Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, Phase XIV
The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service will work together to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 1,112 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 726 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in priority areas identified in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan that have significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey.
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 is authorized to work in the prairie landscapes of western Minnesota and northwestern Iowa.
To date, the Refuge has protected more than 13,040 acres. Funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF) will allow The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), working in partnership, to significantly accelerate this progress. TNC and USFWS will cooperate on protecting approximately 1,112 acres of native prairie and associated habitat in the 49 Minnesota counties within the Refuge boundary. We expect to protect approximately 910 acres with permanent habitat easements and approximately 202 acres in fee title.
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, coulees, and lakes.
Potential acquisitions are reviewed using the following criteria:
1) Is there untilled native prairie on the tract? If not, is it adjacent to untilled native prairie?
2) Is the property in a priority area (core/corridor/complex) identified in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan (Prairie Plan)?
3) Is it adjacent to an existing complex of protected land?
4) Was it identified by Minnesota Biological Survey (Biological Survey) or FWS biologists 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 or enhancement work. Restoration and enhancement will be completed where needed. With this program's focus on native habitat, only a limited amount of cropland restoration has been required. The funds for this work are primarily for enhancement activities such as invasives, tree, and brush removal that prepare these properties for long-term management.
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. Since then, approximately 7,826 acres have been added to the Refuge with OHF funding. Of these, approximately 4,752 acres (approximately 61%) are classified as untilled native prairie. Additional habitat includes nearly 630 acres of wetlands, nearly 22 miles of stream front, and more than 2.5 miles of lakefront. We have signed agreements with landowners for the protection of approximately 787 additional acres and are negotiating with landowners on an additional 1,587 acres. Talks are ongoing with a long list of interested landowners.
With additional support from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, this program will continue to make lasting progress towards protection Minnesota's native prairies and the wildlife that depends on those lands.
$4,412,000 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 land in fee or permanent conservation easements and restore and enhance lands within 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.
Remnant native prairies are part of large complexes of restored prairies, grasslands, and large and small wetlands - The percent of native remnant prairie, as determined by the Minnesota Biological Survey and/or USFWS biologists, will be documented on each parcel, as will the proximity to other protected land and neighboring habitat types, including oak savanna, wetlands, and Big Woods forest. These factors are considered in the ranking criteria for each parcel.
Remnant native prairies are part of large complexes of restored prairies, grasslands, and large and small wetlands - The percent of native remnant prairie, as determined by the Minnesota Biological Survey and/or USFWS biologists, will be documented on each parcel. Surrounding natural habitat types and cropped areas will be evaluated as part of the ranking criteria for submitted parcels
Federal and USFWS