About Minnesota

The Minnesota Army National Guard’s (MNARNG) environmental staff at Camp Ripley is jointly manned with employees from the National Guard and the state’s Department of Natural Resources. This unique partnership provides the National Guard with a better understanding of the ecosystem at Camp Ripley and allows them to more effectively manage environmental programs.  They also consulted with 22 Native American tribes, to identify and protect cultural resources at Camp Ripley and aid in the management of reservation lands today.

On the 53,000 acres at Camp Ripley, numerous wildlife species coexist with the MNARNG’s ongoing military training. Camp Ripley’s environmental staff works closely with federal and state environmental agencies to ensure these species are protected. The installation provides unique opportunities for community groups to experience the splendid natural resources found at Camp Ripley.

One species they share their training land with is the federally protected gray wolf. The Gray Wolf Project uses satellite and radio collars to study wolves and track their movements, which enables wolf dens and rendezvous sites to be located and protected. The MNARNG also hosts local schools as part of the Eyes On Wildlife and Job Shadow programs, which allow students to conduct gray wolf research through Geographic Information Systems technology, telemetry and hands-on evaluations.

More than 61 percent of the waste generated on Camp Ripley is recycled. They are able to dispose only 1.53 pounds of waste per person per training day, much lower than the national consumer average of four pounds per day. Recycling fuel, oil, antifreeze, solvents and metal also contributes to the waste reduction.