Dakota County Habitat Protection/Restoration Phase VIII

Historic settlement, modern-day development, and agriculture have replaced, degraded, and fragmented natural resource systems throughout Dakota County. The project scope and scale encompass some of the best natural resource features found in the metropolitan region, across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. A sound fiscal and prescriptive ecological systems approach to conservation, attempts to balance the interests, rights, and responsibilities of private landowners, with the public's concerns about water and habitat quality and protection.
In November 2020, the County Board approved a new Land Conservation Plan for Dakota County (Plan) that collectively identifies, coordinates, and prioritizes future land protection and management needs on public and private properties throughout the County. This Plan reflects one of five County Board goals of "a healthy environment with quality natural areas." Through its new Plan, the County continues to effectively work with a variety of agencies, jurisdictions, and organizations to implement land protection. Since 2002, the County approved plans and implemented programs to preserve natural areas and quality working land. The County developed conservation policy, project evaluation criteria, and practices to acquire, monitor, and administer 118 conservation easements, totaling 9,694 acres, and assist other public entities in acquiring 22 properties totaling 2,018 acres, for more than 11,700 total acres permanently protected. The new Plan identifies over 75,000 acres of important conservation lands within 24 preliminary Conservation Focus Areas (CFAs), of which 32,500 acres are already protected. The CFAs encompass a wide variety of habitats throughout the County, including 28 specific native communities, with 25 Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Land outside the CFAs is also eligible for conservation, if it meets certain criteria.
All permanent easements require Natural Resource Management Plans (NRMPs) that reflect existing ecosystem health and recommend potential restoration management strategies, including workplans and budgets. Initial implementation is also required, using an adopted public-private funding formula that includes a maintenance component. A Natural Resource Management Agreement (MA) is signed by the landowner and County, identifying NRMP priorities, activities, responsibilities, shared costs, and schedules. The proposed habitat restoration and enhancement projects in this funding request are based on these workplans. This project has direct benefits to fish, game, and wildlife, beyond increased and interconnected habitat. The Plan introduces new tools to measure restoration success through the Five-Star Ecological Recovery Reference System Attributes, Goals and Measures, and an adapted Ecological Recovery Wheel that can be used to visually depict the restorative status of a site.
The proposed and anticipated acquisition projects involve riparian areas along the Minnesota, Mississippi, and Cannon rivers (including Dutch, Mud, Chub, Darden and Pine Creeks) and Vermillion River (including North, Middle and South Creeks, the South Branch and tributaries), and shoreland along Chub and Marcott lakes. Additional habitat focuses include woodlands, wetlands, hydric soil areas, and unique landscape features and ecosystems.
Environmental Audits and/or Phase I Assessments are completed for all projects, resulting in waste removal, well sealing, and septic system upgrades, if needed, as program participation conditions. Baseline Property Reports