A mine reclamation project that transformed an inactive iron-mine pit and surrounding property into a multi-use recreation area in northern Minnesota has won a 2022 Environmental Initiative (EI) Award for Rural Vitality.
Barr served as the lead environmental engineering consultant for a project resulting in the Redhead Mountain Bike Park, which features 25 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a lake for paddling and swimming, and an all-terrain vehicle trail.
Working with the City of Chisholm and the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, Barr provided GIS mapping and conceptual design services; facilitated the project-bidding and phasing process; prepared an Environmental Assessment Worksheet and construction stormwater pollution prevention plan; and conducted a botanical survey and a Phase 1A cultural-resources literature review.
The Minnesota-based Environmental Initiative formed in 1992 to facilitate collaborative efforts to solve environmental challenges. Houston Engineering sponsored Barr’s award contest entry. Barr sponsored the winning entry in the Sustainability Impacts category, a sustainable landscape design project in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.