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National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Application Letter of Support REAP Grant Copyrighted November4, 2019 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 10. ITEM TITLE: National Mississippi RiverMuseum &AquariumApplication - Letter of Support for lowa REAP Grant SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval of a letterfor support from Mayor Roy Buol to the National Mississippi River Museum &Aquarium for its lowa DNR REAP Conservation Education Program (CEP)grant application. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receiveand File;Approve ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Letter of Supportfor NMRM lowa DNR REAP CEP City Manager Memo GrantApplication-MVM Memo Staff Memo Staff Memo Letter of Support Supporting Documentation Dubuque THE CITY OF � AIFMeriea Ciry DuB E 'iII �' MCiS{C tZCe 011 l'y12 L�/IlSSZSSl 1 zoo�•zoiz•zois rP PP 2017•2019 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Letter of Support for National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium lowa DNR REAP CEP Grant Application DATE: October 29, 2019 Bee Branch Project Communications Specialist Kristin Hill requests City Council approval of a letter of support from Mayor Roy Buol to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium for its lowa DNR REAP Conservation Education Program (CEP) grant application. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. �.�N'� �k�►, �/��/�tti` Mic ael C. Van Milligen �� � MCVM:jh Attachment cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager Kristin Hill, Bee Branch Project Communications Specialist Dubuque THE CITY OF � All•Ameriea City U� � nwnonn�cavK iinc;ur: 1 I I�/ Maste iece on the Mississi i �°°''Z°12*Z°13 � pp zoi�*zoi9 TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Kristin Hill, Bee Branch Project Communications Specialist DATE: October 24, 2019 RE: Letter of Support for National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium lowa DNR REAP CEP Grant Application INTRODUCTION The purpose of this memo is to request approval for a letter of support from Mayor Roy D. Buol to the National Mississippi River Museum &Aquarium for its lowa DNR REAP Conservation Education Program (CEP) grant application. BACKGROUND The Bee Branch Watershed is approximately 6.5 square miles -- all within the city limits -- and includes over 12,000 properties. More than 50 percent of Dubuque residents either live or work in the watershed. Spaces like the mile-long Bee Branch Creek Greenway provides opportunities for recreation and education. It can serve as an outdoor classroom to learn about watersheds, stormwater runoff, ecosystems, wildlife, conservation, pollution prevention, and stewardship. DISCUSSION As communications specialist for the Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project, I've been working with community partners including the Dubuque Community School District, St. Mark's Youth Enrichment, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, and others to provide educational, recreational, and volunteer opportunities in the Bee Branch Creek Greenway. Activities have included creek cleanups, educational tours, and science programming. For example, on June 27, 2019, students participating in the St. Mark's Heroes Summer Academy spent the morning at the Upper Bee Branch Creek. I talked to the students about the Bee Branch Creek Greenway, why it was built, and how it prevents flooding. I then took them on a tour and discussed the measures we put in place to protect water quality and promote a healthy habitat for waterfowl, fish, and other aquatic wildlife. Following the tour, staff from the Museum & Aquarium led a science experiment with the kids. After learning about where the creek water comes from and the things that have been incorporated into the project to protect it (nutrient separating baffle boxes, bioswales, etc.), the students were asked to make a hypothesis about the creek's water 1 quality. Then to test their hypotheses, they sampled the water for invertebrates which is an indicator of stream health. More recently, also through a partnership with the Museum & Aquarium, a group of students from Western Dubuque High School spent the morning of Oct. 9 cleaning up the shoreline of the Lower Bee Branch Creek. The students collected 368.8 Ibs. of trash and gained a better of understanding of where liter ends up after it rains. The expansion of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium's Conservation Education Live Animal Outreach Program aligns with the City's vision of the Beekeepers Program and creating educational opportunities that promote watershed health and stewardship. IYs strong and varied portfolio of environmental education programs provide the Dubuque community with invaluable informal learning opportunities, foster good habits and responsible behavior, and cultivate an appreciation for our natural resources. REQUESTED ACTION I respectfully request City Council approval of this letter of support from Mayor Roy D. Buol to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium for the lowa DNR REAP Conservation Education Program grant. Enclosure CC: Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Marie Ware, Leisure Services Manager Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer 2 Dubuque THE CITY OF � Office ofthe Mayor AIFMe�ipCiry CiryHall D�L E 'j� ��, 50 West 13'h Street Dubuque, lA 52001-4845 www.cityofdu buqu e.org 200]•2012•2013 Masterpiece on the Mississippi zoi�*zoi9 October 23, 2019 Mr. Kurt Strand, President & CEO Dubuque County Historical Society The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium 350 E. 3rd Street Dubuque, lA 52001 SUBJECT: Letter of Support for The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium's application to the lowa DNR REAP CEP grant program for their Conservation Education Live Animal Outreach Program Expansion project Dear Mr. Strand, I am pleased to provide this letter of support on behalf of the City of Dubuque in support of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium's application to the lowa DNR REAP CEP grant program. Through our work in the Bee Branch Watershed we promote respect for our environment by providing educational opportunities that engage the community in watershed health and safety, pollution prevention, fostering good habits and responsible behavior, and cultivating an appreciation for and a connection to our natural resources. The Museum & Aquarium's Conservation Education Live Animal Outreach Program Expansion project joins the City of Dubuque in a shared vision of creating an educated and informed public concerning the ecosystem health of the Upper Mississippi River Watershed and surrounding natural resources. The Museum & Aquarium's strong and varied environmental education programs provide the Dubuque community with invaluable informal learning opportunities, promote stewardship, and expand conservation education in the region. Sincer ly, � N� � Roy�. Buol Ma�lor RDB:jh cc: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Marie Ware, Leisure Services Manager Kristin Hill, Bee Branch Communications Specialist