Corps of Engineers seeks comments on request to construct a National Loon Center within the Cross Lake Recreation Area, at Crosslake, Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released a draft Environmental Assessment, or EA, today, March 21, and is seeking public comments until April 22, on a request from the National Loon Center Foundation for a lease to construct, operate and maintain a National Loon Center within the Corps-owned and operated Cross Lake Recreation Area in Crosslake, Minnesota.

The Corps is currently evaluating the application submitted by the National Loon Center Foundation. The proposed 15,000 square foot National Loon Center building would provide experiential education that connects visitors with actions they can take for loon and wildlife conservation. The facility would be operated year-round and include water quality and wildlife habitat exhibits, a loon and freshwater research center laboratory and classroom and interactive technology to provide hands‐on experiential education. Other site features would include public docks and educational interpretive areas.

The building would be constructed in the park’s current day-use area. The existing comfort station would be replaced within the National Loon Center and available for public use.

A draft EA describing the proposal and the environmental impacts in detail is available to the public and can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul District website at: www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.

Questions on the project or comments on the EA can be directed to Steven Clark, project biologist, at

651-290-5278 or Steven.J.Clark@usace.army.mil. Please address all formal written correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 5th St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, MN 55101.

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