Minnesota Mixed Bag: Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council seeks executive director candidates

St. Paul — An excellent opportunity is available in the Minnesota Legislature to serve as the executive director for the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, a nonpartisan council within the Legislative Coordinating Commission at the Minnesota Legislature.

The executive director provides staff leadership and support to the LSOHC in its work to make recommendations to the Legislature on the allocation of funding for natural resource projects through the constitutionally created Outdoor Heritage Fund, which generates approximately $160 million annually.

The position description is available at www.lcc.leg.mn/jobs/ or call (651) 296-0099 to request a copy.

To ensure consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume by Sept. 25 via email to lcc@lcc.mn.gov or mail to Legislative Coordinating Commission, 658 Cedar Street, Centennial Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.

As reported in an earlier edition of Outdoor News, Mark Johnson, who’s held the executive director position for the past 11 years, is retiring in January.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MINNESOTA OUTDOOR NEWS:

A delay for public input phase of Minnesota’s northeast elk plan

USFWS survey shows duck numbers hold steady despite dry conditions

Minnesota pheasant numbers leap 50% in annual roadside survey

UNION SPORTSMEN’S ALLIANCE TO HOST FREE ‘GET YOUTH OUTDOORS DAY’

Clear Lake, Minn. — The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance will host a free youth event this Sunday, Sept. 7, offering local families the chance to experience outdoor activities under the guidance of union volunteers.

Youths ages 9 to 17 and their families are invited to the USA’s 13th Annual Roofers Twin Cities Get Youth Outdoors Day. Local union volunteers trained in firearms safety and instruction will provide firsthand introductions to sporting clays, riflery (.22 caliber) and other outdoor activities. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wild Marsh Sporting Clays Shooting Facility in Clear Lake.

To learn more, visit: https://unionsportsmen.org/upcoming-events/work-boots-on-the-ground/

STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT COMPLETED ON SEVEN MILE CREEK

St. Paul — A nine-year collaborative conservation effort by the Minnesota DNR, Nicollet County Soil and Water Conservation District, and local property owners is now complete.

Using $490,000 in grant funds via Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund, the DNR and the SWCD collaborated to replace a failing low-head dam with rock arch rapids on Seven Mile Creek between St. Peter and Nicollet. The project was supported by the property owners, Steve and Betsy Bolint.

Stream restoration projects are typically designed to improve fish passage, water quality, and habitat in the immediate area and beyond.

“Low-head dams like the one on Seven Mile Creek were frequently built in the 1950s to prevent common carp from reaching upstream wetlands and lakes,” DNR Clean Water Legacy Specialist Jon Lore said. “However, we’ve since found this type of dam blocks native species, allowing carp to thrive upstream. These dams also pose safety risks, require maintenance, and are increasingly prone to washouts due to more frequent and intense flooding.”

DNR watershed specialists proposed adding the dam to the statewide dam removal list in 2016. Grant funding for the project was secured by the DNR in 2021 and administered by the Nicollet County SWCD. The project was substantially completed in fall 2024, with final work in summer 2025.

DELTA WATERFOWL HIRES NEW CDO, LINDSTROM

Bismarck, N.D. — Delta Waterfowl recently welcomed Eric Lindstrom as its chief development officer. Lindstrom will lead Delta’s fundraising team to increase support for the mission to produce ducks and ensure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America.

“I’m humbled and honored to be a part of this great organization,” Lindstrom said. “I’m excited to work alongside a talented team, help support them, and leave an indelible mark on waterfowl conservation.”

By joining Delta’s senior management team, Lindstrom’s career is coming full circle. He earned a master’s degree in waterfowl ecology and management at Southern Illinois University in 2005 as a Delta Waterfowl graduate research student. He began his master’s research studying breeding ecology of hen mallards at Delta’s Minnedosa Research Station and at the Delta Marsh in Manitoba, before finishing his field work in California’s Central Valley.

Lindstrom joined the staff of Ducks Unlimited in 2005, where he held leadership roles during the past 20 years in habitat conservation delivery, government affairs/public policy, and major gift fundraising.

Since 2017, he served as the DU’s senior managing director of development for a seven-state region in the Great Plains.

WISCONSIN BEAR HUNTING BEGAN SEPT. 3

Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin bear-hunting season began Wednesday, Sept. 3. This year, more than 32,000 people applied for one of the 13,110 bear licenses available, according to the Wisconsin DNR. Nearly 114,000 more people opted to purchase preference points to improve their chances of drawing licenses in a future lottery. With more than 146,000 people applying for a license or purchasing a preference point, this year represents a new record high for bear-hunting applications.

The 2025 bear season is open from Sept. 3 through Oct. 7, with specific regulations based on a hunter’s bear management zone.