s e ss m e nt ) . N o ve m be r 1, 2016

DNR review o f appra is a l o f the pro perties . February 1, 2017

Acquire fee title to the pro perties . April 1, 2017

Federal Funding:

Do you an ticipate fed eral funds as a match fo r this program - Not Listed

Outcomes:Pro grams in the northern fores t region:

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Forestlands are protecte d from development and fragmentation White Earth Nation will evaluate the effectiveness in protecting

forestlands from fragmentation by measuring the total acreage of contiguous forestland that is transferred from private ownership to triba

ownership. In addition, to measure the added value of protecting land adjacent to existing protected lands or in areas of heightened habita

importance (such as riparian corridors), White Earth Nation will break out and measure subsets of the total acreage of protected forestland

that are adjacent to existing protected lands or are in areas of special habitat value (e.g., in riparian corridors).

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Budget Spreadsheet

T o tal Amo unt of Req uest : $2,188,000

Budget and C ash Leverage

Budg et Name LS OHC Request Anticipated Leverag e Leverag e S o urce T o ta

Pers o nnel $0 $120,000 White Earth Natio n, White Earth Natio n, White Earth Natio n $120

Co ntracts $0 $70,000 White Earth Natio n $70

Fee Acquis itio n w/ PILT $0 $0Fee Acquis itio n w/o PILT $2,180,000 $0 $2,180

Eas ement Acquis itio n $0 $0

Eas ement Stewards hip $0 $0

Travel $0 $0

Pro fes s io na l Services $8,000 $8,000 White Earth Natio n $1

Direct Suppo rt Services $0 $0

DNR Land Acquis itio n Co s ts $0 $0

Capita l Equipment $0 $0

O ther Equipment/To o ls $0 $0

Supplies /Materia ls $0 $0

DNR IDP $0 $0

To ta l $2,188,000 $198,000 - $2,386

Personnel

Po s itio n FT E Over # o f years LS O HC Request Anticipated Leverag e Leverage S o urce T o ta

Fo res ter 0.10 3.00 $0 $25,000 White Earth Natio n $2

Wildlife Manag er 0.20 3.00 $0 $50,000 White Earth Natio n $50

Triba l Land Manag er 0.25 2.00 $0 $45,000 White Earth Natio n $45

To ta l 0.55 8.00 $0 $120,000 - $120

Amount of Request: $2,188,000

Amount of Leverage: $198,000

Leverage as a percent of the Re quest: 9.05%

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Output T ables

T able 1a. Acres by Reso urce Type

T ype Wetlands Prairies Fo rest Habitats T o ta

Res to re 0 0 0 0

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability 0 0 0 0

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability 199 40 1,795 0 2

Pro tect in Eas ement 0 0 0 0Enhance 0 0 0 0

To ta l 199 40 1,795 0 2

T able 1b. How many of these Prairie acres are Native Prairie?

T ype Native Prairie

Res to re

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability

Pro tect in Eas ement

Enhance

To ta l

T able 2. T otal Req uested Funding by Resource Type

T ype Wetlands Prairies Fo rest Habitats T o tal

Res to re $0 $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability $0 $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability $221,000 $56,000 $1,911,000 $0 $2,188

Pro tect in Eas ement $0 $0 $0 $0

Enhance $0 $0 $0 $0

To ta l $221,000 $56,000 $1,911,000 $0 $2,188

T able 3. Acres within each Ecolo gical S ection

T ype Metro /Urban Fo rest/Prairie S E Fo rest Prairie No rthern Fo rest T o

Res to re 0 0 0 0 0

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability 0 0 0 0 0

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability 0 0 0 0 2,034 2

Pro tect in Eas ement 0 0 0 0 0

Enhance 0 0 0 0 0

To ta l 0 0 0 0 2,034 2

T able 4. T otal Req uested Funding within each Ecolog ical Sectio n

T ype Metro /Urban Fo rest/Prairie S E Fo rest Prairie No rthern Fo rest T o tal

Res to re $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,188,000 $2,188

Pro tect in Eas ement $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Enhance $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

To ta l $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,188,000 $2,188

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T able 5. Average Cos t per Acre by Resource T ype

T ype Wetlands Prairies Fo rest Habitats

Res to re $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability $1,111 $1,400 $1,065

Pro tect in Eas ement $0 $0 $0

Enhance $0 $0 $0

T able 6. Average Cos t per Acre by Ecolo gical Sectio n

T ype Metro /Urban Fo rest/Prairie S E Fo rest Prairie No rthern Fo rest

Res to re $0 $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee with State PILT Liability $0 $0 $0 $0

Pro tect in Fee W/O State PILT Liability $0 $0 $0 $0 $

Pro tect in Eas ement $0 $0 $0 $0

Enhance $0 $0 $0 $0

T arget Lak e/Stream/River Feet or Miles

5

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Parcel List

Section 1 - Restore / Enhance Parcel List

No parce ls with an activity type restore or enh ance .

Section 2 - Prot ect Pa rcel List

Clearwater

Name T RDS Acres Est Co st Existing Pro tectio n? Hunting ? Fishing?

Parcel 112050500 14538205 114 $137,000 No Limited Limited


Parcel 112170200 14538217 440 $528,000 No Limited Full








Section 2a - Prot ect Pa rcel with B ldgs

No parce ls with an activity type protect and h as buildings.

Section 3 - Ot her Parcel Activity

No p arcels with an other ac tivity type.

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Parcel Map

Protecting Forest Wildlife Habitat in the Wild Rice

River Watershed

Data Generated From Parcel List

Legend

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WHITE

EARTHNATION

St. Louis

Cass

Lake

Itasca

Polk

Beltrami

Aitkin

Pine

Cook

Koochiching

Clay

Otter Tail

Roseau

Becker

Marshall

Todd

Stearns

Kittson

Lyon

Swift

Pope

Renville

Morrison

Rice

Carlton

Wilkin

Hubbard

Norman

Martin Fillmore

Crow Wing

Wright

Nobles

Grant

Sibley

Rock Mower

Murray

Lake of the Woods

Brown

Jackson

Redwood

Douglas

Kandiyohi

Goodhue

Meeker

Dakota

Isanti

Winona

Faribault Freeborn

Olmsted

Lincoln

Stevens

Blue Earth

Scott

Anoka

Traverse

Steele Dodge

Houston

Wadena

McLeod

Kanabec

Hennepin

Nicollet

Lac Qui Parle

Wabasha

Chippewa

Carver

Benton

ChisagoBig Stone

Waseca

Le Sueur

Pennington

Cottonwood

Mahnomen

Red Lake

Yellow Medicine

Sherburne

Watonwan

Clearwater

Mille Lacs

Pipestone

Washington

Ramsey

ClayClay

8 White Earth Nation

Lessard-Sams OutdoorHeritage Council Grant

State Map

Source: White Earth Nation, MND

MAP 1

Legend

Minnesota Ecosystems

Laurentian Mixed Forest Province

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

Tallgrass Aspen Parklands Provinc

Prairie Parkland Province


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8

White Earth NatioLessard-Sams OutdoorHeritage Council Grant

Regional Map

Source: White Earth Natio

MAP 2

CONSERVATION

PROJECT AREA

Wild RiceRiver

Mahnomen

White EarthStateForest

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

White EarthStateForest

White Earth NationIndian Reservation

Bagley

Bemidji

Park Rapids

Detroit Lakes

Itasca State Park

Lake Bemidji State Park

Lake Bemidji State Park

£ ¤59

£ ¤2

£ ¤71

£ ¤71

£ ¤71

OP200

OP87

OP34

OP113

OP64

OP92

OP89

OP225

OP223

OP226

Legend

Reservation Boundary

Conservation Project Area

Tamarac National Wildlife R

State Parks

State Forests

Lakes

Major Rivers

Major Roads

0 105

Miles


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8

White Earth NaLessard-Sams OutdoHeritage Council Gr

Local Map


MAP 3

CONSERVATION

PROJECT AREA

White Earth Nationndian Reservation

Wild Rice River

LOWER RICE LAKE

SOUTH TWIN LAKE

NORTH TWIN LAKE

TULABY LAKE

ROY LAKE

UPPER RICE LAKE

BASS LAKE

ELBOW LAKE

SNIDER LAKE

ISLAND LAKE

LAKE OF THE VALLEY ITE EARTH LAKE

White Earth State Forest


Mississippi Headwaters State Forest


Mississippi Headwaters State Forest

Paul Bunyan State Forest

Itasca State Park

Bagley£ ¤2

£ ¤71

OP200

OP113

OP92

0 2.5

Miles

Legend

Reservation Bounda

Conservation Projec

Lakes

State Parks

State Forests

Major Rivers

Major Roads


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8

White Earth NatiLessard-Sams OutdooHeritage Council Gran

Parcel Map


MAP 4

LONG LAKE

CONSERVATIONPROJECT AREA

W i l d R i c e R i v e r

Perch Lake StateWildlife Manangement Area

W i l d

R i c

e R i v e

r

LOWER

RICE

LAKE

ROY LAKE

Wild Rice River

OP200

OP920 1

Miles

Legend

Tribal Land

Conservation Project Ar

Parcels Owned By MND

Parcels Owned By Otheand County Agencies

Rivers

Lakes

Major Roads


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Protecting Forest Wildlife Habitat in the Wild Rice River WatershedWhite Earth Nation


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Protecting Forest Wildlife Habitat in the Wild Rice River Watershed

White Earth Nation

White Earth Nation LSOH Grant Request 2015-2

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Transcript of White Earth Nation LSOH Grant Request 2015-2