Kawishiwi Field Laboratory Building Disposition. Scoping Report: Fid-Bau Portal

Kawishiwi Field Laboratory Building Disposition. Scoping Report

The USDA-Forest Service Northern Research Station (NRS) has conducted scoping in order to determine what viable alternatives exist for permanent disposition of its buildings at the Kawishiwi Field Laboratory. The Kawishiwi Field Laboratory is located on the Superior National Forest along the eastern bank of the South Kawishiwi River, approximately 12 miles south of Ely, Minnesota. This scoping is an initial part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process of preparing an Environmental Assessment for the disposition of the Kawishiwi Field Laboratory buildings. There are twelve structures on site, nine of which are being considered eligible for inclusion as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The historical significance of the buildings relates to their high quality construction workmanship and representation of various styles of log and framed construction characteristic of an historical era. Seven of the historic structures are Rustic/Adirondack Style log cabins built in 1934 and 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Additionally, there is a stand-alone underground concrete cellar poured by the CCC at the site, and a balloon framed residence, built in 1931 with funds from Herbert Hoovers Public Works Administration. The NRS is seeking to dispossess the buildings at the Kawishiwi Field Lab, as NRS itself has not had a research interest based out of the lab for over twenty years and has no future plans for the buildings. Additionally, the buildings are in poor condition and the NRS has no plans to rehabilitate them, or to continue supporting the high annual maintenance and utility costs associated with the buildings.