Proposal for Forest and Trail-restoration-in-sunfish-lake-park
Update of October 2, 2025: This page is populated with information about the subject proposal organized according to the format of the Proposal Submission form. The proposal is addressed to the 2025 RFP for funding from the Priority 2 Allocation of the 3M/MN PFAS Settlement due October 8, 2025. Please contact Tony Manzara if you have questions. 651-769-7001 cell, tony.manzara@sminc-lake-elmo.org
This page contains at the bottom, as directed, links to required supporting documentation and other information too large to fit the official format. This button is a link to a copy of the official Proposal PDF document:
Proposing organization: Friends of Lake Elmo’s Sunfish Lake Park, contact Tony Manzara, tony.manzara@sminc-lake-elmo.org
Priority 2 Goal area (primary) : Restoration of Wildlife and Habitats
(secondary): Non-Fishing Related Outdoor Recreation Projects
Project Description Part 1 (overview)
HIGH LEVEL NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION
This Proposal requests $1.8 Million funding for five years of effort to (1) complete the ecosystem restoration program, 3 years, and initiate the long-term plan for the maintenance of the ecosystems in a native state, 2 years, and (2) Enhance and then maintain the trail system. The work is being done in a City-owned Park which is covered by a Conservation Easement – link provided below. We have been managing a Project to remove invasive species from SPL, focusing on buckthorn and including others, since 2018. This effort has been funded via the DNR-CPL program, Restoration of Sunfish Lake Park, now in its Phase 2 and Phase 3 stages, areas shown in the linked maps. The rationale and justification for this Project has been carefully described in the CPL program proposals, and are summarized at the link provided below. Total program commitment so far has been $661K through Spring 2026, covering 180 acres. So far well over 1000 volunteer hours have been contributed, counted as a match under the DNR-CPL guidelines. Much progress has been made in removing buckthorn and some other prioritized invasive species, and restoring the native habitat, allowing trail users to actually see into parts of the forest. A report on the 2024 survey of other invasive species is linked. Native plants and wildlife have already benefited, see linked report. The long-term intent is to maintain a diverse population of native species. We envision the establishment of a maintenance plan involving prescribed burns, identification of hot spots of invasive species re-establishment, remediation efforts concentrating in those areas, and trail enhancement and maintenance to allow visitors to access the natural features of the Park.
Justification for this work: Sunfish Lake Park was established in 1974 and originally furnished with about 10 miles of cross-country ski trails. It was protected under a Conservation Easement as of June 30th, 2009 (link) as an unspoiled natural area. In 2021 about 5 miles of single-track bike trails were installed, with abandonment of the same length of hiking trails to meet Conservation Easement requirements. Over the years the Park became heavily infested with buckthorn and less so with other invasives, and the older trails have deteriorated. Since 2018, the Friends of Lake Elmo’s Sunfish Lake Park have been pushing back the buckthorn, originally with volunteer crews and since 2019, with funding from the DNR-CPL program (awarded $611,000 so far for two Traditional Metro projects and $50,000 so far for an Expedited projects). The three Partners are the DNR, the City of Lake Elmo with 10% funding, and the Friends with volunteer hours and administrative effort. The invasives removal work has proceeded very well but needs to be completed, and long-term maintenance started. The original trails were not designed to modern standards, and much erosion has occurred in places, so there needs to be enhancements such as water diversions, surface repair, and slight re-routing for slope-reduction to provide access for less-able hikers.
Justification for funding from Priority 2 Allotment: Sunfish Lake Park is located directly east of the closed Washington County Landfill, and the Park has been contaminated by the emission of PFAS that had been deposited in that landfill. DNR and MPCA studies show levels of PFAS in Sunfish Lake Park waters that are much higher than those in more distant waters.
There is a $1 million project limit per location on DNR-CPL funding, and it will not be sufficient to both complete the invasives removal on 180 acres, and initiate the long-term maintenance program. Trail enhancement is within the scope of the Priority 2 Goals description but not a part of the ongoing project. Restoration of wildlife and habitats is Goal 1 of the Priority 2 allocation, and access to natural areas is a major part of Priority 2 Goal 3
Project location: Location is totally within Lake Elmo’s Sunfish Lake Park – use links below to visit Park map and defined areas of DNR-CPL contract phases
Project Scalability: This Project is proposed as a five-year program to improve both the forest ecosystems (remove invasives, encourage natives) and enhance the trails to improve public access to nature and serve as a recreational opportunity. It has both restoration and maintenance tasks. If 50 % of the requested funding was received, roughly half of the work could be done. Either the land area to be restored would have to be reduced, or some tasks would have to be eliminated. But there would still be untreated areas of vatious invasives to replenish their seed banks.
Project Collaborators:
City of Lake Elmo, Landowner, Lake Elmo Public Works Department, Land Manager
Letters / Indications of support
The Lake Elmo City Council has been a Partner in the ongoing effort to restore Sunfish Lake Park under a series of DNR – Conservation Partners Legacy Grants. The Landowner of the Park is the City of Lake Elmo. A letter of support from the Lake Elmo Public Works Department (Land Manager for the parks) is attached.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
- Benefits to injured resources and services: Natural resources to benefit are the ecosystems of Sunfish Lake Park, which is adjacent to the closed Washington County Landfill from which 3M PFAS were emitted over a period of many years. Clear evidence of injury is provided by surface water testing which shows the presence of excess PFAS compared with distant locations. Services to benefit are public use of the Park including nature observation and nature-focused recreational trail use – hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross-county skiing.
There is not a threat of development, the Park is covered by a Conservation Easement from the City of Lake Elmo held by the Minnesota Land Trust – Link to Conservation Easement document
2. Cost An estimate was received from Stantec Consulting for the cost of the tasks listed, amounting to about $1.8 million over 5 years, including three years to accomplish the final removal of buckthorn and other invasive species, the enhancement of the trails, and two years of a maintenance program to reduce the return of buckthorn to the cleared areas. Quotes were also obtained for drone aerial photography to localize and prioritize areas of buckthorn regrowth, and for biochar conversion and distribution to minimize open burning of cuttings, and beneficiate the soil.
The Friends of Lake Elmo’s Sunfish Lake Park organization is very financially stable, and has a solid track record in executing projects. Examples are the leasing of one acre of Sunfish Lake Park for construction of the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center, the design and construction of the nature center (about $400K), and obtaining awards / properly administering DNR-CPL ($661,000 projects so far) and other grants such as St. Croix Valley Foundation, Anderson Foundation, MN Parks and Trails Council, UMN Extension, Northwoods Water, and No Child Left Inside.
3. Consistent with local, county, state, and regional planning.
Sunfish Lake Park is an important part of the Lake Elmo park system and features strongly in the 2024 Parks Master Plan. ( https://www.lakeelmo.gov/DocumentCenter/View/448/Parks-Master-Plan-PDF ) This Plan refers back to the Lake Elmo 2040 Comprehensive Plan document that expresses the need to address the issue of impaired lakes, streams and wetlands (p 10). The City of Lake Elmo has been a consistent Partner in the State’s DNR-Conservation Legacy Partners project “Restoration of Sunfish Lake Park”. Council has voted funds to complete the required funding matches.
4. Benefits Multiple Municipalities There is not a process in place to register the domicile of users of Sunfish Lake Park. However, the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center, run by our organization, does request ZIP code information of those who sign up for our newsletter. The predominant municipalities in this list are Lake Elmo, Stillwater, Oakdale, Woodbury, Maplewood, and St. Paul, accounting for over 2/3 of those who provided ZIP code information. Clearly this list includes many of the communities that suffered the most harm from PFAS release to the environment.
5 Minimizes Potential for Additional Wildlife Injury or fish consumption related human health risks: This work is unlikely to cause any harm to wildlife, as it actually restores habitat that is favorable to native species that suffer from habit loss due buckthorn’s tendency to create a monoculture environment. Some short-term disturbance is created by activities such as forestry mulching, trail enhancement, and prescribed burns, but their long term effects are quite positive. This project should have no effect on fish consumption by humans.
6 Provides Self-sustaining Benefits: The sustainment of the benefits of the project will need management in the future. Invasive species will always be with us, and trails do have some wear and tear due to weather and human use. It was found in our 2024 study of the invasive species of Sunfish Lake Park (link below) that trailsides, especially near trailheads, are loci for introduction of invasive species. Apparently human and animal accidental distribution, and the effects of maintenance activities such as mowing and grooming with light equipment, is favorable to the spread of these adventuresome plants. Funding for the first two years of maintenance of the enhancement is requested in this Proposal. The City of Lake Elmo has been conscientious in funding the maintenance of the 17-acre restored prairie in Sunfish Lake Park – since 2010. It will be important for future Councils to understand the value of continued support for forest management.
The demonstration of prescribed forest burning, drone aerial photography to localize buckthorn hot spots, followed by spot treatments for invasives, and the use of biochar creation from cuttings and its distribution to beneficiate restored areas, as funded by this Project, should provide the basis for budgeting the future maintenance costs. The enhanced opportunity for nature observation and nature recreational activities should draw more visitors who could help persuade their elected officials to support such maintenance.
7 Minimizes Adverse Community Impacts: The activities funded by this Proposal may cause short-term nuisance to the human community due to equipment noise or smoke from prescribed burns. A system is in place to inform near neighbors, of whom there are few. Heavy equipment use is limited to conditions when deep rut formation can be avoided – while the soil is frozen.
8 Demonstrates Equity and Environmental Justice: The enhancements to the trails will be of benefit to those who are mobility-impaired. In fact we have created a Tree Trek which was specifically designed to allow wheelchair access to an array of marked trees amounting to almost 40 species. Visit https://sminc-lake-elmo.org/tree-trek/ Exposure to nature has been shown to provide mental health benefits. The locality of Lake Elmo’s Sunfish Lake is not within the State’s defined environmental justice areas: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/bff19459422443d0816b632be0c25228/page/Page/?views=EJ-areas
9 Includes Community Engagement: The financial support for the phases of the Restoration project were recommended by the Lake Elmo Parks Commission and approved by the City Council at open meetings. We have held meetings to inform near neighbors of progress and upcoming activities on our current restoration efforts,, and will continue to do so. The activities are publicized on our website, and in the City electronic news, including calls for volunteers to help with buckthorn removal, notices of trail closures associated with heavy equipment use, prescribed burning, or herbicide treatment.
10 Provides Public Access: Sunfish Lake Park is owned by the City of Lake Elmo, and there is no fee for usage. The Park is open to all from dawn to 30 minutes after dusk 365 days per year. The City does some trail mowing and some snow grooming. Recently the parking area was improved due to increased usage, and Lake Elmo Pup Park, an off-leash dog area, was opened last year. The trail signage was revised and clarified when the bike trials were installed three years ago. These features, and ongoing restoration of the native ecosystems, has resulted in favorable comments from visitors.
11. Matching / Leveraged Funding: No other funds have been secured. It is expected that a significant number of volunteer hours would be logged as in-kind contributions.
