Sustainability Workgroup

Interdepartmental Sustainability Workgroup

In the Fall of 2021, St. Louis County formed an interdepartmental Sustainability Workgroup to address the question of what the County is doing to address issues of sustainability and climate change. The workgroup, which is composed of at least one county employee from each department, meets semi-monthly to provide a forum at which departments learn from each other and coordinate actions to mitigate and prepare for ongoing and future impacts of climate change.

One of the workgroup's goals is to position St. Louis County to make use of related funding opportunities that address energy efficiency, climate resilience, air pollution reduction and waste reduction, among others.

The Workgroup defined Sustainability as "operating in a manner that promotes economic vitality and healthy communities while protecting the natural environment to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."  

The Workgroup's definition of sustainability aligns with the key concepts of St. Louis County values which are "People-Focused, Stewardship, Integrity, Fairness and Innovation" as well as the County's  mission which is "to promote health and safety, ensure sound infrastructure, embrace our natural resources, and support an environment where communities prosper."

Northland Climate Resilience Collaborative

St. Louis County has been awarded a federal grant totaling $1,849,228 to help address climate change impacts on the coastal region surrounding Lake Superior. The grant is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Commerce Department and will be paid over four years.

The funding will help the county and project partners establish a regional resilience collaborative incorporating Indigenous knowledge, and then create a regional resilience plan while also providing resources and technical support to communities. In addition to St. Louis County, the project area includes Carlton, Cook and Lake Counties, and the Tribal Nations that co-reside within the area.

St. Louis County will be partnering with the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC), the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Program (MCAP), Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the 1854 Treaty Authority, and others. 

Other project collaborators include cities and townships throughout the region, and agencies including Minnesota's Coastal Program, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Sea Grant, NOAA’s Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Partnership/Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Center (GLISA), the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS), and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

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