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Historical Soc. Museum Grant ApMISSISSIPPI DUBUQUE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY June 10, 2002 Mayor Terry Duggan Members ofthe City Council City of Dubuque 50W. 13th St. Dubuque, IA 52001 Dear Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: The Dubuque County Historical Society requests City sponsorship of a grant application to the National Scenic Byways program in the amount of $475,700. This grant will enable the museum to improve the exhibits at the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum. $119,875 in matching costs will be paid by the Historical Society. There will be no costs other than modest administration time by Laura Carstens. This grant if funded, helps us update the exhibits at the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum and would serve as matching fimds for our Vision Iowa grant for the America's River project. Sincerely, Jerry Enzler Executive Director JE/ms P.O. Box 266 * Dubuque, Iowa 52004-0266 * (563) 55%9545 * Fax (563) 583-1241 Project Summary. 2003 FHWA National Scenic Byways Program Ail sections must be completed on an electronic fom~ at http://www.byways.org Applications must be submitted online and on paper. Project Info Pro~ect No. SB-2003-1A-50703 2003 All ten counties along Iowa Great River Road Location of Project along Byway(s Dubuque, iowa Feceral Lands Crossed by Involved Byway(s) Associated Byways State Byway Name Details Designation Date Intrinsic Qualities' IA Great River Road - Iowa 15 Jun 2000 A,H,N,R,S Byway Organization Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission 4674 Kypmelworth Dr. Bettendorf, IA 52722 Phone: 563-332-5446 Fax: 563-344-2633 E-mail: SCRAIOWA@aol.com *lQ codes: A - Archaeological. C - Cultural, H - Historica. - Natural. R - Recreational. S - Scenic Project Category Project Type project associated with an All-American Road or a National Scenic Byway. Is ti- s project consistent with the Corridor Management Plan for the byway(s)? Yes Eligibility Category Byway Facilities SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi I Project Category (Continued) s this aDelication a copy of a previously submitted application or a revision of a prior non-funded application? No f yes. for what year was the previous project submitted? N/A Ready-to-Go This project is ready to go. All environmental and historical reviews have been conducted and a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Endowment for the Humanities. Iowa State Historic Preservation Officer. Dubuque County Historical Society, City of Dubuque and the iowa Department of Transportation. Prior Projects FHWA Proj No. Year Project Name Amount Status SB-2002-1A-2 2002 Great River Road Interpretive $737,376 Unknown Center and Network of Interpretive Centers Project Coordinator: Laura Carstens Project Abstract The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is almost complete. This "Stories of the Mississippi" exhibit will substantially complete this $44 million museum which will be a world class interpretive facility for the river and the Great River Road. Stories of the Mississippi will be a dynamic exhibit with artifacts, life size scenes, and dramatic storytelling with sound and light of the river's history. It will be created in affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution. Note: Vi*ion Iowa has awarded S20 million to build the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. contingent upon the City of Dubuque and the Museum raising all remaining needed funds by June 2005. With this Scenic Byway Grant. the Vision Iowa grant can be secured and this d5 namic exhibit can be built. Without this Scenic Byway Grant or other funding, portions of the $20 million grant could be lost. Project Narrative In fiscal year 2002, Dubuque and the Museum received $737,376 to build the National Great River Road Interpretive Center as part of the Mississippi River Museum. That 1,500 square foot interprenve center is underway and is expected to be completed by spring 2003. The exhibit funded by this 2003 grant application is totally separate from the 2002 Scenic Byway gram project. This 2003 project request is a 6,000 square foot exhibit immediately adjacent to the Great River Road Interpretive Center and accessible from the same lobby space. Stories of the Mississippi will be a dramatic exhibit which will tell the story of the river. It will be an interactive 6.000 square foot exhibit housed within the new National Mississippi River Museum and SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 2 Project Narrative (Continued) Aquarium. The exhibit will use artifacts, graphic images, and dramatic sound and light story telling techniques to bring the river to life and make it meaningful to the Byway traveler Through this exhibit, the cultural patterns and attitudes of river people are brought to life with photographs, artifacts, and sound. Byway visitors will "encounter" fiver people. Boat artifacts. photographs, and illustrations are used to tell the story of the region's past from early dug-out tog canoes, to the great bark canoes of the French explorers, trappers and traders, to drift boats, log rafts. steanqboats: and recreational vessels. Native Americans: The story of the First River People will be told. A depiction of the community of Monks Mound at Cahokia will show the civilization and trade network of 10,000 years ago. Significant artifacts dramatic by lighted casework will show the stone, pottery, and historic items used in assoclarion with the river, including an Indian made dugout canoe Major Indian groups will be .denttfica on a map of the Mississipp,, along with the Indian names Ibr the river. Native American chants and drums and the natural sounds of the river wiI1 play in the gallery, along with lndian names ~tbr the river spoken by Native Americans. Exploration and Fur Trade - A life size diorama of Marquette and Joliet will depict the expedition of 1673. A rendezvous diorama will depict the trade and revelry of the semi-annual trading faix. A sound track will provide voyageur-paddhng sounds, the sound of water and wildlife, and words from Peter Pond's journal. Steamboat Age - A sound and light system will bring the steamboat to life. A stage (gangplank) will bring people to a steamboat deck where they view a 32-foot cutaway model of the Steamer Dubuque. This model shows people, architecture and mechanical systems on board and the Arched ceiling work overhead will represent the saloon, while steamboat artifacts and cabin furniture fi.om the Diamond Jo Line steamboats will be exhibited. Rafting - The story of the loggers and rafters of the Mississippi River will come to life with a backdrop of a floating log raft. Actual logs tied together are shown in the foreground and the imxnense size of the log raft is illustrated by use of mirrors. The lights will dim and a lone rafter tells his stoW of life on the river. Artifacts fi.om the logging era are illuminated while the sound track carries voices fi.om the past describing them. Boat and Boiler Works - A 200 square foot scale model diorama of the boatyard at the mm of the century wilI show the Sprague. the world's largest towboat, already completed and a railroad transfer boat ~usi launched. Models of the tbatherinu whcet aha m, ,~,,x~ let wheel x~ dI allow x ~sztors to themselves the ingenmty of the boatyard. Oral histories will provide stories of boatbuilding. Other major boatyards of the Mississippi River wilt be identified and a doctor pump will be activated. Small Boat Building ~ Boats that are undergoing work will take center stage along with engines, outboard motors and other small craft materials. A steam box will be used to bend wood for repairs and new construction. The pleasure launch Rosalie shows a family in a pleasure boat on the river. Oral histories describe river life and culture. Concepts: The Mississippi River has meant many things to many people. It has been a home, a path of exploration, a prize of war. a route to settlement, a barrier, a carrier of people, and a way of life. An onemation exhibit introduces the themes to be experienced and suggests how the Mississippi River has been a resource and a way of life to Native Americans, explorers, fur traders, voyageurs, lead miners, loggers, steamboat men, clammers, fishers, towboat hands and recreational users. The Mississippi is an enormous river with complex watershed, interconnected ecosystems, and technological and social systems shaping its use. It is also the water that flows past this specific place on the river. Before steamboats, keelboats carried people and heavy cargo on the river. An 80 foot keelboat would SB-2003qA-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 3 Project Narrative (Continued) draw only two feet and hundreds of keelboats could be found along the river. Early settlers. 19th century naturalists, and travelers commonly viewed nature and the river as an unlimited resource. Miners and settlers cleared the forests for homes and businesses and burned the wood in smelting furnaces and steam engine boilers. They felt the land, timber, and water would never run out and soil and debris ran into the river. Steamboats made transportation of people and cargo easy, bringing entrepreneurs, families, and adventurers to the Upper Mississippi. Steam engines powered the boats against the current, replacing the great human labor required for canoes, flatboats, or keelboats. Steamboats were workhorses, carrying passengers and freight, pushing log mfrs. towing barges, and dredging river bottoms. The natural river presented severe obstacles to the people on its banks: floods damaged houses, businesses and farms: disease flourished in the muddy sloughs; snags and rapids were threats to safety; and low water during the summer stranded steamboat passengers and cargo. Lieutenant Robert E. Lee surveyed the Des Moines Rapids for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1839. Beginning in the 19th century with inventor Henry Sba'eve, the goverm-nent built snag boats to rip the submerged stumps and trees which blocked the fiver. After the Civil War, improved technologies and increased populations prompted renewed efforts for an improved river. The Mississippi River Commission. established by Congress in 1879, was charged with protecting the banks of the Mississippi, improving navigation, promoting trade and commerce, and preventing floods. The artifacts of the locks and dams will be interpreted. Navigational aids such as buoys and day boards, radar reflectors, navigational charts, dredging plans, and other engineering accouterments, shipping receipts, graphics, photographic images of towboats and barges to show the ever increasing size and demand on the river system, a 1930s Corps hard hat, construction drawings of Lock and Dam #11 at Dubuque, and a sonar depth finder. A model of the Horatio G. Wright, a snagboat for the U. S. Array Corps of Engineers, which was built for the Louisiana Centennial Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. In this model, a giant tree is winched up between the boat's split hull. Deckhands stand ready to dismember the snag and, once dry, burn the roots in the steamboat's boilers. The Stories of the Mississippi exhibit will be based on themes developed by the ten state Great River Road. working in conjunction with the American Scenic Byways Resource Organization. the Federal Highway Administration. the National Park Service. the Delta Queen riverlorian the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a team ofinterpreuve planners. These advisors met with a representative from each of the ten states in St. Louis in May, 2002 to develop these themes, which were based on prewous work by the National Park Service tow::rds a proposed national heritage corridor. Jerry Enzler, the Director of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, was the representative from Iowa at this two day theme workshop. He also is the chair of the ten state Heritage and Culture Committee of the Great River Road and is working to implement a master interpretive plan of the Mississippi River including a network of more than fifty interpretive centers in ten states along the Great River Road. The overall theme and the 11 sub-themes developed by the ten states at the St. Louis conference are as follows: Overall Theme: The Mississippi River is the flow of life shaping land and peoples. Sub-Themes: *The Mississippi River is a ribbon of life for people, plants and animals. *As the river has influenced people, people have influenced the river. * The Mississippi River has nurtured prehistoric and historic cultures. *The Mississippi River inspires a variety of folk life.literary, fine art, and musical forms. SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 4 Project Narrative (Continued) *The Mississippi River has profoundly shaped American history. *The sn'ategic importance of the Mississippi River has resulted in conflict between nations and peoples. *The Mississippi River architecture reflects distinctive styles affected by cultural and natural resources. ~The Mississippi is one of the world's great rivers noted for its beauty, grandeur and diversity. ~The history of the Mississippi River transportation is a dramatic story reflecting the river's economic and commercial importance. *Mississippi River towns and cities reflect mid-19th century life. *The Mississippi River is a working river sustaining many industries. These themes are at the root of Stories of the Mississippi exhibit and they will be guiding principles as the scripts and concepts are developed. Note on fees - The Stories of the Mississippi Exhibit will be part of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium and therefore will be included in the regular admission area. No additional fees will be charged for this exhibit beyond the regular museum admission price. This is consistent with other Scenic Byway funded projects. Additionally, the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium has a policy that anyone who cannot afford admission to the museum is allowed in free. This is implemented by free admission to visitors on fuel assistance o7 reduced school lunch programs. Monadnock Media is a nationally recognized museum media firm with a specialty in creating exhibits that move the visitor in time and space. Monadnock created the award winning film River of Dreams for the Mississippi River Museum in 1996 and that film was voted best film in a history museum for 1996 at the annual Association of Museums meeting in Atlanta. The Des Moines Register reviewed the River of Dreams film as "15 minutes you'll never forget." The film is a real crowd pleaser and some museum visitors tell us they have seen the film over 20 times and still love it. Monadnock Media recently created the audio visual exhibits for the D-Day Museum in New Orleans which was supported by Stephen Ambrose. Stephen Speilberg, Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw. They also have created exhibits for the Smithsonian Institution's U.S. Postal Museum and the Museum of the American indian. The cost of the sound and light experiences in this proposal may seem high ro those unfamiliar with world class exhibitry costs, but they are quite modest compared to expenditures at Disney, Universal Studios and other major attractions. These programs will be authentically researched and scripted so that the actual story of the Mississippi River is conveyed. This project will complete the initial exhibits for the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium and the National Gmat River Road lnterpetive Center. The museum and Great River Road Interpretive Center is part of the $188 million America's River project, which will include the museum and Great River Road Interpretive Center. the Mississippi River National Education and Conference Center, a Riverwalk with amphitheater, plazas and other public amenties and a waterfront hotel with an indoor waterpark. Work Plan Line Start Date/ Item Task/Milestone Description Duration Work Category 001 Establish management agreement 01 Jan 2002 Byway Facilities 2 months Responsible Party: City of Dubuque Planner Laura Carstens SB-2003qA-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 5 Work Plan (Continued) 001 Justification: The City of Dubuque's Planning Services Director Laura Carstens and Mississippi River Museum Director Jerry Enzler will sign a management agreement with Iowa Scenic Byway Coordinator Margaret Roetman. 002 Develop concepts and scripts 01 Mar 2003 Byway Facilities 8 months Responsible Party: Museum Director Jerry Enzler Justification: Museum Director Jerry Enzler will coordinate a team of scholars, curators and media plarmers who will develop the conceptual treatment for the StoNes of the Mississippi exhibit. 003 Research, select and secure graphics 01 Mar 2003 Byway Facilities 8 months Responsible Party: Museum Curator Tacie Campbell Justification: Museum Curator Tacie Campbell will coordinate a team of experts who will research, select and secure the rights for the graphics images. 004 Create sound and light experiences 01 May 2003 Byway Facilities 12 months Responsible Party: Monadnock Media for the Museum Justification: Monadnock Media will create six dynamic sound and light experiences which will bring the story of the Mississippi River alive with Native Americans, fur traders, steamboat travelers, loggers, boat builders and small vessels. 005 Purchase and install technical equipment 01 May 2003 Byway Facilities 12 months Responsible Party: Monadnock Media for the Museum Justification: Monadnock will specify, purchase, and install equipment necessary for the sound and light experiences. This will include show controllers,specialty lighting, speakers and special effects. 006 Create and install exhibits 01 May 2003 Byway Facilities 12 months Responsible Party: Project Manager Mark Hantelmann Justification: The museum exhibit team, led by Mark Hantelmann and Wayne McDermott, wilt physically construct and install the StoNes of the Mississippi exhibit. 007 Publicize and open exhibit 01 Feb 2004 Marketing 5 months Responsible Party: Marketing Director Jeff Holmes SB-2003-1A-50703: Stodes of the Mississippi 6 Work Plan (Continued) ooTj Justification: Marketing Director Jeff Holmes will coordinate a $300,000 marketing campaign for spring, 2004. which will include this Stories of the Mississippi exhibit as one of its primary features. This campaign will include brochures, billboards, print media, electronic media, and public relations. Budget Line Item Description Total Cost Request Amt. 001 50 hours by Museum Director Jerry Enzler and City $2,125 $0 Planner Laura Carstens ~ $42.50/hr. 002 300 hours by Museum Director Jerry Enzler ~ $42.50/ $38,750 $26,000 hr and 1,000 hours by scholars and researchers ~ $26/hr 003 400 hours by Museum Curator Tacie Campbell and $10,400 $10,400 research team @ $26/hr 004 Budget proposals from Monadnock Media, based on past $126,000 $126,000 work for Smithsonian and Mississippi River Museum. 6 ~ $21,000 each 005 Show control systems, speciality lighting, multi-channel $292,500 $292,500 sound systems, speakers and electrical - 6 programs ~ $48,750 006 Exhibit casework, signage and materials. 6,000 square $20,800 $20,800 feet ~ $10 sq. ft., and technician services-800 hours ~ $26/hr. 007 The museum will expend $300,000 to market the 2004 $105,000 $0 season through brochures, billboards, print media and electronic media, and public relations with primary emphasis on the Stories of the Mississippi exhibit. Assuming 35% of this cost as match. . Totals $595,575 $475,700 Match amount (total cost - requested amount) is $119,875 or 20.1% of total Match accounted for in Match Breakdown is $119,875 or 20.1% of total. These two amounts must be equal for the Budget and Match sections to be complete. For your information, 80% of Total Cost is $476,460, and 20% of Total Cost is $119,115. Your match amount cannot be less than 20% of Total Cost. Match Breakdown Source Members and donors Description Type Private contributions Cash Value $119,875 SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 7 Match Breakdown (Continued) Source I Description I Type Total Value $119,875 Total from items above: $119,875 or 20.1% of total. Match amount from Budget: $119.875 or 20.1% of total. These two amounts must be eaua for the Budget and Match sections to be complete. For your information, 80% of Total Cost is $476,460, and 20% of Total Cost is $119 115. Your match amount cannot be less than 20% of Total Cost. Project Coordinator Coordinator Name Laura Carstens Agency/Group Title City of Dubuque Planner E-mail Address lcarsten ~cityofdubuque.org Phone 563-589-4110 F~;3-589-4149 Street Addres.¢ 5O W, 13th St. City State ZIP Dubuque IA 52001 State Program State Byway Program Start Date 01 Jun 1987 Scenic Byway Agency Iowa Department of Transportation-Office of Corridor Development State Scenic Byways Coordinator M:~rgarer Roctman E-mail Address margaret.roetman~dot.sram.ia.us Phone 515-239-1792 ~5-239-1982 Street Address 800 Lincoln Way City State ZIP Am es IA 50010 SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississfpp~ 8 Signatures State Scenic Byways Agency Margaret Roetman iowa Scenic Byway Coordinator Matching Funds Certification Date Jerry Enzler Mississippi River Museum Director Date SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 9 Congressional Members Associated States State Senators lA Grassley, Chuck Harkin, Tom State Re presentatives District Representative State IA Nussle, Jim SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 10 Attachments [] Map showing location [] Visitation Parameters - for the Mississippi River Discovery Center [] Iowa Corridor Management Plan - Vision, Goals and Objectives [] Planning Summary [] Partnerships [] Endorsements [] Project Personnel [] Project Consultants [] Selected letters of support [] America's River book - site map page 10- I ] SEt-2003-tA-50703: Stodes of the Mississippi 11 OFFICE OF THOMAS J. MARTIN Economic Research and Management Consultants Vtt-3 0 0 0 oo CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAX J A x U A R 't 2 0 0 0 "ISION, CO.-',.I_S AND OBiECTIVES The overall vision for the iowa Great River Road Scenic Byway is: The Iowa Great River Road Scenic Byway presents opportunities for protecting and promoting the scenic, natural, historic, archeological, cultural and recreational resources of the Mississippi River so that the quality of life enjoyed by Iowans and all Midwesterns can be sustained and a unique destination can be provided for travelers from across the world. A mission of the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission is to work with all stakeholders To ultimately achieve this vision. Goals mat me Iowa Mississlpp River Parkway Commission intend to achieve include: · Continue the identification, documentation and protection of the intrinsic resources of the Great River Road. · Expand the loca~ citizen awareness of the resources and importance of the Great River Road ~n Iowa and the adjoining states. · Provide new travel experiences through effective interpretation and promotion of the Great River Road. · Increase information services to residents and organizations along the Great River Road. · Identify economic development opportunities based on the sensitive use of the Road's intrinsic resources. · Sustain existing alliances with other organizations that are interested in the future.of the Great River' Road and devel.: p new partnerships wnere needed. · Identify volunteer opportunities for individuals and organizations. A central theme for interpreting the Iowa Great River Road will be based on the following: People, communities, the nation and the world are sustained by the history, the nature and the society of the Mississippi River. CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Historic: Encompassing legacies of the past that are distinctl;, assoc,atea w,~n physical elements of the landscape, whether na~ura or manmade, that are of such historic s~gnificance that they educate me viewer and stir an aaarec~anon for the past. · NationaI ReDster Histodc Districts · Nat~onat Register Historic sites · National River Museum, Dubuque · Locks and Dams · S~te historica sites · Historic cemeteries · County historical museums · Private historic s~tes Recreational: Outdoor recreational activities direct!y associated with and dependent upon the natural and cultural elemems of the corridor's landscaoe. The recreational activities provide opportunities for active and ~)ass~ve recreational expenences. · Water-based recreation opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting · Protected wildlife management properties, state preserves · State, county and city parks · Nature centers · Many types of hiking and bicycling trails · Primitive and modem campgrounds · W.Idlife viewing · Antioue and art shopping · Performing artsand cultural even'Is · Evening entertainment_casinos · Art museums Amheoloqical: Those characteristics of the scenic byway corridor that are visible, physical evidence of historic or orehistoric human life or activities and are capable of being inventoried and interpreted. · Effigy Mounds National Monument · Toolesboro Indian Mounds Nationa Histc % Landmark · Museums · Burial settlement sites · Interpretattve programs CORRIDOR MANAq F','.b%7 PL.-xx JANUARY 2000 ,\, I5ITOR EXPERIENCE PLANNING Interpretation Opportunid es (14) A number of organizations provide interpretation programs for the Great River Road and the Mississippi River. These range from static exhibits dynamic and interactive programs. Effective interpretation of the Great River Road is one of its greatest c pportunities and needs. Providing interpretation will be the responsibility of many organizations and the Commission will encourage and support efforts to enhance the visitor expenence ~n the following areas: Steec liraestone bluff at Mississtpp~ River's edge · Development of interpretive master plans for the sites and regions · Establishing measurable learning, behavior and emotion objectives based on the overriding themes and sub-themes of the Great River Road and the Mississ'ppi River · Coordinating efforts among interpretation providers to reduce duolication · Canvassing programs To assure ~,,*,at me majority of the visitor segments are addressed · Using up-to-date media · Providing accountable measures of success in reaching targeted audiences Desig-n Standards (13) While no major improvements or re-alignment of the route are foreseeable the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission is available to assist the IDOT and ocal transportation agencies with assuring that improvement projects are designed and implemented in ways that are sensitive to the intrinsic qualities Mississippi River Museum Planning Summary The Mississippi River Museum bezan working on the River Discovery Center projec~ with scholars and planners in 1992. supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Community input sessions began in 1993 with focus group sessions, person on the street interviews, and targeted discussions to involve a broad cross section of the commtmny. A ser~es ofpublic forums was held to assess public interest in the project. Educators, communit3 leaders. labor representatives, tourism officials, students and the public met together to develop the plan. An Interpretive Plan Schematic Design for the project was created with the design firm of Lyons Zaremba in 1997, outlining the exhibits, aquariums and other museum elements. A Visitor Circulation Assessmem was prepared by ORCA Company which has completed similm' visitor circulation assessments for Disney, Epcot and the "Final Four" basketball toumamem. Their report shows the average length of time at each exhibit and estimates the total average length of stay at 179 minutes, just under three hours. This means that some visitors will stay 5 to 6 hours while others may limit their initial visit to 1 1/2 to 2 hours. A Review of Aquarium Systems and Selection of Animals was prepared by Dr. Joseph Norton and Dr. Dave Collins, curators for the Tennessee Aquarium. This provides essential advice for efficient operation of the aquariums. Engineering and Life Support Systems for the aquarium tanks was completed by Enertec. which does all the life support and engmeenng for Sea World facilities. A Planting Plan for Wetlands and Forests was prepared by Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, Wisconsin. This is one of the top four ecological wetland designers in the country. An Operations Feasibility Study was prepared by the Office of Thomas J. Martin, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Martin has a long history of operational assessment, having worked for museum and visitor attractions all over the country including several in the Midwest. This in-depth repor~ on the operations of the Center has guided decisions as to size, staffing and operations, thereby help to ensure long term feasibility of the center. The museum also participated with the City of Dubuque and adjacent attractions in a Parking Study which revealed that the combined parking needs for the Ice Harbor attractions are met during the time periods that the Interpretive Center will be open. The Mississippi River Museum currently serves 75,00 people mmuall3 -fi-om 50 states and 30 foreign counmes. It is among the 9% of museums in the country that are accredited by the American Association of Museums. The River Museum's River of Dreams film, narrated by Garrison Keillor. was voted "Best Film in a History Museum" in 1997 by the Americml Association of Museums and the Des Moi~es Regixter review headlined it, "Fifteen Minutes You'll Never Forget.' Partnerships and funding for the Mississippi River Discovery Center (the host for the Great River Road Interpretive Center). The River Discovery Center will be a national museum that has attracted substantial National and Regional support: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Sen, ice - The museum has signed a 20 -year partnership agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to interpret the Upper Mississippi River. Dubuque centrally located in the Fish and Wildlife Service's Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. which is the nation's longest and most visited refuge, with 3 million visitors a year. The Refuge is 261 miles long and contains 194.900 acres in four states - Minnesota. Wisconsin. Iowa, and Illinois. This will be the refuge's first major interpretive center. Senator Harkin. Senator Grassley and Congressman Nussle were successful in secunng major support from the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife budget. A letter of support was secured from all five governors of the Upper Mississippi River. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - The museum has a five-year partnership agreement with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg, Mississippi. and all six districts on the Mississippi River. to interpret the Corps' role in managing the Mississippi River. The museum has visited with all six districts of the Corps, (St. Paul. Rock island. St. Louis, Memphis. Vicksburg, and New Orleans) working with historians and plauners and has also visited three times with the congressionally appointed Mississippi River Commission. U.S. Coast Guard - The museum has a three year partnership agreement with the U. S. Coast Guard. This agreement, sig"ned with Admiral Paul Pluta in New Orleans in 2000, provides assistance ro the museum's efforts to tell the story of aids to navigauon, safety efforts on the river, and the considerable number of boats built at the museum site for the Coast Guard. U. S. GeologicaI Survey - The museum is working with scientists at the U.S. Geological- survey to create flood plain models and other exhibits. Over the past 14 years, the Geological Surveys' Mississippi Environmental Monitoring Programs at Onalaska, Wisconsin, has conducted over ~ 100 million of research. This partnership allows the Geological Survey to find a public outlet for this infom~ation and allows the museum to have at its disposal the latest scientific research of the river. · U.S. Department of Transportation - 6 grants have been from TEA-21 Transportanon Enhancement Funding, including funds for historic restoration and adjacent trails. · Institute of Museum and Library Services. Through Senator Harkin's (D-IA) efforts, over $3 million has been secured for exhibits for the River Discovery Center HUD. U.S. Senator Torn Harkin secured HUD funding for the America's River project to fund planning and design of the center. · National Endowment for the Humanities - 6 grants from this highly competitive grant agency for exhibits, construction and endowment. · National Park Service Grant - Provide funds for the outdoor boatyard exhibit developmem which will tell the story of the boat building which took place on the site for over 200 years. · U.S. Department of Agriculture - The museum has consulted several times with officials for the USDA's National Resource Conservation Service. American Heritage Rivers Project, a national effort of 56 communities to encourage tourism and travel along the upper Mississippi River including the River Discoverv Center project James Lee Witt. then secretary of the Federal Emergency Managemem Administration (FEMA/, was sent to Dubuque by President Clinton at the mmouncement of the program m 1999. The State of Iowa is investing $27 million and has granted the America's River project a grant of $40 million. This includes $20 million for the River Discovery Center. the largest award in the state. Private funding has been secured for the Mississippi River Discovery Center in the amount of over $12 million, including major support from the entire length of the Mississippi River. This includes gifts from $2 to $2 million and support from environmental interests and barge company foundations. Selected Endorsements "The Mississippi River Discover3 Center will bring a depth of scholarship to bear to the national story of the Mississippi. We are pleased to have been a part of this project from its inception in 1992, providing major funding for scholars and designers as well as a challenge grant at the highest level awarded in the nation." Bill Ferris, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanines. "America's River is a dynamic project for Iowa. I traveled to New Orleans with America's River leaders to meet with CEO's of the nation's largest barge companies to secure support for this world class educational center." Governor Ten5' Branstad, former Governor. Iowa "America's River will be the interpretive center for the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, the most visited refuge in the country and longest refuge in the 48 contiguous United States. It is an attraction on par with the Grand Canyon and has as many visitors as Yellowstone National Park." Bill Hartwig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, Minneapolis. 20-year partnership agreement signed January 13, 1998 "The Mississippi Valley Division of the Corps of Engineers mhd all six districts along the length of the Mississippi River are working in partnership with this national center to tell the great story of the Mississippi River." Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg Five-year partnership agreement signed November 13, 1998. "America's River will be a dynamic center for the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The Coast Guard is working in partnership with America's River ~o make this a national effort." Rear Admiral Paul Pluta, Commander U.S. Coast Guard 8th District, New Orleans 3-year partnership agreemem signed May 25, 2000. "America's River is one of the most dynamic projects in the country. We are excited to work with America's River as we plan Audubon's National Upper Mississippi birding trail." Dan McGuiness. Director Audubon national effort for the Upper Mississippi River Delegations of local citizens and local government officials have appeared before the U.S. House of Represematives Budget Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies in 1998 and again in 1999. U. S. Senators Harkin and Grassley and Congressman Nnssle. and their staffs, have worked tirelessly to advance the project, both in the hails of Congress and with potential supporters. Project Personnel Museum Executive Director Jen-y Enzler (24 years with the museum} has a master's degree in museum studies at Cooperstown Graduate Program, State University of New York. He is past chair of the Historical. Cultural aa~d Archaeological Committee of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission and fom~er co-chair of the National Maritime Alliance. He has served on the Iowa Museum Association long range planning committee and director's special standing professional committee. He as appeared on History Channel, and National Public Television programs in Germany and Japan. and on National Public Radio in Chicago and Austria. He has been instructor in History and Museum Studies at Clarke College, Dubuque. He was the recipient of Dubuque's 1991 "I st Citizen Award," and Humanities Iowa's first award for "Distinguished Public Programming in the Humanities" in 1991 Development Director Teri Goodmann (6 years - B. A. in history, Clarke College) directs the museum's public relations efforts. She coordinates the fund raising program, conducts the membership program, recruits volunteers, and plans events. She has extensive background in fund raising, marketing, and events, having chaired a local political parry, been pres/dent of several church and volunteer groups, and successfully managed cainpaigns for local, state and national office. Curator Tacie Campbell (20 years with the museum - M.A, history museum studies, Cooperstown Graduate Program) has twenty-seven years museum experience. She directs the research and curatorial circle mad supervises a team of archival assistants, interns, and volunteers who provide collections management and historical research on a regular basis, many coming three afternoons a week. She has served as chair of the curator's con'mxittee for the Midwest Outdoor Museum Coordinating Council, director of the Galena Historical Society and education coordinator for the Calgary, Alberta museums. She is an Illinois Museum evaluator, panelist for the Iowa Historic Resource Development Grant program and board member of the Dubuque County Historic Preservation Commission and the Iowa Victorian Society. Operations Director Mark Wahlert (M. S. Museum' Management, George Washington Universit,.,. Washington, DC) supervises the team of interpreters, volunteers and housekeepers who come into daily contact with visitors and markets the museums and programs. Before coming to the museum he was on the Smithsonian's Capital Campaigaa for the New Millennium and, while a student at George Washington, interned at the Office of the Director, Smithsonian's Museum of American History. National and Statewide Historical Consultants Dr. John Anfinson is the former district historian, St. Paul District. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and now historian with the National Park Service, Mississippi Minnesota National Recreation Area. He received his PhD in history from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Anfinson has just completed the manuscript for a new history of the Upper Mississippi River, examinin$ the movements for and nature of navigation improvements from the early 1800s to 1940. It explores the origins of the conservation movement on the river and the effects of navigaion projects on the river's ecosystems Tom Boland is fisheries bioloaist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He has been an advisor to the River Discove .ry Center project from its inception and has brought his personal knowledge and contacts at the Iowa department of Natural Resources to the project. Mr. Boland is one of the founding organizers of the Catfish Creek Coalition and is also a key member of the River Discovery Center Consortium, a consortium o foyer 50 environmental groups and individuals who are advising the project. Dr. Edward T. Cawley is professor emeritus, biology, Loras College, Dubuque and founder of the Environmental Research Center at Loras College. Over the last 18 years the Environmental Research Center has funded 75 studies by undergraduate students in these areas and has contracted with the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Departments of Natural Resources of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The Environmental Research Center maintains the Loras College Diatom Culture Collection. the largest culture collections of freshwater diatoms in the world. Dr. Cawley has worked with several humanities based projects including Iowa Public Broadcasting's "Land Between Two Rivers" and work with the State Department of Natural Resources for the development of the National Register Mines of Spain site at Dubuque. Dr. David Edmunds is a Native American scholar and a person of Indian descent himself. He is Watson Professor of American History at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is consultant ro numerous Indian tribes including the Potawatomi and the Otoe-Missouria. He has published The Potawatonties: Keepers of the Fire (Francis Parkman Prize~, The Shawnee Prophet (Ohioana Prize for Biography).a,;d The Fox Wars: The Mesquakie Challenge to New France I Alfred Heggoy Book Prize. French Colonial Historical Society). He has served as consultant to several award winmng documentaries including The Way West. Five Hundred Nations. and Black Hawk which will appear on the History Channel in 2000. Katherine Fischer is director of the Writing Lab and assistant professor of English at Clarke College in Dubuque. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont, and is a Humanities Iowa Scholar. She has served as an advocate for women's issues and diverse perspectives in her writings and in numerous community organizations. Ms. Fischer has extensive experience m writing that is inclusive of women and minorities. Ben Fuller is fonner curator for Mystic Seaport Museum (1978-1990~ and now is an historian and consulting expert on small craft and their role in American history. His exhibits and consultations include work at Mystic Seaport, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. South Street Seaport, the Bermuda Maritime Museum, the Americm~ Canoe association, the Adirondack Mu scum. lite Independence Seaport Museum and the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque. Dr. Edward Hawes is a social historian with a wealth of experience in historic site interpretation and environmental history. He has conducted several surveys and inventories of historic resources, including waterfront surveys for the City of Bath, Maine, and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. He has worked on NEH supported projects for the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Illinois State Museum, Lincoln's New Salem. and Living History Farms in Des Moines. Dr. Hawes was the director of the Clayville Rural Life Center and Museum. Pleasant Plains, Illinois, an eleven-acre site with an early [gth century rain, house-inn, two barns and several outbuildings. Dr. Ken Lubinski and scholars at the U. S. Geological Survey's Environmental Management Program at Onalaska. Wisconsin have conducted over S 100 million of federally funded research and monitoring on the Upper Mississippi in the past ten years. Dr. Lubinski brings this information to the public through River Discovery, particularly the flood plain stream table. Dr. Tom Morain, Ph.D. in American Civilization at the University of Iowa, is Administrator for the State Historical Society of Iowa and the fom~er Director of Research and Interpretation at Living History Fan~s, Des Moines, Iowa. He is author of Prairie Grass Roots: the Hiszo~3, of an Iowa Small To,wi. which won the 1988 Shambangh Award from the Iowa Historical Society and co-author of Iowa Past to Presem, the People and ~he Prairie which is now used as the Iowa History School textbook. As director of research and interpretation. Dr. Morain has developed interpretative manuals and educationaI materials at Living History Farms. He serves on the NEH review panel for the State Humanities Board / Council funding. Dr. Philip Scarpino is Director of Graduate Programs, Department of History, at Indiana Univemity and an environmental historian. He is the author of Great River: An Environmental History of the Upper Mississippi, ]890-1940 (University of Missouri Press, 1985 I. He was a humanist scholar for both the "Harvesting the River" and the "Always a River" project, two waterborne river exhibits funded in part by NEH. He is a well-known author and regular presenter on issues of public history and environmental history and is a founding member of the Center on History-Making in America. Exhibit designers Lyons Zaremba, Boston, MA, outlined the initial exhibit concepts. Lyons Zaremba are awa:d.winning designers known '~'or tlneir national projects including~ the New England Aquarium in Boston, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga (the worlds larges~ fresh water aquar/um) and Visitors Centers at Charleston, South Carolina, and Natchez, Mississippi. Steven Bressler is director of Monadnock Media, Inc. and has experience on several audiovisual projects. He has created audiovisual programs for the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, the Old State House Museum in Little Rock, the New York Historical Association in Coopersrown. the Massachusetts State Her/tage Parks, the Concord Antiquarian Society /NEH implementation grant) and the Newport Historical Society (NEH implementation grant) He has worked with several museums on state humanities council projects. Other scholars serving on the Museum's advisory committee include: · Dr. Michael Allen, University of Washington - Tacoma, author of Western Rivermen. 1763- 1861 · Jo~'~ Barry, author of Rising Tide: How the Flood of 1927 Cha~ged ~4merica · Jack Custer, editor of the scholarly Egregiozts Stean~boat Journal · Dr. William Goetzmann, Pulitzer prize winning author ofE.¥ploratio~ & Eurol;e and T/re 14/esl of the h~agi~at~on · Stephen Ambrose, author of Undaztnted Cou;xtge, IS a member of the museum who has visited the museum and advised on early exploration history Nationally recognized architects, planners and scholars have designed this to be a world class facility: · EHDD, San Francisco - the architects of the Monterey Bay Aquarium · Lyons/Zaremba, Inc, Boston - the designers of the Tennessee Aquarium · Enertec, San Diego - life support designers for all Sea World facilities · ORCA - visitor circulation consultants to Disney World and EPCOT Selected Letters of Support Upper Mississippi River Congressional Task Force Congressman Jim Nussle. Iowa Congressman Ron Kind, Wisconsin Congressman Jim Leach. Iowa Congressman Gil Gutnecht, MN Congressman James Oberstar, MN Con~essman Leonard Boswell, Iowa Con~essman Tom Latham, Iowa Congressman Lane Evans, Illinois Congressman Bennie Thompson, MS Governors of Five Upper Mississippi River States 1999 U. S. Representanve Jim Nussle - Iowa U. S. Senator John C. CuIver. Former Senator of Iowa Dr. Willard L. Boyd, President Emeritus, University of Iowa President Emeritus. The Field Museum National Endowment for the Humanities National Audubon Society Dubuque Board of Supervisors Greater Dubuque Development Corporation - Rick Dickinson The Honorable Ralph Regula Cha 1 rman House Interior ADProrriat~ons SubcommitEee .... .~D__n ~.'ouse Office Wa shlngton, D.C. 20515 Building Dear Chairman Regula: On behalf of the bipartisan Upper Mississippi River Conwressional Task Force and other Members of Conoress who understand the significance of the Mississippi Ri~er, we would like to share our support for a project we think would be a great asseE ~o the Upper Mississippi River Basin and the entire nation. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge stretches 261 miles in five states and is considered to be a premier wildlife refuge in the country. While over 3 million people a year visit this refuge, there currently is no major interpretive center for this refuge or for the Upper Mississippi Riveralong Basin. the entire The only. other large interpretive center located Tennessee. M!ssissippi River is Mud Island, in MeD~his, The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Interpretive Can=er in Dubuque, Iowa, will provide Tk~o.~visit°rs- to the refuge a un.i~e view of the Mississippi River. · - -gn various exhibits, &quaria, an outdoor wetland and boat- building demonstrations, visitors will be able to explore the social, economic and environmental history of the Upper Mississippi. The Interpretative Center has already raised over $11 million from private donations from citizens across the country and from s=ate and local government funds. The Interpretive Center representatives are requesting that $2 mill/on of the U.S. Fish end,Wildlife budgeE be designated for planning, design and construc=ion of exhibits for the Center. These exhibits will include large scale aquaria with fish and wildlife of the -Mississippi River in habi=at that Co-exist with the lock and dams, dredged channel and recreatiDnal uses on the Mississippi. The Interpretive Center has already signed a 20-year partnership agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Task Force as aware of a similar partnership agreenr~ent sianed besween Fergus Falls, Einnesota, and the U.S. Fish and Wild~i~e Service for the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. Once the Interpretive Center is fully operational, it will be managed by the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque and wi!! no5 require any federal funding or suppsrt. We support these efforts and hope you will give every consideration to the funding request for the Upper Mississippi River Nstional ~' '~ Z~l~.ife and Fish Refuge Interpretive Center. Sincerely, V~ Obers ~=r To~. Latham Lane Evans OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR ApriI28,1999 The Honorable RzJph Regula, Cha/rrnar. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Int~or B-308 Raybarn House Office Building Washin~on~ D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Regula: The M/ssissippi River is one of the world's gr~test namr~ tre2sures and pro~ides Amcrlc2 ~,ith significant economic, recreauor~ tad en~/ronmenI~ benefits. As the govemor~ of the five states that shzre the Upper Mississippi Pover, we strongly support the development of the first-of-its-kind Upper/Vfississippi Pover Interpretive Center to sha-e ks bound' ~ith all citizens. The Upper Mi,$issippi gr~Idlife md Iri~ Refuge is 26I miles long, is the home of 40% of the nation's ~grmor,j, waterfowl, contribute~ b~iom Io the commercial economs; md attracts annual recreational ~pending of $1.2 billion per year. A partnership of private citizem, state mol local government, corporations, businesses md foundations has adv~cex] a pla.n for the first Interpretive River Center, to be loc2~ed ir, Dubuque, Iowa. Lo:al agencies ~.,xl private cniz~ns ~e. mvestin~ over 50ry~ of the construct/on cost~ ~cl wi/I as,u.me a.l] of the operatin~ ~M ma-mtenance costs wh,'n the Cent~ is completed. A Parmersh/p .4~Teement is now in place berv,,~n the Mississi:~pi P0ver M~:seum tad th, U.S. Fis5 & Wildlife Service to ~ntc"r-pret the Upper MisSissippi River Wildlife and Fish Refage. A pa.?er~hip is being finalized with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Vall~'DMsion, to interpret the Upper Mississippi ~ver. The MJssi~ippi R/vet Museum and the City of Dubuque a.~e requesting $2 mill/on for planning, site development, and constru~on as pm of the U.S. Fish & '~'Sldlife Se:'wice burlget for FY 2000. to be fully rrmtched by non-fcae,"a] ~ources The people ofour five states tm co~'rJukng $13 million toward tI~ $26 million Center. Adddtionally, over $8 m/Ilion in private funds have b~n r~/sed thus far. We offer our strong ~md a~--tu~ized ~pport to the creation ofth~s major new Interpretive Cemer. We ~k you far your fund/rig support to n~ce the Upper Mississippi River Interpretiv,, psge 2 Ceme; a r~Hty, not just for thc pcop]¢ of our ~;t~te.% but as an education, c-nvlronnmma/~md ' culturaJ ~ifl to America ~ the world. Sinccreb,, St~e of lltinois ~~ vemor Sesse~ State of~sconsLn ' ~~so~a~tura Governor MeI Carn~han Stale o£Missouri The ~{onorable Ralph Re.la Subcommittee On The interior B-308 Rayburn House ~fic= Dear Chairman As the House and the Senate prepare for the upcoming Interior Approprlations conference, I would like co express my strong support for the retention of funding in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill for the Upper Mississippi'River Refuge Interpretive Center in Dubuque, Iowa. The Interior Appropriations bill passed by the Senate includes Sl.2 million in funding for the Interpretive Center. This initiative would benefit the entire nation by providing a world-class center for interpreting and exploring the history of the Upper Mississippi River. The Interpretive Center would also serve as the nucleus for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge which extends 261 miles north and south of Dubuqae. Currently, there is no interpretative center for this refuge, which is visited by over 3 million people a year. - urge you to ~zve eve~f consideration to this worthy project. Please do no~ hesitate to contact me if you have any ~aestions. er of Congress John C. Culver March 10. t999 N!r. L.t:r: Dc,id C tcrk. Minority Staff' Senate Comminee on Appropriauons Interior and Related Agencms SH- 123 Hart Senate Office Building Washington. DC 20510-6033 Dear Kur% I am writing in support of the 513 million dollar appropriation request which is pending before 3'our Subcomminee for the Mississippi River Discovery Center in Dubuque, Iowa. I lived in McGregor. a nearby communi%,, for man3' years and was privileged to represem Dubuque and the Northeast comer of the State bordering the river in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for 16 years. I have thus had a great interest in the river and the Center project is an outstanding partnership which will enrich the understanding and appreciation of all who visit this remarkable historic region and it's spectacular environment. I know you have extraordinary competing demands on limited resources but my enthusiasm for what they are doing with this exciting effort compelled me to x~zite and express my strong feelings in this matter. I do greatly appreciate the Committee giving this most xvorthwhile funding request ever3, appropriate consideration. Thank you yen., much. Sincerel., ~-lSn C. Culver bec: Teri Goodman THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA April 26, 1999 National Endov, znem for the Humanities c,o Je.,v.y 'Znzler. Direct ar Dubuque County Historical Society P.O. Box 266 Dubuque. IA 52004-0266 Dear Friends: I strongly endorse the application of the Dubuque County Historical Society for NEH Challenge Grant funds to support the establishment of the Mississippi Pdver Discovery Center and the creation of four endowed positions at the Museum. · The River Discovery Center will be a significant expansion to the Mississippi River Museum' s offerings. It will examine human relationships v,2th one oft.he nation's greatest natural resources, the Mississippi River, and interpret our attitudes towards the river over time. The Museum is also applying for funds to create endowed positions for curator of environmental history, education director, lead interpreter and collections manager. These positions will significantly strengthen the museum's ability, to present the humanities to the public. The Mississippi River Museum is an outstanding institution. It has developed an enthusiastic and dedicated constituency. Its organization is exceptionally effective and its programs are pacesetting. An NEH Challenge Grant wouldxecognize a major regional educational center and would enable the Museum to leverage vital financial resources. Thank you for your consideration. WLB mes Sinceretv yours, Willard L. Boyd Professor of Law and President Emeritus University of Iowa and The Field Museum College oiL aw 280BoydLawBIag. towaCiry, lowa52242-1113 FAX319/335-9098/335-9019 J ] 0(; ?emz~ ~,lvama ,4 :'enue. :Y g' II'~.shingloiv, DC 20~06 Februarvih. 2000 Je~v A. Enzler, Director Dubuque County HistoricalSocie:v P.O. Box 2v6 Dubuque, lA 52004-0266 Dear Mr. Enzter: On behalf of the National Endoxwnent for the Humanities, I would like to congratulate you on your NEH chailenge ~rant. The EndowTnent is very pleased to join 'Mth you in strenZherhna humanities actix ities at the Dubuque County Historical Society. This is a high honor: yours is one of only seven museums and historical organizations to receive such an award in fiscal year 2000. As you know, NEH challenge grants are awarded only after a demanding peer review process. Your proposal was reviewed by directors of history museums and other historical organizmions who have expertise in tong-term planning for the humanines. These evaluators were especially impressed with the humanities themes selected for the River Discovery Center. This effort will be an important addition to the general public's understanding of the nature of the river and the ways in which people and the natural world interact. Going far beyond the scope of most county historical societies, your organization has become a vehicle for telling the big story of the Mississippi River to local, regional, and national audiences. Again, con~ratulations~ on )'our NEH challen~e_ ~ant. We are deli~ohted to be a funding panner for this exciting endeavor, and I hope others wilt join with-us in supportmg the enriclunent of the humanities in America. Sincerely, William R. Ferris Chairman Nation l u dubon Society May 18, 1998 ~2ongressmaq Ralph Regxla. - United States House of Representatives 2309 Raybum Office Build/rig ' .?~hing~on, D.C. 20515 Mirmesota Audubon Council 26 Eas~ Exchange Street. Suite 207 Si. Paul. ~MfN 5510] _(6.12) 25-1830 FAX. I612~ 2254486 Dear Representative R~ala: I am writing to ask your support for a $1.2 m~lhon appropriation to the budgelt of the U.S. FLxh 'and Wildlife Sen'ice budget for planminr and ske developmcnt for ~a Upper M~issippi River Natigrad Wildlife and F~h ~ · - Refuge tmerpretlve Center to be located in Dubuque, Iowa. Senator Tom Har'kin (Iowa) and Senator Ctmrles Grissley (iowa) are sending a letter supporting ' ' ~ approFristion as ~ of the FY 1999 budget for the U.S. Fish and W'fldl/fe Service. " A~ d/rector of the National Audubon Society's Upper Mississi~i River Campalg~ I urge your support of this appropriation in support of this nationally si~;~;cant resource. This appropriation" ' Iowa,W°uldMinnesota.aUgment theMissour/S6 mil/ionandalreadVwisc~nsin3raised by citizens, fi'~m the five upper r~ver .~,*~ ('illinois, and would assure an additional $7 mill/on in non- .- federal, funds, dependent upon favor'able support fi'om Congress this ye,qr. ,, Three important reasons to support ~s ~propriation are: ' ' · In return for $12 mill/un in support from Congrms, the citizens of the region are - ': willing to commit $13 m/lion in non-federal support. · The Dubuque River Museum wLll assUme all ongoing expenses of the interpretive center without ongoing costs to the federal government _ · 'i-he U.S. Fish and Wi/dlife Sm'ice, R~giun 3, and the museum have signed a 20-year partnersh/p agreement for the museum ro inte~re~, the refuge. This museum, located in Dubdque, Iowa, is located at the junction of Iowa, Ill/nois and Wisconsin and serves international, and nit/ora/visitors through Ch/cago and Mfilwaukee. The Upper Mississipi2i River Natiorm! Wildl/t'e ad Fish Refaae is the nation's longest ~nd mos~- - Cemm~'rcial navl gtion s~ ~,a nanonat~y st~-anc,-mt ecosystem and a nationally slvni~canI . - g 3,stem. . - As a treasm'ed economic and gcologfcal resource, tkis river and thg people it ~erves need y6ur _ ~pport_ Please contact John Conrad in Sen~or Omssley's office at 202-2203744 or Win-ten Gunnels in Senator Harkin's office a~ 202-224- 1214. .:' . Upper Mississippi Pdver Campaign' -' .. Mirmesota Chapters Of National Auctubon Socie : ' A,,ass~z AlbertLea ·Austm · Cenn'~JMnnesota · Duluth'. '" ,, *- - , . *- - "' " Minnesota Raver .Valley · Miss~ss~pp~ Head'o, aters · St. Paul · Whffe Pine ~ Wild River · Zumbro Va2ley PHONE: 319- 589-.t441 FA;(: 319-58s-4478 COURTHOUSE DUBUQUE, IOWA 5200~-7053 DONNA L SMITH ALAN R. MANTERNACN JIM WALLER Apfilt9,1999 The Honorable Tom Harldn Uhited States Senate 531 Hart Office Building Wast'ing-ton DC 20510 Dear Senator Hark/n: We thank you for your support of the Dubuque, Iowa, America's River project and believe that the project represents an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate your leaderskip as a steward of America's narurai resources. As you know, this project Mll celebrate America's greatest fiver, the Mississippi, appropr/ately at Dubuque, Iowa where, thanks to President Carter and Senator Culver, Jul/on Dubuque's Mines of Spain are preserved, and where the National Rivers Hall of Fame is located, and where 65,000 people anmmlly visit the ex/sting Mississippi River Museum. With your leadership, we have been able to enjoy the Federally-designated wildlife refuge just north of Dubuque, on the Mississippi R/ver; the America's River project will enhance that refuge and will interpret the River to people from thoughout the entire planet earth. Dubuque Coun .ty is.iustifiably proud of the progression of evenks initiated here to preserve our cultural heritage, and to present the rich h/story of our Dubuque County, one of the two original Iowa Counties, and the River's predominant role in it, to succeeding generations. America ~s River has brought together Dubuque County and City governments, the Dubuque County Historical Society., the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, the State of Iowa and private individuals and foundations. This collaboration has also involved environmentalists,, industry professionals and cifize~z from around the region and nation to create an interpretative and education center. It is estimated that we can expect 175,000 visitors per year, where people can enjoy the natural wonder of the ~Mississippi River and learn of its role in the development of this nation. The vis~on for the Center is that it will interpret not only the natural wStdlife and waterfowl and the wetlands, but the recreational and commercial purposes of the River as well, and the balance that must confnue to manage it as the ~dtal environmental and economic resource that it is. Page 2 Senator Harkin April I9, 1999 The collaboration in planning ;his Cerxer :ncludes agreements with Bill Har'tv,'ig, Director, Region Three, U.S. Fish and Wildli£e in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Major General Pkillip .Anderson, Mississippi Valley division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This Center, to be located in the Ice Harbor at Dubuque, adjacent to the existing museums and the proposed Mississippi Riverwalk, Mll also include a two-acre outdoor demonstration wetland as a habitat for wildlife and a living h/story outpost featuring a Native American v/llage, a French voyager camp and commere;al risking and clamming camps. The restored national landmark steam dredge, William M. Black, will be a place for ckildren to spend the n/~t in crew qua~ers and eat in the boat's mess to learn about the role of the Corps of Engineers in managSng the boat. VCqen the America's River project is complete, visitors to Dubuque can experience all of the wonder of the Mississippi River, begin.r2ng with the actual seventeenth century lead mine sites located in the I200-acre Mines of Spain Recreation Center, and continuing with the existing R.iverfi-ont museums, the National Landmark Pre-Civil war Old Jail, and the hundreds of sites listed on the National Register, illustrating the progression of events that have shaped our County and our nation. We will, of course, welcome visitors to the beautiful Dubuque County Courthouse, the first building in Iowa to be listed on the National Register. The cost for the America's River project ~s estimated at $24.5 million. Already, S6.I mill/on in private gig~s and non-federal ~ants has been raised, including a S1 million dollar direct appropriation from the State of Iowa. To date 511 million has been raised. We are than/ring you f6r your help and leadersNp in securing a maior river project for Dubuque, which has been on your ag ,=nda for mmn;,' years, and in obtaining ~2 million federal funding for the project; as you know, this funding request is supported by all five governors and more than l 5 confessional leaders of the Upper Mississippi states. The America's River project is a grand vision for all of America; please help us to make this vision a reality. Thank you. Sincerely, DLqBUQUE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Donna L. Smith, Chairperson GREATER DUBUQUE DEVELOPMENT December t4. 2000 Iowa Department of Economic Development Board of Directors Vision Iowa Program 2g0 E..q'~.;'.', ~.venue Des Homes, Iowa 50309 Dear Directors: On oehalf of Greater Dubuque DevelopmenL I write you with both pride ano enthusiasm for .~me,?a's ,e;ve-, dearly the boldest project undertaken by the people of Dubuque in more than 50 /ears. After losin~ both population and businesses in the 1980's, many predicted the worst for Iowa's oldest dry7 Because of a decade of sacrifice, vision, and downright hard-work, Dubuque is on the cornel)acK ~rail. Hdwever, despite Dubuque's reneweo energy and vibrant optimism, serious challenges still exist. Dubuque, like the rest of Iowa, is facing a looming population crisis. Sadly, many of our best and brightest leave in search of new opportunities and exhilarating exoeriences. Some come pack to their future and come home to Dubuque. Many, however, do not. Because Iowa% overall quality of life is second-to-none, it begs the question: What are we missing? It is our firm belief that bold, exciting attractions are the missing pieces to Iowa's quat[~ of life advantage. Whether it's keeping our young ~eopie here or converting visitors into lifelong Iowa -esidents, we believe that America's Riveris the ~ype of bold, exciting attraction that Iowa needs. For more than 150 years, DubuQue has served as a gateway into Iowa. Lured.by the mighty Mississippi River ano the promise of a new day, generations of Iowans passed through Dubuque on their journey to our beautiful state. What's old is new again. With your support of the America's R?verproject, the rolling bluffs of the Mississippi, near a City called Dubuque, will once again oecome a gateway into Iowa. ~,~,~t~,~SincereJ Rick Dickinson Director 770Town Clock Plaza - Dubuque Iowa 52001 ~ Phone t31.c: 557-904~ - Fax t319i 557-1059 ~ Imernet: http://w~-,v.greaterdubuque.or§