CROSSLAKE, Minn. — Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have each requested earmarking $1.7 million in federal funding for the construction of a new home for the National Loon Center in north-central Minnesota.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies will select projects for funding by mid-summer.

“Senators Klobuchar and Smith have shown their commitment to protecting loons and freshwater ecosystems while also supporting a significant economic asset in the Brainerd Lakes Area that will educate and engage visitors and residents alike,” National Loon Center executive director Jon Mobeck said in a news release.

When completed, the nonprofit conservation organization’s new $18.5 million home in Crosslake will create dozens of jobs, stimulate the local and regional economy, and position Minnesota as a national leader in loon and freshwater conservation, National Loon Center officials say.

The center is already actively advancing nationally significant loon and freshwater research and education as it prepares for a scheduled opening in about 18 months. Officials also said the National Loon Center’s new facility will provide needed commerce in the off-season and winter months, making it essential to the development and retention of a talented workforce and supporting the bottom lines of dozens of small businesses in the Brainerd lakes area.

The National Loon Center is expected to welcome 200,000 guests annually. It now operates in a small storefront in Crosslake.

Planners say the new high-tech facility will incorporate an array of immersive and interactive educational exhibits to engage diverse audiences, while promoting and celebrating responsible recreation and enduring stewardship of freshwater lakes.

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