News Release

National Park Service Midwest Regional Office Awards Voyageurs National Park Staff the 2022 Midwest Region Maintenance Facility Team of the Year Award

Maintenance crew remove a fallen tree near the Ash River Visitor Center

NPS

News Release Date: April 11, 2023

Contact: Tawnya Schoewe, 218 283 6670

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN: The Midwest Regional Office of the National Park Service (NPS) has awarded Voyageurs National Park’s maintenance team with the 2022 Midwest Region Maintenance Facility Team of the Year Award.

During the summer of 2022, the maintenance team overcame facility and operational challenges associated with a record setting flood. Three areas were noted as to how the team was selected by the NPS; the team approached the flood with an “all hands on deck” teamwork approach, implementing actions such as sandbagging to protect visitor use areas, historic structures, docks, private residents, and local businesses; the team coordinated and collaborated flood response measures with local government agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, St. Louis County, Koochiching County, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; and finally the team followed an Incident Command Action Plan throughout the process while continually monitoring flood conditions and removing floating hazards, which allowed for safe navigation while responding to a variety of facility challenges.

During 2022, along with managing the flood, the team completed several other major projects within the park including a rehabilitation project on staff quarters, complete a fire suppressions system and sprinkler replacement project at Kettle Falls Hotel, and updated and replaced the Kettle Falls Overlook.

The teams prompt and careful response to the flood provided the much-needed resource protection of erosion control, protection of cultural and natural resources, fuel systems, and docks within the park. The team was able to reopen campsites and houseboat sites in a record amount of time where only four out of sixty-eight damaged sites remain closed due to long-term repairs from the flood. Flood mitigation was in place to ensure two impacted visitor centers could remain open to the public. The Kettle Falls Hotel was able to continue to provide drinking water due to the staff devising a creative solution of serviceability. During the summer of 2022 no documented employee accidents or injuries occurred showing that the team worked their Incident Command Plan well. One of the most beneficial outcomes of the flood event was the improvement in relationships ana continued interaction with partner agencies and the gateway communities.

After the water receded, sites were reopened, and facilities working again, the team held an After Action Review (AAR) of the 2022 flood event. Lessons learned have become outcomes for future improvements and the team plans on applying the collaboration and outstanding communication and teamwork as much as possible for all future park projects.

Voyageurs Management Team would like to acknowledge the Maintenance Facility team members for a year of great work. Included in the team are the following members: Aaron Mortenson, Adam Hanson, Adam Miles, Anne Sather, Beau Readman, Beau Squires, Ben Glowack, Ben Line, Chad Nevalainen, Chloe Sullivan, Chris Heibel, Cohlton Schultz, Dale Erikson, Dave McRoberts, Dillion Rud, Garrett King, Garrett Koeing, Harry Batdorf, Jamie Callais, Jason Christenson, Jeremy Bolter, Joe Glowack, John Cowman, Justin Carney, Mark Goulet, Michael Roche, Monica Olson, Nick Kaviuk, Peyton Huotari, Rachel Helleloid, Rusty Lehto, Seth Degroot, Seth Nelson, Stephen Kandra, Steve Schultz, and Teah Goulet.