NRRI Now Winter 1998

Stories in this Issue
RUSS
Moose research
Deer Repellent
Tree Guard (registered trade mark)
Bresnahan, Richard pottery
Minnesota clays
Machine Shop
Northstar Machine and Tool
Nelson, Neil
Slabber(trademark)
Entrepreneurial Development Program
Environmental Grants Awarded

In Perspective

By Michael J. Lalich, director

At a recent conference, I was introduced to a prominent State Senator while a number of us were congregating in the hall waiting for the initial session to begin. He immediately began to quiz me about NRRI, asking: "How is NRRI organized?" Before I had a chance to respond, we were interrupted and shortly thereafter the session began. Feeling some obligation, and with my curiosity aroused in regard to what this legislative leader might want to know about NRRI, I waited for a break in the conference activities and approached him again.
He explained his interest by indicating that he had a "sense that NRRI was an organization that works well," and he wanted a better understanding of why. We talked a bit and I agreed to provide him more information and continue our dialog.
Why? My mind raced in all sorts of directions as I drove home from the Iron Range after the conference. Why does NRRI work well? Surely, there are any number of organizational models for research institutes that work. But, in retrospect, what have been the key elements that have led to NRRI's success? As I thought about it, I began to list a number of factors that were critical, and when combined collectively, serve to distinguish NRRI as the unique organization that it is.
The first item on my list, to borrow from that business vernacular, is the existence of a "market need or opportunity." In NRRI's case, important issues ranging from economic development needs to natural resource management and environmental initiatives have been critical drivers that were instrumental in the formation of the Institute and would appear to provide a market for NRRI services well into the future.
The initial perception of market need led to a visioning process and formulation of a mission by a group of leaders or "champions," many of whom still follow the Institute and provide important input and guidance. Of course, the concept that NRRI is market-driven mandates that the Institute partner with its clients or customers. NRRI has become particularly adept at this.
Several factors were key in the process of actually setting up NRRI as an institute. Careful program areas were important initially, and these programs are reviewed periodically with assistance of clients and advisors. Efforts to establish and maintain a professional research and development team of the highest caliber, capable of delivering a quality work product, have been critically important. Engaging this team to establish an organizational culture that is can do, goal oriented and fosters creativity has been essential to NRRI's character.
Focus on providing sufficient physical infrastructure and financial resources has served the Institute and its clients well. In fact, based on the hard work of staff members and supporters over the past decade to build and equip its laboratories, NRRI is particularly proud of its continually improving ability to serve clients. This investment in infrastructure provides NRRI with excellent capability to carry out future development activities. Continuity and consistency of funding, particularly state special funding that allows operational flexibility, has also been key.
People are sometimes quick to fault the University as a large bureaucracy. They overlook numerous research support and management services that the University has provided that have greatly assisted in NRRI's steady growth.
I am sure I have overlooked some factors that have contributed to NRRI's success. In fact there may be other perspectives on NRRI's development. If so, I would like to hear from you. One thing is certain. It's taken tremendous dedication and hard work by many individuals to develop NRRI into what it is today.

Environmental Products: RUSS hits the waterways

Founded this past May, Apprise Technologies, Inc. is developing and manufacturing innovative analytical sensor systems for the environmental monitoring and process control instrumentation markets.
Apprise's first product, a Remote Underwater Sampling Station called RUSS, will automate water quality monitoring across the world. In a general sense, RUSS will remotely gather, measure, analyze, chart, store and report water quality data.
More specifically, RUSS will allow environmental managers to request immediate water quality information at any time, from any place. Powered by solar energy and using cellular transmission with specifically-designed software, the RUSS unit remains stable at the surface; a mechanical probe housing sensors takes measurements from throughout the water column. Users then download information about the water's temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and salinity. These key parameters affect drinking water, surface water, fish habitat and algae growth.
RUSS stems from a nontraditional family tree. It was developed by the University of Minnesota Duluth's (UMD) Chemistry Professor Robert Carlson and industrial partner Alan Cibuzar of A. W. Research Laboratories in Brainerd along with NRRI's Chris Owen. The SOTA TEC Fund and NRRI are primary funders of RUSS and the sensor technology currently under development.
Although RUSS is Apprise's first product, it is certainly not its last. Currently the company is working with Owen, Carlson and Ukrainian scientist Eugene Tokhtuev to develop miniature scanning sensors that will identify contaminants by measuring light absorption or emission. The flexibility of these sensors will not only enhance RUSS's capabilities, but will also allow for individual marketing. Apprise's sensor research focuses on parameters affecting environmental water quality as well as human health concerns.
"Monitoring and controlling factors that contribute to detrimental environmental and human health impacts is a difficult problem to address, often requiring expensive equipment and labor within a dangerous situation," said NRRI's Chris Owen. "Innovative products like RUSS and Apprise's optical sensor technology provides tools that will allow industry, regulators and individuals to assess, control and limit impacts on the environment as well as on human health."
In August 1997, Apprise was awarded a phase-one Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This grant supports research and development of sensors to detect red tide events in coastal areas around the world.
Patents are pending for the RUSS unit and for the design of its buoy and solar panel systems. The University of Minnesota holds these patents and licenses the rights exclusively to Apprise. The on-going sensor research may lead to additional patentable designs and remains proprietary information.

Moose research: High tech in the north woods

High tech has once again hit the north woods of Minnesota. NRRI researchers along with Yosef Cohen of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife on the St. Paul campus are developing a computer model to simulate animal foraging. Currently, the model is being used to study the effects of moose eating habits on plant growth in an effort to better manage moose.
EASE, which stands for Energy Activity and Simulation Environment, uniquely combines four submodels into one and was designed specifically for ruminants, animals that eat great quantities of food and later regurgitate it from their "fermenter" stomachs to completely digest the food.
The physiology submodel is a combination of experimental work done on ruminants by hundreds of researchers over the past 50 years. The population model simulates the annual survival and reproduction of individuals in a herd. The plant growth model simulates growth of hardwoods and conifers which were browsed by moose. The spatially-explicit foraging component is being tested with data from six moose wearing global positioning system (GPS) collars.
All four submodels have been customized for moose and are linked together so that EASE can predict energy balance, physiological parameters, population trends, and the reaction of vegetation to moose foraging. Moose eating patterns are cyclical with the seasons. During each summer day, moose cows eat 25-30 pounds of aspen, hazel and willow leaves in addition to aquatic plants to reach weights of more than 880 pounds. However, the moose's consumption slows as the days grow shorter, and during the winter, the same cow eats only ten pounds of hardwood and conifer twigs each day. Because the food supply is limited, moose mobilize their fat and protein for additional energy. By spring, most cows have lost 200 pounds or more.
"Looking at the moose in these terms, how does it survive? We developed EASE to help explain how this works," explained John Pastor, lead moose researcher at NRRI.
While Pastor and Cohen brought their moose expertise to this National Science Foundation project, doctoral candidate Ron Moen provided the thesis and wrote the individual computer programs.
Although EASE's interface is designed for scientists and not the average at-home user, if a viewer thinks of the screen grid as a Pac-Man maze, the mysterious moose movements begin to make sense. EASE tracks a pre-designated moose as it moves across the landscape, browsing and chewing its cud, just as the Pac-Man gobbles up the little dots.
As the moose makes decisions on what, where, when and how much to eat, and when to move to new grazing areas, EASE monitors the moose's weight, body composition, energy requirements and various other physiological parameters. Using these values, EASE predicts energy and mineral requirements for deposition of fat, protein, gestation, lactation and antler growth.
"By combining the results of experiments done over the past several decades into a computer program for both domestic and wild ruminants, we can now predict daily nutritional requirements of cows and bulls and begin to examine spatially-explicit movements during foraging bouts," said Moen. "In addition, the model can predict the physiological effects of undernutrition, such as excretion of metabolites that can be measured from urine samples." EASE also incorporates browsed vegetation into landscape models to predict the reaction of vegetation to moose browsing. According to Pastor, the modeling program is an invaluable and cost-effective way to manage both timber supply and moose populations.
"We may be able to use EASE to predict the effects of timber harvesting on the moose's requirements for food and shelter," said Pastor.
According to Mark Lenarz of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the boreal forest area of northeastern Minnesota supports about 5,500 cows and bulls. Moose are also found in the New England states, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, North Dakota and many other western states including Alaska.
While EASE is being used for moose, its physiological submodel could be used to simulate the physiology of many ruminants including deer, elk, cattle, goats, sheep, llamas and buffalo. The plant growth and population submodels are both currently designed specifically for moose. Still in the research mode, EASE is not available commercially. However, the Minnesota DNR and several other agencies across the nation have provided input while monitoring the project.

Forests: Deer repellent safe environmentally

With a helping hand from NRRI, Nortech Forest Technology of St. Louis Park has developed an anti-browse compound called Tree Guard (registered tm) Deer Repellent that deters deer and other wildlife from plants and trees.
Bob Gilbertson, former president of Nortech, originally designed an anticribbing formula which discouraged horses from chewing on stalls. Gilbertson expanded on this concept with a formula to keep deer and other animals from browsing on plants.
In 1993, Gilbertson contacted NRRI forest ecologist and moose specialist, John Pastor to determine if the deer repellent compound could work. The ongoing moose study allowed Pastor to effectively research the anti-browse compound while saving Gilbertson a significant amount in research costs.
"Since we were doing basic moose research already, we were able to effectively research his product," Pastor explained.
Pastor and soil scientist Brad Dewey applied the compound to walnut and oak seedlings on a plantation near Scandia and to white pine seedlings on land owned by Rajala Lumber in Grand Rapids. The plants were sprayed in the early spring and late fall. The following spring, Pastor found that the sprayed seedlings had not been browsed, while the unsprayed plants had been.
"We found the product to be almost 100 percent effective in repelling deer, with no adverse effects on plants or soil," Pastor said.
Besides being extremely bitter, the compound also contains a thin latex coating which dries on the plant and doesn't wash off with rain. The only way a plant rids itself of the compound is through growth. For Tree Guard (registered tm) to be effective, it should be applied each spring and fall while temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tom Wozniak, sales manager for Nortech, noted that deer browsing impacts a variety of people. "We're excited about this product because it has so many applications. Foresters, landscape architects, Christmas tree farmers, golf course groundskeepers and homeowners can all benefit from Tree Guard (registered tm)," Wozniak explained.
NRRI's research was very instrumental in getting Tree Guard (registered tm) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This approval process can be a major hurdle for any new product and often takes months or even years. It can also be expensive because of the extensive research involved. EPA approval allows a product to be distributed nationally. Tree Guard (registered tm) Deer Repellent entered the market in August of 1996.
Tree Guard (registered tm) Deer Repellent is available commercially in garden, forestry and chain stores.

Minerals: Artists and scientists join forces

As an artist creates, a scientist investigates. Together, a more complete truth can be discovered, a joining of right and left hemispheres. Such was the case when NRRI geologists Larry Zanko, John Heine and Julie Oreskovich teamed with master potter Richard Bresnahan of St. John's University to fully evaluate the potential of two industrial clay deposits for an NRRI client.
Bresnahan works with indigenous Minnesota materials, primarily black-gray clay and kaolin (the main ingredient in porcelain). Commitment to the environment and using native materials are his passions. His philosophy stems from the belief that sustainable systems are a necessity. He also believes pottery should be considered a useful art form.
"My pottery can be used in an oven, washed in a dishwasher or heated in a microwave," said Bresnahan. "It is designed for function as well as beauty."
Zanko, Heine and Oreskovich also work with indigenous Minnesota materials focusing on industrial minerals such as clay.
"Our tests crush, sieve, fire, soak, boil, analyze and x-ray the clay," said Zanko. "While these tests help explain the how and why of function and form, they may also indicate a use that must be verified by the end user, which is a potter in this case."
Potters use their sense of touch to "feel" a clay's quality and to determine its best use. Scientists need to be able to replicate the clay mixture since clay is not used exactly as it comes from the ground. Sometimes silica (sand) must be added or removed to maintain the proper plasticity for creating pottery. While Bresnahan feels the difference in his hands, NRRI scientists must create a method for reproducing a clay product with consistent properties.
"What Bresnahan does for us is invaluable," said Zanko. "His skill provides us with a starting point not readily available to most scientists conducting clay research. By having him characterize the clay from an artist's perspective, we can focus our efforts on evaluating his choices for the best artistic mixtures instead of us trying to develop formulations that the target market may not like."
NRRI's scientists mirror Bresnahan's philosophy of sustainable systems. NRRI's researchers concentrate on using Minnesota's natural resources wisely to keep people working now and in the future. Cooperatively, Bresnahan and NRRI are working together to provide a consistent, quality clay resource for generations of Minnesotan artists.

Machine Shop Success: New business started

NRRI's entrepreneurial assistance extends to employees, too. Dave Anderson spent six years perfecting his research and development machining skills before devoting 100 percent of his time to NorthStar Machine and Tool Company, Inc.
NorthStar Machine and Tool was started by Anderson's brother, Kent, as a tool and cutter grinding service. After a couple of years, the company showed potential to become a specialized machine shop. Anderson made the decision to devote all of his time to the growing business while his sister, Linda Anderson Reno, managed the day-to-day financial end.
The decision was a sound one as the company is growing quickly, from three employees in 1995 to 11 employees in 1997.
"I wanted to fill a niche in the local machining market by providing specialized design, machining, fabricating and tool/cutter grinding services," said Anderson. "These services offer entrepreneurs and established manufacturing businesses the opportunity for prototyping, product development, mechanical assemblies, product design, model making and production runs."
Anderson's unique level of project development experience covers aircraft, biomedical prototypes, nuclear robotics, University research and the Star Wars project for the Department of Defense. Though his eighteen year work history provided him with the skills needed for research and development machining, it wasn't until he worked in NRRI's Machine Shop that his entrepreneurial tendencies were encouraged.
While at NRRI, Anderson supervised a one-man model shop involved in research and development of prototyping products. His broader exposure to research and development led Anderson to recognize the need for specialized work in the area.
"Anderson's experience with multiple materials made him a valuable asset to NRRI," said machine shop foreman Gene Betts. "We helped him hone his customer relations skills by providing him with numerous opportunities to work with clients."
Concurrently, a shift in manufacturing philosophy recently eliminated and reduced in-house fabrication of piece parts for many companies in the area. "Out sourcing" has become the philosophy of the 90s because it reduces the amount of capital equipment, space and labor required by large companies to produce the end product. This philosophy allowed NorthStar to become the front end for manufacturing companies by supplying piece parts and assemblies that help make up the end products.
A business plan was needed. Again, assistance was available from the NRRI Business Group. Business development specialist Jim Skurla helped put together the numbers.
Today, NorthStar Machine and Tool Company, Inc. met its projections for 1997 from its business plan. Good news for Anderson, his employees and companies and other entrepreneurs in the area.

Appointment: Neil Nelson joins NRRI

NRRI announced the addition of Dr. Neil Nelson as an assistant director. As part of his responsibility, Nelson will oversee the Forestry/Forest Products division. Most recently Nelson served as founder, President and CEO of Forgene, Inc. in Rhinelander, Wisc. Nelson brings 25 years of experience in forestry research and the biotechnology industry to NRRI.
During his recent tenure at Forgene, he was awarded the first U. S. general patent ever issued for a genetically-improved tree. Earlier, Nelson was also awarded two Fulbright Fellowships for study in Australia and three Certificates of Merit and Appreciation for special research accomplishments from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (U. S. Forest Service).
Nelson was selected for his extensive knowledge of the forestry and forest products industries in addition to his personnel management skills and experience with intellectual property management. In his new role at NRRI, Nelson plans to build on the impressive record of the Forestry/Forest Products division while complementing it with an advisory panel from respective industries.
"I am excited about our strategic planning effort and our plans for an advisory panel as these initiatives will effectively maximize our contribution to our industrial clients and to economic development statewide," said Nelson.
Nelson also hopes to initiate additional research programs in the areas of physiological basis of wood production and forest biotechnology within the next few years.
NRRI Director Michael Lalich is pleased with the new appointment. "NRRI has an exceptionally well-qualified team in the forestry and forest products areas," noted Lalich. "Dr. Nelson brings complementary expertise to the group. His experience and leadership will help us take our program to new levels of proficiency."
A native of South Dakota, Nelson earned a B.S. from Iowa State University, then went on to earn both an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

In Business: Business concept born in workplace

Often times new inventions stem from the workplace. Such is the case with the inventor of the Slabber (registered trade mark). A slabbing tool is a curved, hand-held wooden device with a long flat tip used to tear rolls of paper. Based on physics, this simple device uses tension and a dull edge to split an unrolled sheet of paper as the slabbing tool is pushed through the paper.
Ten years ago, while working at Potlatch as an assistant operator, Bill Mason dropped his slabbing tool, breaking the tip, and an idea was born.
Instead of replacing just the tip, he had to replace the entire tool. Bill's mind immediately went to work devising a way to create a slabbing tool with a replaceable tip.
His first step was to get the support of his wife, Colleen. They agreed to investigate the idea using their savings to buy tools and pay legal fees.
He then went to work in his shop, drafting the first prototype. About two years later, Bill attended a seminar on patenting, copyrighting and trademarking. There Bill met an attorney who helped the Masons through the patent process. Legal fees were kept low by bartering maple trees to the attorney who crafted violins as a side interest.
In April of 1989, the Masons received U. S. Patent Number 4,823,466 for the Slabber (registered trade mark). However, for the next seven years Bill and Colleen floundered trying to proceed. Bill knew that a market existed. The paper and printing industries currently used utility knives, machetes and bare hands to rip paper.
"I didn't know who to contact to manufacture the product," recalled Bill. "I was starting to give up." In 1996 according to Bill, "God dropped Pat Donahue in my lap." Donahue (who was on leave from NRRI at the time) put Bill in touch with Lexington Manufacturing, Inc. of Coon Rapids who currently crafts the Slabber (registered trade mark).
About the same time, Bill's sister noticed an article in the Cloquet Journal promoting NRRI's Entrepreneurial Development Program. Both Bill and Colleen enrolled, met Dick Braun of the NRRI Business Group and embarked on their journey to officially form the company, Mason Slabbers in April of 1997.
Over the course of ten weeks, the Masons completed a market analysis, priced their product, developed a business plan and filed the appropriate legal and tax forms.
"I like the program's workbook," reported Colleen. "It works you through the entire process. I didn't know I had to file for our business name in legal documents, much less how to do it."
Bill agreed about the benefits. "The program helped us through the process on how to get from a concept to sale. Plus Dick's energy kept us motivated."
This summer the Masons mailed 240 brochures to a select market of rolled paper producers and web printers. To date the Masons have sold 168 Slabbers (registered trade mark), that's 14 units of 12 each. With a goal of four units per month, they are right on track.
"It's so enjoyable to help inventors like the Masons who are so close but just need a few more steps to market their product," said Braun. "A lot of times the program also is an esteem-builder for entrepreneurs. It gives them the self confidence to take the next step."
The Mason family did indeed take the next step. While Bill retains his position at Potlatch, Colleen and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Devin, are now the major work force. Colleen takes calls, answers questions and keeps the records. Devin assembles the hinged Slabber (registered trade mark, stamps it with their logo and patent number before packaging and shipping orders.
The Masons are elated to see their business blossom. "To see a dream come to reality is indescribable," said Bill. "I'm very proud of my family's accomplishments."
To get more information about the Slabber (registered trade mark), you may contact Mason Slabbers at 218-878-1984.

EDP Program Ten Years Later: Entrepreneurs get a helping hand

This spring the Entrepreneurial Development Program (EDP) will celebrate its tenth year in operation with its twentieth session. Started in the spring of 1988 in Eveleth, this NRRI Business Group program focuses on teaching entrepreneurs and small business owners the mechanics of business success.
EDP begins with a three-hour introductory workshop in a selected region of northeastern Minnesota's seven county area.
According to program instructor Dick Braun, the last time the workshop was held in Grand Rapids, over 62 prospective participants attended the introductory session. Braun teaches the business development cycle and ends by explaining the application process, what happens during the ten week program and encourages attendees to apply.
"I want people to leave the workshop with knowledge besides the promotion of the program," said Braun. A committee comprised of a successful entrepreneur, a finance officer and an associate from the Center for Economic Development review the applications, selecting eight to attend. The remaining four participants are selected by a random process. Then the session and the real work begin.
"This is an extremely intensive process. My expectations are high," said Braun. "The program should be a top priority for the participants because it's hard work and an incredible opportunity to find out whether you have a workable business idea or not."
Braun himself is not stranger to hard work. He has been with EDP since the beginning and demands dedication from the attendees. He gives tough assignments each week and requires mandatory attendance. Over the course of ten weeks, Braun teaches entrepreneurs what they need to know to start their business and each business idea ends up with a rough draft business plan. Just as importantly, some clients, about four on the average, come to their own conclusion that their idea will not work, for whatever reason. Braun also considers these clients a success because they did the work but in doing that work recognized the idea's shortcomings, before they got carried away by enthusiasm and financially involved beyond their means.
By the end of the program, the remaining clients then formally present their business plans to another professional committee for evaluation and feedback. This, too, is a valuable process. According to Braun, a few more clients may decide at this point that their idea may not work or might not work now or may require more from them as owners than they can offer.
Then the entrepreneurs are encouraged to try their ideas on their own and are reminded of the valuable services provided by NRRI, the Center for Economic Development and the many other organizations in northeastern Minnesota.
In nineteen sessions since 1987, 200 businesses or ideas (one idea may have several partners involved) have enrolled in the program. Of the 111 business ideas that "graduated" 73 remain in business today. That number is almost even split between business start-ups and business expansions.
Those numbers, according to Braun, reflect the success of EDP. "The probability of these businesses succeeding is greater because of the program," noted Braun. "And EDP is a great feeder program for the individual consultants of the NRRI Business Group."

Environmental Research: Seven grants funded into 21st century

NRRI researchers announced federal funding for the study of our northern environment this fall. Seven separate grants totaling $3.9 million will fund environmental studies into the 21st century.

U.S. Air Force A grant from the U. S. Air Force of $518,259 allows researchers to estimate hazards of toxic chemicals by using increasingly complicated mathematical approaches to predict human health problems and hazard assessments. While this study is related to the use of deicing agents, generic methods developed in the project can lead to technology transfer in the areas of risk assessment and drug development. Principal investigator is Dr. Subhash Basak.
"Prediction of environmental and human health hazards of the thousands of existing and new chemicals using methods of computational toxicology is a cost effective method for risk assessment," said Basak.

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is funding three grants totaling $1.9 million. The first and second of these grants total approximately 20 percent of the EPA's national research budget for environmental indicators.
The first grant will focus on ecological indicators such as fish and algae that reflect the health of an ecosystem. Data will be gathered through satellite images, low altitude imagery (flyovers) and field sampling. This study will provide effective, low-cost methods for determining sustainability of land use over large geographic areas. Principal investigator is Dr. Carl Richards.
"We have to develop effective methods for assessing the sustainability of land use practices in watersheds," said Richards.
The second grant, in cooperation with the University of Illinois, will evaluate the use of amphibians as indicators of environmental conditions over large regions. Study techniques will use satellite images, and field and laboratory techniques to assess these patterns. By examining land use around these areas, researchers will combine ecological health and frog assessment. Principal investigator is Ms. Lucinda Johnson.
"This is the first time that the health of frogs will be used to predict the health of wetland ecosystems," said Johnson.
The third grant, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, will analyze information to develop "what if" scenarios for long-term sustainable land use in the Lake Superior Basin. By providing a model, it will be possible to asses the effect of any future development before it is off the drawing board. Principal investigator is Dr. George Host.
"This project will make detailed geographic and ecological information on the Lake Superior Basin equally available and accessible to local governments, industry, public agencies and environmental groups," said Host.

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation is funding three grants totally $1.4 million. The first grant, in cooperation with Notre Dame University and Michigan Technological University, funds research to assess effects of climate change on Minnesota's peatlands. With Minnesota having approximately 35 percent of the peatlands in the lower 48 states, these changes are expected to have long-range effects on our northern landscape. Principal investigator is Dr. John Pastor.
"With the high probability of climate warming in the near future, we must learn more about how our peatlands function so that we can manage them sustainably," said Pastor.
The second grant looks at how beavers create wetlands with high species diversity and high retention of nutrients and sediment. This grant funds the creation of computer models and field work to study the process. Principal investigator is Dr. Carol Johnston.
"We can learn a lot about creating diverse and sustainable we4tlands by studying the natural wetlands created by beavers," said Johnston.
The third study will use high performance computing to predict the response of trees to global climate change through increases in temperature, carbon dioxide and ozone. The model will provide information necessary for sustainability of northern forests. Principal investigator is Dr. George Host.
"The application of high performance computing will allow us to simulate the response of trees to global change at a level of detail that has been previously been unattainable," said Host.

Director Mike Lalich is confident that NRRI's environmental research is among the best in the nation. NRRI's collaborative efforts pave the way for shared information into the next century.
"By working cooperatively with other nationally recognized institutions such as Notre Dame and the University of Illinois, NRRI is in a position of providing information instrumental to the health of our northern ecosystems," said Lalich.
U. S. Congressman James Oberstar agrees.
"I am very pleased that NRRI has received these grants which will assist researchers in finding better ways to protect our environment. Northern Minnesota has an abundance of natural resources, and it is our responsibility to protect the environment for future generations, as well as to create new economic opportunities in our region," said Oberstar. "This $3.9 million in federal grant funding will enable NRRI to continue to do its fine work in developing new knowledge, providing technical assistance and improving resource management for industries in Northern Minnesota. Through its research, NRRI has been an active participant in revitalizing commercial opportunities in Northern Minnesota, and I'm confident that NRRI's fine work will continue to benefit our region."

Highlights

Winners of the Fifth Annual Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards are congratulated by Kjell Knudsen, director of the Center for Economic Development, UMD Chancellor Kathryn A. Martin and Lee Jensen, CED. Winner in the Start Up category was Nancy Gruver and Joe Kelly of New Moon magazine. Winner in the Inventor category was Tim Raymond of Vantage Point Manufacturing. Winner of the Mature Business category was Joseph Karpik of Mat, Inc. Winners of the Lifetime Achievement award went to Erwin and Manley Goldfine.

The Natural Resources Research Institute was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1983 to foster economic development of Minnesota's natural resources in an environmentally sound manner to promote private sector employment.

Michael Lalich, director
Center for Water and the Environment, Carl Richards, acting director
Center for Applied Research and Technology Development: Thys Johnson, director
Center for Economic Development: Stephen Marder, director

NRRI Now
Nora Kubazewski, managing editor
Brenda Maas, editor