Protecting Strategic Forestlands Near Camp Ripley
The program protected 848 acres using OHF, and a total of 1,627 acres of forested habitat which leveraged over $2.2 million in other state and federal Department of Defense funding to permanently protect these lands near some of Minnesota's fastest developing cities (Baxter and Brainerd). This was a partnership effort involving The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Camp Ripley, City of Baxter, Sylvan Township, Cass County, and Crow Wing County. The local press covered the closing of the project on radio, TV, and the newspapers.
The forest parcels protected in this project had been identified by Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape partners and the Cass and Crow Wing County Land Departments for many years as high priorities for protection, due to their connectivity to nearby habitat and public access benefits. The Conservation Fund became the official fee title acquisition partner for Camp Ripley in 2017 and the Department of Defense brought nearly $2 million to permanently protect these forests along Camp Ripley's northern border on the Mississippi River. The City of Baxter also applied for an ENTRF grant in 2017 to focus on 200 acres of the Potlatch parcels along the Mississippi River in southwest Baxter. This program protected land in three separate transactions with three sellers: PotlatchDeltic, Minnesota Power, and a private landowner. Multiple public meetings with the eventual owners and managers of the property were led by The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy, who is the coordinating partner for the Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape. The Conservation Fund was able to negotiate a larger landscape transaction with Potlatch to acquire 1,512 acres and apply three funding sources across the property (OHF, LCCMR, and Department of Defense) based on comments from the local partners for future plans for the land. Forested lands that had any potential future trail corridors in southwest Baxter and Sylvan Township were acquired with LCCMR and Department of Defense funding, and lands in Cass and Crow Wing County without plans for added trails were purchased with OHF. The momentum in this area of Baxter led to the two other transactions with the private landowner and Minnesota Power and permanently protected eight developable lake lots along Kramer Lake. Camp Ripley Environmental Staff are partnering with Baxter and Sylvan Township to assist with habitat management plans, costs, and implementation into the future, which helped both entities in their decision to be the long-term owner.
$3,348,000 the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with The Conservation Fund to acquire in fee and restore and enhance forest wildlife habitat in Cass, Crow Wing, and Morrison Counties in proximity to the Minnesota National Guard Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape. Land must be acquired for state forests under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 7; for wildlife management under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 8; for scientific and natural areas under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 5; or as county forest land or municipal forest land. A list of proposed land acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
This area is the confluence of the Anoka Sand Plain, Hardwood Hills, Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains, and Mille Lacs Uplands ecological subsections of Minnesota. The habitats protected in this program have documented Blanding's Turtles and Red-Shouldered hawks, and are suitable habitats for Northern long-eared bat, little brown bat, and gray wolf.
Department of Defense