 The loon represents outdoor recreation, spending time with family and it's something that we treasure and we really want to preserve here in Minnesota. What better way to preserve the state bird than with an educational and interactive center dedicated to the loon? When people come in we want it highly interactive so that they're not just reading plaques and seeing these static displays but they're actually able to interact with the loon and with the outdoors. The idea started when a group of citizens from Cross Lake got together to discuss what they could do for the community. Then they were able to get support for the loon center from the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce. The loon center would be a treasure we think that would attract people from really all over the United States. Then the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, also known as LCCMR, got involved. The important step that happened just recently is that the LCCMR Commission looked at this project, said it was a great project, bam, yeah, four million bucks. The LCCMR is committed to funding special environment and natural resource projects. This is a larger scale project, yeah, I'd say the average appropriation is in the neighborhood of a million dollars so a four million dollar appropriation is significant from the LCCMR and I think this project falls well within the criteria of preserving and protecting the natural waters and environment around us. And the loon is an animal that needs some protection. The loon is not on the endangered species list yet but each year it is becoming more and more at risk so the hope with this new center is that the public will be more inclined to help protect the state's bird. A lot of people have this idea that the bird is prolific and there's nothing to worry about but of course there's threats in other parts of the country that are having an impact on population. The proposed location for the center is on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land at the Cross Lake Campground, a great spot for children to get interested in wildlife. We want to bring our kids somewhere that they can have a good time and then also at the same sort of opportunity to take advantage of that learning aspect. Coming from Cross Lake, Anthony Scott, Lakeland News.