Governor's Council on Minnesota's Coastal Program

The Coastal Council advises the DNR on matters related to Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program. They support the Coastal Program in reaching its goal to preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, restore or enhance coastal resources along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior.

Members

The council has 15 members appointed by the governor. There are three members from each of the four coastal counties (Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis), as well as three at-large members. Carlton and Cook counties include Fond du Lac and Grand Portage Reservations respectively. At-large members may live anywhere in the state. Their terms are 2 – 3 years.

Responsibilities

The Coastal Council has four main responsibilities:

• Recommend Coastal Program priorities to the DNR.
• Review and make recommendations to the DNR on select programs and projects for funding.
• Review the Coastal Program’s annual budget and makes recommendations to the DNR.
• Review the Coastal Program every two years and makes recommendations to the DNR.

 

Vacancies

There are 15 open seats starting April 3. They are open to anyone over the age of 18 living in the four coastal counties (Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis) or on the Fond du Lac or Grand Portage Reservations.  We are also seeking three at-large members, living anywhere in the state of Minnesota.

If you are interested in applying for the Coastal Council and want to learn more, contact Amber Westerbur, coastal program manager, at 218-834-1445 or [email protected].

TO APPLY:
Apply online through the Office of the Secretary of State. Alternatively, you can download a paper application. Remember to include a cover letter and resume with your application.

Council meetings

Format

The council meets four times a year. Meetings last between two and six hours depending on business needs. Meetings are open to the public. If you need reasonable accommodations to be able to participate, contact Marcia Nieman at least two weeks prior to the meeting. You can reach her at [email protected] or 218-834-1440.

2023-2024 meetings

Meeting locations are determined at least three weeks in advance of the meeting date. Agendas and any meeting materials will be available one week prior to the meeting.

Date	Time	Location	Activities
October 10, 2023 CANCELED			Council business, review and score Annual Letters of Intent Agenda Program Manager's Update Grant Report
January 18, 2024	10 a.m. - 3 p.m.	MPCA Conference Room, 4th floor of the Paulucci Building, 525 S Lake Ave., Duluth (in-person and videoconference)	Council business Meeting Minutes Program Manager's Update Grant Report
March 15, 2024	1 - 4 p.m.	Gooseberry Falls State Park, 3206 Highway 61 East, Two Harbors (in-person and videoconference)	Council business Meeting Minutes Program Manager’s Update Grant Report
May 29, 2024	10 a.m. - 2 p.m.	University Of Minnesota Cloquet Forestry Center, Stine Room,175 University Rd, Cloquet (in-person and videoconference)	Annual meeting: council business, election of officers, set program priorities Draft Agenda Program Manager's Update Grant Report

Prior meeting minutes

• March 29, 2023
• January 18-19, 2023
• September 28, 2022
• June 17, 2022
• April 6, 2022
• January 12-13, 2022
• September 29, 2021
• June 21, 2021
• April 5, 2021
• March 31, 2021
• January 11, 2021
• September 28, 2020

Meeting minutes from prior dates are available by contacting Amber Westerbur. You can reach her at [email protected] or 218-834-1445.

Resources

• Bylaws of the Governor’s Council on Minnesota’s Coastal Program
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Council Orientation Guide
• Council Member Bios

For more information contact:
Amber Westerbur
Coastal Program Manager
218.834.1445
[email protected]
[email protected]