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Bloomington Education and Visitor Center
Beginning in fall 2021, the Bloomington Education and Visitor Center will be temporarily closed for construction while it is renovated and reconfigured to house the Ecological Services Field Office (MN/WI) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as offices for Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The two facilities will be co-located for greater efficiency of operation.
The project will add about 1,600 square feet of office space and conference rooms to the Bloomington building. It will also renovate about 3,200 square feet of the first and second floors. The renovation will include:
- converting storage space into offices and conference rooms,
- turning a garage into storage space,
- adding a toilet,
- replacing exterior siding, and
- landscaping.
The contract to complete the architectural and engineering design for the building was awarded to LHB, Inc of Duluth, MN. This project is scheduled for completion in summer 2022. For further information, contact refuge manager Sarena Selbo at Sarena_Selbo@fws.gov.
Long Meadow Lake Unit
Starting in winter 2021, heavy equipment and construction crews will be present on Bluff Trail. Work crews are creating an easement to support a project for CenterPoint Energy. Trail will remain open. Project boundary signs and flaggers will be present along the trail during working hours. CenterPoint Energy Project Updates.
Rapids Lake Unit
Habitat restoration project
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota DNR, and Minnesota Valley Lands are partnering to restore wildlife habitat on the Rapids Lake property south of Carver, Minnesota. Work includes restoration of prairie wildflower and oak savanna habitats, and will involve herbicide applications, native plant seeding, and occasional mowing.
Wilkie Unit
Habitat restoration project
Restoration of wetland habitats will take place 2020-2022 at the Wilkie Unit of Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Work will include addition of water control structures and an earthen plug to manage water levels. These structures will provide the ability to adjust water levels to help plants grow and create quality feeding and resting habitat for waterfowl.
NOTE: The trail section under the Highway 169 bridge will be closed to all public access and pedestrian/cyclist use until further notice. For more information about the ongoing habitat restoration project within the Wilkie Unit click here. All closures will be signed and marked on site. We apologize for the inconvenience to visitors in this area as we work to restore habitats for the future.
For project inquiries please contact: Tom Novak, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, 612.716.6542
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