ARDC Planning

10/14/2026

ARDC Planning staff member Sean Bartlett was recently interviewed for a piece on MPR News to showcase a cooperative project we are kicking off called the Northwoods & Waters Community Resilience Collaborative.

Minnesota faces escalating climate challenges, including extreme weather, forest pests, shifting precipitation, and habitat changes that threaten infrastructure, natural resources, and Tribal cultural lifeways. The Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC) is working in partnership with the Headwaters Regional Development Commission (HRDC), the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP), and Bemidji State University to establish a Community Resilience Collaborative throughout Northern Minnesota.

Check out the news piece here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/11/north-woods-and-waters-community-resilience-collaborative-works-toward-resilience-plan

and learn more about the project on our website here:
https://ardcplanning.org/nwcrc/

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

The plan brings together eight counties in the state’s Arrowhead and Headwaters regions and help prepare for the next storm, fire or flood.

10/08/2026

There are some great photos in this NADO "People's Choice" photo contest including two photos from our region!! Do you spy a photo of a painting supporting Fire Crews taken in Ely this summer? Do you also spy a photo of the beautiful new Multi-Modal Trail Center in Silver Bay?

Join us in doing some "liking"!

👍 📸 💛

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

10/07/2026

Governor Walz proclaimed today, October 7, 2026 as Minnesota Tribal-State Climate and Energy Partnership Day!

Minnesota shares geography with 11 sovereign Tribal Nations, Anishinaabe and Dakota, whose knowledge and stewardship of these lands stretch back generations. Today recognizes the work Tribal Nations and the State are doing together to build a clean, affordable, and resilient energy future.

ARDC is proud to celebrate this Proclamation. Related, ARDC is a host site of the Northland Climate Resilience Collaborative, who is engaged in progressing those very same objectives, and more. The Northland Climate Resilience Collaborative was formed in 2024 to enhance the region's resilience. Since its formation, the Collaborative has served as a venue for the Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, and Grand Portage Tribal Nations, the 1854 Treaty authority and entities therein, Cook, Lake, Carlton, and St. Louis Counties, to continue to exchange knowledge, enhance working relationships, and generate pathways towards a more resilient future through regional planning.

Learn more about this important work in our region at www.northlandresilience.org

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

10/02/2026

Thanks to the The Timberjay Newspapers for highlighting ARDC Planning's work with the communities of City of Towerand Breitung Township - MN on an update to their combined Comprehensive Plan!

Check out the article here:

https://timberjay.com/stories/survey-finds-strong-support-for-nature-assets-small-town-feel,45281

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission

TOWER-SOUDAN- The community survey conducted this past month as part of Tower-Breitung’s new joint comprehensive planning process showed strong support (about two-thirds of those responding) for …

09/25/2026

The draft Minnesota Department of Transportation Statewide Bicycle+ System Plan is now available for public comment through Friday, October 23rd, 2026.

Minnesota has a long and proud history as one of our country's most bicycle friendly states. The Statewide Bicycle+ System Plan (Bike+ Plan) is a guiding document to help Minnesota continue to improve.

Learn more here and submit comments here:

https://talk.dot.state.mn.us/statewide-bicycle-system-plan

Northeast SHIP MnDOT | Northeast Minnesota

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

Share your experiences of bicycling in Minnesota, including the opportunities you see and the challenges you face, in the Statewide Bicycle+ System Plan survey.

09/16/2026

The results are in! More than 200 people shared their thoughts through the Tower-Breitung Comprehensive Plan survey!! Now, everyone connected to the City of Tower or Breitung Township - MN is invited to review the results and help identify goals and priorities for the future.

🚚 Breitung Township Pop-Up Event — New Location
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
4:00–6:00 p.m.

In conjunction with Big Truck Night at Soudan Town Park, 10 Church Street, Soudan
Stop by the planning table to review survey highlights, ask questions, and share ideas while enjoying Big Truck Night.

🏘️ Tower Community Open House
Thursday, September 24, 2026
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Herb Lamppa Civic Center
402 Pine Street, Tower

A brief presentation of the survey results will be offered. Stop by anytime and stay for as long as you would like.
People from both communities and the surrounding area are welcome to attend either event—or come to both!
Learn more: ardcplanning.org/TowerBreitung

Please help spread the news!
Tower-Soudan Lake Vermilion Area Events Board
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Lake Vermilion Cultural Center
Prospector Loop ATV Trail System
Vermilion Country School
Tower Soudan Golden Eagles

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

09/09/2026

Regional transportation partners across Northeastern Minnesota—including the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC), and Minnesota Department of Transportation's District 1—announce the opening of the 2026–2027 federal grant solicitation cycle for three major transportation programs: PROTECT, Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), and Transportation Alternatives (TA).

On behalf of the Northeast Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership (NEMNATP), ARDC and MnDOT staff invite elected officials, local government staff, tribal governments and other agency representatives are encouraged to join this hybrid event to learn about program eligibility, funding availability, and program timelines.

The Federal Grant Workshop will be held in the Lake Vermillion Room at the St. Louis County Public Works–Highway Maintenance Building, located at 7823 MN-135, Virginia, MN 55792, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM.

This is a free event.

An RSVP is required to participate in this workshop virtually. Please complete the survey found at the following link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ATP2026workshop

For updates on federal grant solicitations, visit our website at https://nemnatp.org/

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

09/04/2026

Minnesota volunteer drivers give older adults, people with disabilities, and others access to healthcare, delivered meals, and other key services.

ElderCircle is a valued member of the Arrowhead Regional Coordinating Council and part of the mission to improve access, availability, and options for transportation services in northeastern Minnesota.

See the comment section below for more resources on being a volunteer driver with ElderCircle or other organizations in the Arrowhead!

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

09/03/2026

Have you heard about Minnesota Department of Transportation's new toolkit for helping teachers, school staff, families, and communities support safe walking and rollin' to school!

On My Way! can help schools meet state requirements for active transportation safety education. There is also technical assistance available for educators, schools and school districts as they roll out On My Way! to students.

Check it out below!

ARDC Planning is a division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

Backpack? Check. Notebook? Check. New walking and biking education tools? Check!

We recently launched On My Way! This new education program helps schools meet the state requirements for active transportation education. Students in grades K-2 learn safe walking skills, and grades 3-8 learn both walking and biking safety skills. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qSoCvM

09/02/2026

Check out this great interview with one of our Arrowhead Regional Transportation Coordinating Council (RTCC) members!

CW Transportation Services LLC, along with the other regional non-emergency medical (NEMT) providers in our region, have played a large role in ARDC’s partnership with CTS’s Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program.

Special thanks to University of Minnesota Duluth Professor David Beard for connecting Fox 21 News to our local providers to showcase the need for a strong NEMT system in our region.

Established in 2017, the Arrowhead RTCC’s mission is to improve access, availability, and options for transportation services in northeastern Minnesota through improved communication, coordination, and collaboration.

We are working with the University of Minnesota on a project called Research, Maps, and Storytelling: Tools for Identifying and Responding to the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Needs of the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota.

https://www.fox21online.com/news/local/superior-man-helps-non-emergency-medical-ride-shortage-with-transportation-service/article_952dbae2-dedf-4824-b758-f26fbec0404b.html

ARDC Planning is a division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

🚐 🩺🚌

Warren Little of Superior has worked in healthcare from nursing homes to hospitals, he saw a recurring issue, the lack of non-emergency medical transportation.