Wisconsin Co-Chair Diane Solon-Groves called meeting to order. Members and guests present introduced themselves.

Wisconsin Co-Chair: Diane is now a Minnesota resident. The SLRCAC needs to find someone that is a Wisconsin resident to replace Diane as the co-chair. Anyone remotely interested please contact Lynelle. The WI Co-Chair participates in both the quarterly board meetings and the Executive Committee meetings. The March and October meetings are in Superior and the WI Co-Chair chairs those meetings. Phil has estimated he puts in about 5 hours a month doing co-chair duties.

Something's Fishy: Jeff Gunderson, MN Sea Grant gave an interesting presentation about the fish in Lake Superior and the St. Louis River. He covered the impacts that both humans and exotic species have on the fisheries. Excessive fishing, habitat loss and exotics have impacted most fish. Lake Sturgeon, once abundant, are being reintroduced to the St. Louis River. In 1983 fry and fingerlings were added and in 1997 eggs were planted. Success is yet to be determined, as the females do not reproduce until age 24-26. Siskowits, fat lake trout, are becoming much more abundant than lean lake trout. Brook trout (coasters) are present, but in lower concentrations. Coho and Chinook salmon were introduced in the late 60's. Pink salmon, walleye, burbot all are spawning in the St. Louis. The walleye in the St. Louis are longer and bigger than found in inland lakes. Control of exotic s is a major concern for both the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. The steelhead, a rainbow trout, was introduced from the Pacific Coast in 1895. Sea Lampreys have had a devastating effect on these fish. Sea lampreys attach to fish with a sucking disk and sharp teeth. They feed on body fluids, often scarring and killing host fish. One lamprey can kill 40 or more pounds of fish. Lamprey control programs have reduced their population by 90%.

Business Meeting:

Minutes of the May 2002 meeting were approved.

EPA Watershed Initiative: Funding is available for up to 20 watersheds across the country. We are putting together a multi-jurisdictional proposal to submit for the St. Louis River. Nancy Costa is writing the proposal, Lynelle is gathering supporting documentation.

Duluth Natural Area Program: The CAC is sponsoring North Bay as the first area to receive the designation as a significant natural resource to be preserved from future development. The nomination is going to the City Advisory Council next. There is one private landowner in the 133-acre area that still has some concerns. The Duluth City Council will make final decision.

Wisconsin Representation: Kay McKenzie requested the CAC write a letter to the WDNR to replace both Mike Goettel, the area Natural Water Management Specialist and Ted Smith, the WDNR representative on the interstate sites conducting NRDA assessments. At this time the WDNR has chosen not to replace them. This matter was referred to the Executive Committee.

Habitat Workgroup Report: The habitat plan has been completed and is available on CD or on the web site at http://www.stlouisriver.org/habitatplan/habitatplan.html. Resource managers have received a copy and the funding has been received to produce more copies for libraries etc. Next step is to get it implemented. An interview with Sam Cook will help get the word out.

Finance Workgroup: Long-term finance planning has been started, however short-term needs are also a pressing concern. Funding sources are being explored to search out a stable source of operational funding. We currently have no stable source of funding, everything is grant dependent at this point.

Stewardship Group: The awards ceremony is set for January 22, 2003 at the Secondary Technical Center in Duluth. Nominations are being requested for individuals, organizations, businesses, schools, media, municipalities and government agencies. The deadline for award nominations is December 11, 2002. Nomination forms are available from the CAC and in pdf form at http://www.stlouisriver.org/activities.html.

Contaminated Sediment Workgroup Report: This group will be meeting Oct. 29 to set goals. They feel productivity is essential as is not repeating the same mistakes as in the past.

Newsletter Group: We are looking for stories and/or ideas for the next newsletter. Anyone wishing to contribute to the newsletter can forward them to Lynelle at this time as Phil has recently changed jobs. Two ideas are to highlight the Sam Cook interview and the Duluth Natural Areas Program.

Director's Report: Lynelle showed a portion of a video titled "Less than 1%" that had a brief section on the St. Louis River and the harbor. The video aired on Wisconsin Public Television, which isn't broadcast in our area. Lynelle reported that the habitat plan is getting lots of attention; she has heard comments from both Minneapolis and Washington D.C. Lynelle made an analogy about the CAC role in the sediment workgroup. The CAC leadership is like a good cook, bringing together the required ingredients (experts from both states) to produce a product that everyone can enjoy. Ted Smith commented about a common misconception he often hears when people are discussing the estuary and the harbor. It's important to remember that they are not one and the same; the harbor is only a small portion of the estuary, which covers 12-13,000 acres.

Diane Thompson, Secretary