Cannon River Watershed Habitat Complex - Phase VII
Through fee-title acquisition, Trust for Public Land permanently protected 253 acres (115% of our goal) throughout the Cannon River Watershed. This resulted in two additions to existing Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). These now publicly accessible and protected areas include wetland, prairie, and Big Woods forest habitat. The permanent protection of these places has reversed habitat loss, allowed for habitat restoration, and increased access to public lands for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation opportunities.
The Cannon River Watershed Habitat Complex Phase VII program acquired 253 acres of high-quality wetland, prairie, remnant Big Woods forest, and shoreline habitat for fish, game and wildlife throughout the Cannon River Watershed. The protection and expansion of two large complexes (Murphy WMA and Aurora WMA) provides new opportunities for public hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation.
The Cannon River Watershed program was designed to address the following issues: the degradation and loss of diverse habitat throughout the Cannon River Watershed, and the lack of available public lands for hunting and angling opportunities, especially within an hour's drive for over half of the state's population.
The Phase VII program is a part of a multi-year conservation effort, focusing on the Cannon River Watershed, that includes acquisition, protection, and restoration of core parcels of land that will contribute to a large complex of restored prairies, grasslands, wetlands, forests, and shorelines. The Phase VII acquisitions were prioritized toward protecting existing large wetland/upland complexes and rare communities (Big Woods forest, oak savanna, tamarack swamp). In addition, landowner willingness to sell and the threat of conversion were also taken into consideration. Protection of these lands provides critical habitat for game species, including migratory waterfowl, upland birds, white tail deer, and fish. Protection will also provide access for a diversity of recreational experiences including duck, pheasant, turkey and deer hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. In addition, restoration work conducted by the MN DNR has been focused on the degraded portions of the lands acquired and has included restoration of agricultural fields near wetlands and lakes back to native habitat.
Specifically, two acquisitions were completed with Phase VII funding:
1. Murphy WMA Addition - Le Sueur County:
Trust for Public Land acquired and conveyed 72 acres to the MN DNR to be managed as an addition to the Murphy Wildlife Management Area. Located directly on the Cannon River just north of Waterville, this acquisition connects the two units of Murphy WMA, squares up boundaries, and provides improved public access for quality outdoor recreation and hunting opportunities within an hour's drive of the Twin Cities. Trust for Public Land purchased this property using funds from both the ML17 and ML16 Cannon River grants.
2. Aurora WMA Addition - Steele County:
Trust for Public Land acquired and conveyed 260 acres to the Minnesota DNR as an addition to Aurora WMA in Steele County. Located southeast of Owatonna, this property is a mix of wetland and grassland habit, and much of the area was in agricultural row crop production. The acquisition of this land not only protects the existing wetland habitat, it protects the headwaters of Turtle Creek and allows for the restoration of the agricultural fields back into prairie grasslands. Permanently protecting this land provides additional public access opportunities. Trust for Public Land purchased this property using funds from both the ML17 and ML18 Cannon River grants.
$1,436,000 in the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with The Trust for Public Land to acquire in fee and restore lands in the Cannon River watershed for wildlife management purposes under Minnesota Statutes 86A.05, subdivision 8. Subject to evaluation criteria in Minnesota Rules 6136.0900, priority must be given to acquisition of lands that are eligible for the native prairie bank under Minnesota Statutes, section 84.96 or lands adjacent to protected native prairie. A list of proposed land acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
The areas protected through this appropriation were identified and prioritized through, state, regional and local natural resource plans due to their high biodiversity, connectivity and ability to preserve habitat for both game species and species of greatest conservation need. Specifically, the shoreline zones protected are one of the most essential, and one of the most threatened, habitat resources in the state. They provide a range of benefits for fisheries, migratory waterfowl and upland game species.
Private