RIM Wetlands - Phase VIII
Under the CREP partnership with USDA, 38 easements were recorded on a total of 2,732 acres to restore previously drained wetlands and adjacent uplands. One easement is a flowage easement that was required to complete wetland restoration work on an adjacent
easement secured with 2017 Wetlands funding. The landowner did not receive a payment, but costs were incurred for district time, and recording of the easement and NoFR.The easements were accomplished with local implementation done by SWCD, NRCS and FSA staff within the 54 county CREP area and leveraged federal funds for landowner payments and conservation practice installation.
The sites enrolled were generally drained and farmed wetlands and associated upland habitat. These sites originally offered limited ecological benefits. Through a combination of a scoring and ranking process and eligibility screening, each application was evaluated, with the applications that provided the greatest habitat and environmental benefits after restoration and protection being selected for funding. RIM Wetlands Phase 8 protected and restored wetlands and adjacent upland area to prairie using the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The project area consisted of the 54 counties within the CREP area with 2,732 acres of permanently protected and restored wetlands and uplands on 38 easements. These acres provide a healthy and plentiful supply of habitat for fish, game, and wildlife, especially for waterfowl and upland birds. CREP utilizes both a 15-year CRP contract and a permanent RIM easement.
RIM Wetlands Phase 8 was a local-state-federal partnership delivered locally by Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) and BWSR. In addition, the CREP partnership is possible through collaboration among many local, state and federal partners including the USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Pheasants Forever (PF), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), and over 70 supporting organizations and agencies. BWSR staff coordinated with federal partners on the overall CREP process and program oversight. In addition, BWSR staff were responsible for the easement acquisition process. Local staff promote CRP contracts and RIM easements, assist with easement processing and provide key essential technical assistance and project management services.
Some highlights of the easements funded through this project include:
The largest easement funded in this project, 84-04-19-01 in Wilkin County, included 9 wetland basins on almost 50 acres and 150 acres of existing grasses established with CRP. The parcel had an existing USFWS easement that was not included in the CREP easement but the CREP easement created additional connected habitat expanding the protected area of the parcel from the USFWS easement.
Three of the 5 easements in Carver County, for a total of 113 acres, are a joint restoration project on over 80 acres of wetland. There is an additional 56 acre easement to the east of this project that was paid for and restored using Clean Water Funds.
The payment rates were consistent throughout this appropriation but CRP annual rental rates fluctuated, so the state's contribution to the overall easement cost varied in reaction to the CRP rate.
$10,398,000 in the first year is to the Board of Water and Soil Resources to acquire permanent conservation easements and to restore wetlands and native grassland habitat under Minnesota Statutes, section 103F.515. Of this amount, up to $306,000 is for establishing a monitoring and enforcement fund as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. A list of permanent conservation easements must be provided as part of the final report.
An expansion of wetland and prairie habitat through this program alleviates pressure on those species that are most sensitive to habitat changes occurring on the landscape. The project targeted wetlands and prairies, two of the three most important habitats used by the Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Of the nearly 1200 known wildlife species in Minnesota, 292 species, or approximately one-fourth, are at risk because they are rare; their populations are declining due to loss of habitat. SGCN in the RIM Wetlands area include the Five-lined Skink, Blanding's Turtle, Two-spotted Skipper, Northern Pintail, American Black Duck, Grasshopper Sparrow, Upland Sandpiper, Sedge Wren, Dickcissel, and Western Grebe. In addition to the SGCN, the threatened or endangered species include the Dakota Skipper and Poweshiek Skipperling.
Diverse vegetation, access to water resources, and protection from pesticides are important to Minnesota's native pollinator species. BWSR's native vegetation guidelines and pollinator initiative protect native pollinators. Complexes and corridors targeted through RIM Wetlands provide areas that are safe from pesticides and natural passageways for pollinators. Targeted pollinator species include the Monarch Butterfly and bee species.
Prairie wetlands are important for migratory waterfowl. The Prairie Pothole region contains only about 10% of the waterfowl nesting habitat on the continent but it produces 70% of all North American waterfowl. The loss of Minnesota's prairie and wetland habitat in the prairie pothole region has led to the decline of many wildlife and plant species. RIM Wetlands has protected and restored this habitat over many years and continues to do this important work using CREP.
USDA-FSA-CRP