Links

Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX)

The Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX) is a private sector non-profit organization tasked with expanding economic growth and business development in the Duluth area and the surrounding region. Its roots can be traced to the 2001 Mayor's Economic Summit in Duluth Minn., where hundreds of business leaders and community members worked together to chart a new course for the region's economy. In addition to identifying seven business sectors with high-growth potential: health care, aviation, transportation, education, technology, tourism and natural resources, summit participants also identified the need for the private sector to take the leading role in regional economic development. To achieve this goal, the founding members formed APEX and identified its mission to: Marshal private sector leadership and resources to be the most visible and effective marketing arm for developing new business within northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin resulting in new employment opportunities and improved quality of life. In short, Apex's mission is to drive wealth to the region which will in turn create new employment opportunities.

Arrowhead Business Connection

Arrowhead Business Connection (ABC) is a business recruitment program for the seven county Arrowhead region of northeastern Minnesota. ABC's mission is to develop strategic marketing plans for long-term business development and economic growth by partnering with regional and statewide business development organizations.

Arrowhead Regional Development Comission (ARDC)

The mission of ARDC is to serve the people of the Arrowhead Region by providing local units of government and citizens groups a means to work cooperatively in identifying needs, solving problems and fostering local leadership.

Blandin Foundation

Blandin Foundation is focused on the economic viability of rural Minnesota communities, as part of our mission to help strengthen rural Minnesota and the Grand Rapids area, our home. To that end, the Foundation offers: * Leadership development programs that help communities capitalize on their assets. * Public Policy Programs to inform and engage the public on issues affecting rural economic viability, which currently include two major initiatives: Vital Forests/Vital Communities and Rural Broadband and a special initiative, Goods from the Woods. * Grant making to support community-generated economic strategies and – in the Grand Rapids area – the Foundation offers economic advantage grants and responsive grants.

Biomass - BioenergyWiki

Used in its more general sense, biomass refers to the total mass of living matter in a given area. Within the context of bioenergy, biomass generally refers to organic material from plants and animals, including agricultural and municipal waste products, but excluding food products.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry

The Division of Forestry exists to provide a long-term, sustainable yield of forest resources from state forest lands; improve the health and productivity of other public and private forest lands (including community forest lands); and protect life, property, and natural resources from wildfires. This is primarily accomplished through three core programs: fire management, state land management, and cooperative forest management.

Minnesota Iron Range Resources

The mission of Iron Range Resources is to advance regional growth by stabilizing and enhancing the economy of northeastern Minnesota's Taconite Assistance Area.

University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute

The Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute was established in 1983 to encourage economic growth for Minnesota's natural resources-based industries while keeping watch over that growth's impact on the environment. The variety of our projects fall into three categories: 1) technology development or finding new ways to develop, improve and use products from Minnesota's resources; 2) resource management or providing information to help Minnesota's decision-makers manage resources and the environment; and 3) client services by giving regional businesses, large and small, the latest information and assistance.

Minnesota Power

Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, provides electricity in a 26,000-square-mile electric service territory located in northeastern Minnesota. Minnesota Power supplies retail electric service to 135,000 retail customers and wholesale electric service to 16 municipalities.

Northeast Minnesota Sustainable Development Partnership

The Northeast Minnesota Sustainable Development Partnership aims to facilitate sustainable development in northeastern Minnesota by identifying and supporting targeted research and education projects; and by developing networks of cooperation with others. Our goal is to form and support partnerships that: (1) build participatory relations between citizens, communities and their University; (2) promote active citizenship and (3) invest in research, education and outreach projects that advance the understanding and achievement of sustainability.

Northland Connection

A dynamic economic development research tool for expanding or locating businesses in Northeastern Minnesota and the Duluth/Superior Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This portal follows data guidelines from the International Economic Development Council. These data are located behind the six tabs at the top of each page from Real Estate to Quality of Life. Plus we have a link to Business Resources and our Reference Library. NorthlandConnection.com is your gateway to pertinent economic development information about Minnesota's Arrowhead Region and Douglas County, Wisconsin.

Northspan Group

A private, non-profit organization dedicated to the development and diversification of the economy in the upper Midwest.

University of Minnesota College of Natural Resources - Cloquet Forestry Center

The Cloquet Forestry Center is the University of Minnesota's primary research and education forest, comprising 3,400 contiguous acres. Established in 1909, the Center has a long history of serving the research, teaching, and continuing education needs of the natural resources community.

University of Minnesota Department of Bio-Based Products

The Department of Bio-based Products (formerly the Department of Wood and Paper Science) at the University of Minnesota is one of three departments in the College of Natural Resources. It has the tripartite mission of highest quality teaching, research, and extension in the sustainable utilization of renewable resources. The department is dedicated to providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education with broad-based training focusing on the fundamentals and applications of bio-based products. Being part of the nationally renowned College of Natural Resources and the University of Minnesota, a leading public research university, the department offers unique world-class opportunities for study and research in wide ranging subject areas related to bio-based products.

University of Minnesota Extension Service

The University of Minnesota Extension Service is committed to delivering high-quality, relevant educational programs and information to Minnesota citizens and communities. Our statewide network of researchers, educators, and volunteers addresses critical needs by focusing on issues where research-based education can make a difference.

USDA Forest Products Laboratory

The USDA Forest Products Laboratory uses science and technology to conserve and extend our nation's forest resources. Our mission is to promote healthy forests and forest-based economies through the efficient, sustainable use of our wood resources. Many breakthrough technologies that influence the way we live started at FPL.

USDA Wood Education and Resource Center

The Wood Education and Resource Center supports managerial and technical innovation to keep businesses competitive. It provides state-of-the-art training, technology transfer, networking opportunities, applied research, and information.

Website List

 

CVal: A Carbon Valuation Tool for Foresters and Private Forest Landowners

The CVal spreadsheet is a powerful tool that will help foresters, managers, and project developers work with private forest landowners to assess the economic profitability of participating in carbon markets. CVal provides a discounted cash flow analysis based on a full accounting of variables, including tract size, carbon sequestration rate, carbon price, and enrollment and trading costs. Automated, financial break-even analyses in the macros version quickly assess threshold values of key variables for profitable projects, and the program readily performs "what if" calculations after storing starting values.