Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, Phase IX
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will cooperate to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 540 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 270 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in areas identified as having significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey and located in priority areas in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan (Prairie Plan).
The Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) was established in 2000 to address the loss of America’s grasslands and the decline of grassland wildlife. The Refuge was created to permanently preserve and restore a portion of our disappearing tallgrass prairie. The Refuge encompasses all or part of 85 counties in western Minnesota and northwestern Iowa.
A 2015 University of Wisconsin study confirms that conversion is still a very real risk. A drop in crop prices may have slowed this, but the threat isn’t gone. It’s vital that we protect our remaining native prairies before they are lost.
Progress towards the Refuge’s goal has been limited by available acquisition funding. Since 2000, the Refuge has protected 5,101 acres in Minnesota with funding from non-OHF sources. The acquisition budget from these sources falls far short of the landowner interest in working with the Refuge.
Funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF) will allow The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service, working in partnership, to significantly accelerate this progress. TNC and USFWS will cooperate on protecting approximately 540 acres of native prairie and associated habitat in the 49 Minnesota counties within the Refuge boundary. Of these, we expect to protect approximately 215 acres in fee title and approximately 325 acres with permanent habitat easements.
This program’s work is targeted at protecting high-quality native habitat in areas with existing concentrations of native prairie, wetlands, and protected lands. The lands protected will consist of native prairie and associated habitats including wetlands, streams, and lakes.
Potential acquisitions are reviewed using the following criteria:
1) Is there native prairie on the tract? If not, is it adjacent to native prairie?
2) Is the property in a priority area identified in the Prairie Plan?
3) Is it adjacent to an existing complex of protected land?
4) Was it identified by Minnesota Biological Survey as having concentrations of threatened and endangered species and communities?
5) Is it suitable for public recreation? Because of the nature of parcel ownership, some properties acquired through this program will likely include small areas of converted or degraded habitat needing restoration/enhancement. Restoration/enhancement will be completed where needed.
Previous OHF support has allowed the partners to make significant progress towards our shared goal of protecting and buffering the remaining native prairie. The first property was acquired in March, 2013. 4,320 acres have now been added to the Refuge. Of these, 2,820 acres are classified as native prairie. Additional habitat includes 460 acres of wetlands and 11 miles of stream and/or lakefront.
Landowners have committed a further 530 acres. Negotiations are ongoing with a long list of interested landowners. With additional support from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, this program will continue to make real and lasting progress towards protecting Minnesota’s native prairies and the wildlife that depend on those lands.
$1,893,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to acquire lands in fee or permanent conservation easements and to restore lands in the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Habitat Preservation Area in western Minnesota for addition to the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. Subject to evaluation criteria in Minnesota Rules, part 6136.0900, priority must be given to acquiring 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, and the acquisitions must be consistent with the priorities in Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
Remnant native prairies are part of large complexes of restored prairies, grasslands, and large and small wetlands - This program’s work is primarily focused on the Prairie region. A small portion of the Refuge, however, falls in the Forest-Prairie Transition region. If work is done in this region, the following outcomes will be measured and reported: 1) Total acres protected, 2) Acres of native prairie, 3) Acres of wetland, 4) Feet of stream- and lake-front, 5) Acres within Prairie Plan priorities, 6) # of endangered/threatened/species in greatest conservation need (SGCN) on protected properties. .Remnant native prairies are part of large complexes of restored prairies, grasslands, and large and small wetlands - The program’s top priority is protecting native prairie. The majority of lands acquired will be native prairie and associated habitats including wetlands, streams and lakes. The parcel selection criteria also favor building onto existing complexes of prairie/grassland/wetland and protected land. The following outcomes will be measured and reported for acquisition in this region: 1) Total acres protected, 2) Acres of native prairie, 3) Acres of wetland, 4) Feet of stream- and lake-front, 5) Acres within Prairie Plan priorities, 6) # of endangered/threatened/SGCN on protected properties..
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TNC, USFWS and USFWS NAWCA