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CN Partners with Community Action Duluth and City of Duluth

To Build a Stronger Community, Protect Parks and Streams

[Duluth, MN] – A partnership between CN (Canadian National Railway), Community Action Duluth, and the City of Duluth is helping to build a stronger Duluth community through support of green jobs and preserving green spaces and stream beds. With an investment of $50,000 from CN, five individuals received training and new skills to help them gain employment through the Community Action Duluth Stream Corps project, a green jobs initiative. The partnership and project team achievements were recognized at a press conference this morning in City Hall with Mayor Don Ness, Patrick Waldron with CN, Angie Miller with Community Action Duluth and the members of the Stream Corps in attendance. Stream Corps members worked tirelessly this summer to restore Duluth’s park lands and natural habitat, protect critical trout streams, and gain skills and knowledge in environmental stewardship to prepare them for future permanent employment in this emergent industry.   

“The Duluth Stream Corps project fits well with CN’s goal of environmental stewardship achieved through investments in sustainability projects that build stronger communities. We applaud the Stream Corps team and Community Action Duluth for their dedication to building a stronger Duluth.” said Patrick Waldron, CN’s Public Relations Manager.   

The City of Duluth received assistance from the Stream Corps team this summer to aid its restoration efforts of significant parks systems affected by the 2012 flood and to create sustainable habitats that support future projects. The team of five contributed 1000 hours towards planting 2140 trees in Chester Bowl Park and the abandoned DWP rail line property. They cleared brush along 1 kilometer of ski trails and removed wild parsnip and wild tansy from a 1.5 acre area along the Western Waterfront Trail.

According to Angie Miller, Executive Director of Community Action Duluth, “the investment from CN and the partnership with the City of Duluth has created jobs and helped mitigate flood damage in our parks.”

“This important work by the Stream Corps will go a long way to boost Duluth’s resiliency, ensure healthy stream habitats and supports future enhancements and development along the St. Louis River,” said Mayor Don Ness.

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About Community Action Duluth – Stream Corps Program

Community Action Duluth’s mission is to employ innovative strategies that will mobilize low-income people and communities to build assets that prevent poverty, create equality and strengthen society. Community Action Duluth's Stream Corps, green jobs project started in 2011, works to restore the 42 streams that pass through Duluth on the way to Lake Superior. The Stream Corps was initially funded by an EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant.  With that funding, Community Action Duluth planted 20,000 trees that will stabilize 20 miles of stream bank over several years. Stream Corps employees and volunteers have also learned how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to integrate marketing, public outreach and forestry. Learn more at www.communityactionduluth.org/streamcorps