Advocate For Volunteerism and Ag Education... Emily Grunewald Named Vice-Chair of IAFE YPI By Michael Stein since her teens, is the new vice-chair San Antonio, Texas, the last week of Emily Grunewald of Barnesville of the International Association November. has a pretty fair knowledge of the of Fairs and Exposition’s Young IAFE is an association that fair industry, which remains alive Professionals Initiative (YPI) for the supports the fair industry. Emily said and well throughout major cultural age 40 and younger group. She was the IAFE represents more than 1,100 changes. named to the position while attending fairs around the world. Emily, who’s worked in the field the four-day IAFE Convention in The IAFE YPI was set up as a support system for young professionals in the fair industry, such as Emily. “The industry continually has inter-generational challenges,” she said. “The IAFE and the IAFE YPI helps find ways to work together, network and share ideas. The convention in San Antonio gave us an opportunity to find what different generations are seeking in the fair industry. It was very well attended, and some workshops were standing room only.” As livestock coordinator for the Red River Valley Fair and exhibit coordinator for the annual Big Iron Farm Show, Emily is immersed in the ag industry. And she takes REGIONAL REPORT that experience into her strong Rothsay, Minn. commitment to volunteerism and 2019 January community involvement. Along with working full time Edition PAGE 6 for the Red River Valley Fair Association, she volunteers to assist the Clay County Fair through Humboldt 4-H. “I grew up in the fair industry,” said Emily, who was raised in California’s Monterey County. “My Emily with her children, Derek and Taylor. dad and grandfather started our family’s cattle business together. started showing cattle. I later became kids, Taylor and Derek, who are both egg a chicken will lay by the color Her dad was very active in the Santa involved in FFA and was very active in 4-H. of their ears. She also has her own Former Californian and Barnesville resident, Emily Grunewald has Cruz County Fair as Beef Chairman. in numerous competitions.” “Taylor especially is a huge ag YouTube channel.” been with the Red River Valley Fair staff since June 2013. I joined 4-H when I was eight and Still young, but possessing much advocate,” Emily said. “She loves “My parents got me started knowledge and experience, Emily to tell people about life on the volunteering when I was eight,” joined a Santa Cruz County Fair farm, and likes to use that ‘hands- Emily said. “Volunteering can truly board set up for kids under 18 and on’ approach like when she took teach kids compassion for others and also worked as a staff member for different colored eggs to school and keep them on the right path.” DNR Grants Permit For the fair while in high school and talked how you can tell what color college. “I attended college in North Carolina to get a little different view Flood Diversion ‘Plan B’ of life,” she said. “After moving back The Minnesota Department of Wild Rice River in North Dakota. River Watershed District on the home, I took a full-time position Natural Resources has granted a Compared with the previously Wolverton Creek crossing structure. with the Santa Cruz fair board.” permit for the Fargo-Moorhead Flood proposed project that DNR rejected in • The DNR’s Findings of Fact, After 13 years of working for the Risk Management Project known 2016, Plan B creates a better balance explaining the basis for the agency’s county fair, Emily and her husband, as “Plan B.” The permit approval between the two states regarding decision, and the Plan B permit are Phil, strongly felt they needed to followed the DNR’s completion of a the number of acres impacted and available on the project permit page. make a change. So they picked supplemental environmental review benefitted. It also improves on the Project next steps up and moved to Minnesota. Phil that examined revisions to an earlier mitigation of adverse impacts to The dam safety and public waters grew up near Rothsay, next to the iteration of the project. property and natural resources and work permit is the major DNR permit Anderson Dairy Farm and worked The Fargo-Moorhead Diversion retains more existing floodplain. required for project construction. there as well. Authority now has the combined Specifically, Plan B results in However, additional DNR permits “It was a difficult decision,” dam safety and public waters reduced impacts to cemeteries, and approvals are required as Emily said. “But we wanted a better permit needed from the DNR for organic farms and other properties identified in the dam safety and environment for our family, and I this Red River project. The permit in Minnesota. Plan B also results in public waters work permit. In had a couple phone interviews for a includes more than 50 special less loss of the existing floodplain addition, the project must obtain position with the Red River Valley conditions governing project by changing the alignments of the all other required local, state, and Fair. “It turned out to be a ‘perfect design, construction, operation, and southern embankment and tieback federal approvals. The current U.S. storm.’ We pulled into Rothsay at 3 maintenance. levees on the Red River. Plan B also District Court injunction will also a.m. on June 17, 2013, and the same “Plan B, with the conditions allows more water to flow through need to be addressed before project day I was offered the job.” included in DNR’s permit, represents Fargo-Moorhead during flood events. construction. Locally, Emily is a co-leader of a balanced approach to reducing flood In combination, these changes reduce SEIS adequacy determination the Humboldt 4-H club and helps risk in an important metropolitan the size of the newly flooded area In determining the SEIS is out whenever possible with the Clay area while protecting public safety south of town and also eliminate the adequate, the DNR followed state County Fair through her 4-H Club. and the environment,” said DNR need for a ring dike at Comstock. law and based its decision on these She would love to help more, but Commissioner Tom Landwehr. The DNR permit for the three criteria: there’s a rather larger obstacle in the “The strong work of the Task Force project contains 54 conditions, or • Does the SEIS analyze the topics way of that. convened by Governors Burgum requirements. Notable conditions identified in scoping? “The two fairs are always at the and Dayton and the supplemental address: • Does the SEIS respond to same time,” Grunewald said. “So environmental review process • Required mitigation, including comments received on the draft? I get my work done here in West were critical in informing our final fish passage at Drayton Dam. • Did the DNR follow the process Fargo, and then do what I’m able to decision. I thank the members of • Acquisition of property rights for established in state statute and rule do for the fair in Barnesville. I love the Task Force for their input in this all impacted property in Minnesota. for preparing an environmental to help when and where I can, and process.” • DNR review and approval of impact statement? it makes for a very busy week. Our Landwehr said Minnesota all final engineering prior to each Prior to making its adequacy kids are active in the county fair, so I recognizes the need to reduce flood construction phase (the project determination, the DNR reviewed all miss a lot of that.” Emily, Phil, Derek and Taylor Grunewald. Phil works for LME risk in the Fargo-Moorhead area will be built in several phases over of the comments the agency received Community involvement is just Trucking; Derek is in fifth grade and Taylor in second grade at in a way that is consistent with approximately 10 years). on the Draft and Final SEIS and as natural to Emily as getting up Atkinson Elementary in Barnesville. Minnesota’s laws protecting public • DNR review and approval of the considered them in relation to the in the morning. She’s president health, safety and the environment. project Operation and Maintenance three criteria. The adequacy decision of the Barnesville Parent-Teacher Currently, approximately 169,000 Plan prior to completion of the last marks the end of the environmental Organization, recording secretary acres in Fargo-Moorhead are subject construction phase. review process. FISHERMEN… Attachment A at St. John’s Lutheran Church, and to flooding in a 100-year event. Plan • Coordination with Buffalo-Red is right out there around Front Street A True Trophy Fish Happens B will provide 100-year level flood during Potato Days helping with Once In A Lifetime. protection for about 57,000 of those the food court, pop trailer and the acres, while exposing approximately mashed potato eating contest. When You Lure One In, Bring It To 12,000 acres to new flooding Passing on that spirit is just as potential. Most of the acreage newly important as living it. Don’s Taxidermy subject to flooding will be south of “Our 4-H group loves to volunteer. To Preserve It For A Lifetime. Fargo-Moorhead. At the Clay County Fair, we’ve done “Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to things like building and installing build a large flood protection project memorial benches, painting the beef without adversely affecting some barn, cleaned the poultry barn and people, and the Fargo-Moorhead tend to the community garden.” Diversion Project is no exception,” Demonstrating to kids where said Landwehr. However, according their food comes from is important to Landwehr, the Plan B project meets for Emily in both her job and the state’s high permitting standards, volunteering work. and does a better job balancing project “Kids need to have those hands- benefits and adverse impacts between on experiences,” she said. “We Minnesota and North Dakota than did focus greatly on ag education at the the earlier proposed project. Red River Valley Fair.“ Kids come Prior to issuing the permit for Plan out, take a tour and learn about B, the DNR completed the state’s things like where corn comes from. thorough environmental review We have them collect things like a If You Catch A Big Fish… process, determining that the project’s baseball because of the hide, paint After You Have Landed Your Fish, Take Care Supplemental Environmental brushes because the bristles come Of It. Wrap It Securely And Get It To Us As Soon Impact Statement (SEIS) was from pigs or soybeans because they After The Catch As Possible. If You Must Freeze adequate. Under Minnesota law, are the basis for crayons.” The Fish Before Bringing It To Our Shop, Be Very Careful With The Fins And Tail. permit decisions cannot be made Emily’s role with the RRV Fair until environmental review is Trophy Fish Brought To Us This Spring And includes exhibit coordinator for Summer Will Be On Your Wall By Fall. complete. During the entire six-year the Big Iron Farm Show, which is environmental review process, the held on the fairgrounds annually in WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON DNR considered more than 1,800 September. public comments and analyzed 33 “More than 70,000 people come PROMPT, PROFESSIONAL project alternatives. to Big Iron every year to learn SERVICE AND A TROPHY YOU Plan B permit details about the agribusiness industry,” WILL BE PROUD OF! As approved by the DNR, the Emily said. “More and more, project includes an approximately success in farming is coming down Located At 30-mile long diversion channel on to technology and gaining more the North Dakota side of the Fargo- 807 4-1/2 Avenue NE, efficiency in farm operations.” PO Box 352 Moorhead area. Plan B also includes Emily said her parents got her Barnesville, MN 56514 dams and other water control features started volunteering at age eight. 218 354-7431 on the interstate Red River and the She’s passed that spirit on to her own

Figure 1. Proposed modifications to the Project since the 2013 Supplemental Environmental Assessment. Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment #2 Fargo-Moorhead Flood Risk Management Project 6