Camp Ripley officials outline training, construction and environmental plans; warn residents of April–June activity

A Camp Ripley representative told the Baxter City Council on March 4 that the installation expects heightened training activity in April and June and outlined construction, environmental and community outreach plans.

The presentation said Camp Ripley supports about $83,000,000 in regional economic activity, employs roughly 800 people year-round and surges to about 1,000 in summer months. The presenter described Camp Ripley as a 53,000-acre, level-2 military training center capable of supporting nearly all military training missions short of on-site mobilizations.

The presenter said Major General Sean Aching is the adjutant general of Minnesota and noted returning leaders from the 34th Infantry Division. He listed day-to-day tenants and partners that train at Camp Ripley, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Snowplow Academy. He described the process by which civil authorities request state-active Guard support: local incident → county sheriff → Homeland Security and Emergency Management → governor executive order.

On construction, the presenter said the installation plans a new access-control point off Highway 115 while keeping the existing “iconic” main gate. Work in “Area 5” has progressed over roughly a decade to replace seasonal huts with year-round facilities including barracks, dining and battalion- and brigade-level headquarters. Camp Ripley is also renovating older barracks, upgrading a pistol range to meet the Army’s switch to a 9mm pistol, and building a museum near Highway 371 to display Minnesota veterans’ histories.

The installation flagged April and June as “high-watermark” months for training throughput, and said June will likely be the loudest month because visiting units will use artillery. The presenter listed aircraft commonly seen over the area as UH‑60 Black Hawks, CH‑47 Chinooks and C‑130 fixed‑wing aircraft.

On environmental stewardship, the presenter said the installation relies on an in-house environmental team and partnerships with Central Lakes College and others to maintain training lands. Camp Ripley plans prescribed burns this spring covering about 15,000 acres and said it will notify the public via social media and local radio to avoid alarm. The presenter also described enrollment in the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program as a federal program that pays private landowners to preserve land near the installation to reduce encroachment and noise conflicts, with the caveat that enrolled land cannot be developed.

The presenter warned members of the public who encounter suspected unexploded ordnance to call 911 or, if on the installation, contact Camp Ripley operations so EOD personnel can dispose of items safely.

Council staff did not pose additional questions after the presentation, and the presenter closed the update.