Displaced Mine Employee Grant Programs

Location:

Minnesota

What lessons can be drawn?

The lessons of the Displaced Miner Grant Program are simple but profound. The case demonstrates how a small effort can have a big impact. This was a proverbial win-win situation in which the community had great interest in facilitating gainful employment for displaced miners; the miners clearly wanted to find alternative work; and the Forest Service had resources and programs available to foster development of forest-product-related industries. All that was missing at the outset were the bridges between these groups that would enable each to realize its objectives. Once the links were established, the dedication and persistence of the city planner and Forest Service employees enabled the miners to understand and effectively respond to the opportunity.

 

Partnerships form when connections are made. No connections, no partnership! The first step is to recognize the people or organizations that have shared or complimentary interests and find ways to connect with them. It never hurts to pick up the phone and have a conversation. As Biwabik City Planner Scott Dane emphasizes, “the biggest thing that the Forest Service can do is to educate the public and public employees about the opportunities that are available with the Forest Service.” While resources and programs are often available within the agency, it is a matter of directly communicating this information to key contacts, and then following through with a flexible process that recognizes the needs and capabilities of the local community.

 

Too often partnerships like this one falter because the bureaucratic hurdles seem insurmountable and consequently not worth the effort. It’s as if the agency is saying, “Sure, we’re happy to help. Here are the twelve hoops you need to jump through and then, maybe, we’ll consider your application.” In the Displaced Miners case, those involved made sure that connections and procedures were understandable and straightforward, assisting in multiple ways. While the world of grants may be familiar terrain to the city and agency, it was not familiar at all to the miners. Dane’s willingness to help the miners with the application process may not seem like much, but it was critical.

 

This site was developed by the Ecosystem Management Initiative through a partnership with the US Forest Service and the US Department of Interior. Read more.