September 29, 2009

Compost Program Continues Through November 14

Prior Lake, Minnesota - Open to City of Prior Lake Residents Two Saturdays a Month. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community compost site utilized by residents of the City of Prior Lake will remain open through November 14, 2009. The compost site is only open the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Depending on weather and demand, it may stay open past November 14.  Residents drop off an average of 30 loads per day at the site.

In a unique collaboration, the compost site created by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community was opened for joint use by residents of neighboring Prior Lake starting in May 2008 at no charge. In exchange the SMSC is able to use the City of Prior Lake’s tree range to grow native trees and shrubs for planting on the reservation. The SMSC has also provided approximately 90 yards of compost to the City of Prior Lake at no cost in 2009.

The site accepts leaves, brush, grass clippings, sod, and other yard waste for organic recycling. The site does not accept root wads, tree stumps, and branches larger than eight inches in diameter, building lumber, soil, or compost materials in plastic bags of any type.

Staff from the SMSC and the City of Prior Lake operate the site the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from May through mid-November depending on the weather. Hours of the site, which is located just west of the corner of County Road 42 and County Road 83 in Prior Lake, are 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m.

“We all need a place to put our leaves and since we have the space and the resources to develop this compost site, we thought, ‘Why not open it up to others?’” said SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks. “The native trees and shrubs which we will be able to plant as a result will grow and flourish here on the reservation for many years to come. We fully appreciate the good working relationship we have with the City of Prior Lake.”

When the compost site opened, City of Prior Lake Mayor Jack Haugen agreed, saying, “The establishment of the joint SMSC/City of Prior Lake Compost site is yet another example of our growing partnerships and mutual concern for natural resources.”

Collecting brush and leaves is something the Community has done for years. Only in recent years, though, has the Community become active in the composting process. The Community manages its own greenhouses and landscaping which generate tons of materials suitable for recycling. Grass clippings from The Meadows at Mystic Lake and landscaping materials like annuals from the Community’s Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino) make up a bulk of the materials for composting.

As a steward of the land, the SMSC engages in a number of restoration activities to preserve and protect the land for future generations. For questions about the compost site, please call the SMSC Department of Land and Natural Resources at 952-496-6136.

The SMSC Department of Land and Natural Resources has re-established native prairies and wetlands on more than 500 acres of former farmland. Prescribed burns are used to maintain and improve native prairie conditions on the reservation. Wild rice is sowed in Community wetlands. Staff make maple syrup from maple sap collected from Community trees. Trees and other native flora are planted. Environmental specialists are also active in restoring and managing wetlands, surveying wildlife, and taking an inventory of existing natural communities. Hydrologists assess water quality, coordinate the Community’s Wellhead Protection Program, plan projects to improve water quality, and implement erosion control.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
The SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for all of the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its Tribal members in education, health, and welfare. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has a charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need. Over the past 12 years the SMSC has donated more than $162 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes, including more than $20.9 million in fiscal year 2009. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota, is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities.