Shallow Lake & Wetland Protection & Restoration Program - Phase XIII

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,670,000
Fund Source
Outdoor Heritage Fund
Recipient
DU
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
In Progress
Start Date
July 2024
End Date
January 1970
Activity Type
Land Acquisition
Counties Affected
Becker
Big Stone
Clay
Cottonwood
Douglas
Freeborn
Jackson
Kandiyohi
Lincoln
Lyon
McLeod
Murray
Nicollet
Redwood
Rice
Sibley
Swift
Yellow Medicine
Becker
Big Stone
Clay
Cottonwood
Douglas
Freeborn
Jackson
Kandiyohi
Lincoln
Lyon
McLeod
Murray
Nicollet
Redwood
Rice
Sibley
Swift
Yellow Medicine
Project Overview

This is Phase 13 Ducks Unlimited's of prairie wetland acquisition and restoration program in Minnesota. DU proposes to acquire and restore land containing wetlands and drained wetlands, and land bordering shallow lakes in Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region for inclusion in MNDNR state WMAs and USFWS federal WPAs/NWRs. This ongoing land acquisition/restoration program focuses on restoring cropland with drained wetlands near existing WMAs and WPAs/NWRs to help restore prairie wetland habitat complexes for breeding ducks, other wildlife, and people. DU biologists and engineers will survey, design, and hire private sector contractors to restore drained wetlands and uplands.

About the Issue

Phase 13 of Ducks Unlimited's ongoing program will Acquire and Restore wetlands and prairie on land for sale adjacent to MNDNR State Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and federal Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) or National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). DU works with willing seller private landowners with drained wetlands and converted prairie uplands, and land on shallow lakes in need of protection. DU purchases and temporarily holds land title through it's Wetlands America Trust (WAT), DU's supporting land-holding organization, of which DU is the sole corporate member.

Our goal is to help restore functioning prairie-wetland habitat complexes and complement other conservation efforts to protect intact native prairie. Our work addresses the habitat goals in Minnesota's Long-range Duck Recovery Plan, Minnesota's Prairie Conservation Plan, and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. This work is time-sensitive because farmland adjacent to public lands is rarely offered for sale for conservation, and tracts are only available for a short time. DU works quickly and has spent much of our past OHF appropriations for land acquisition.

Ducks Unlimited works closely with Minnesota DNR Section of Wildlife and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to find land parcels for sale, and partners with other NGOs, and local sportsmen clubs to restore lands acquired. Although approval is not requested from county boards for DU land acquisitions, DU communicates frequently with county and township officials to ensure local official awareness of our conservation work, and often attends county and township board meetings to discuss projects. The acquisitions and restorations proposed represents the amount of work DU can accomplish over 4-8 years, is scalable, and benefits game and non-game wildlife species alike - from mallards to monarch butterflies.

Because 90% of Minnesota's prairie wetlands have been drained and 99% of prairie uplands converted in Minnesota, acquisition and restoration of prairie and small wetlands is critical - especially for breeding ducks in the Prairie Pothole Region of SW Minnesota where DU focuses our efforts. Furthermore, most remaining undrained wetlands here are in poor ecological condition due to massive landscape prairie conversion to cropland and wetland drainage that degrades both wetland condition and habitat function for prairie wildlife.

Although many of our remaining prairie wetlands and shallow lakes are contained within state WMAs or federal WPAs, these small public land patches rarely provide optimal wildlife habitat due to their disconnected, fragmented shape and small size. Similarly, most prairie shallow lakes are surrounded by a thin ribbon of uplands that fail to adequately buffer them from surrounding agricultural land runoff. Therefore, acquisition and restoration of drained wetlands and cultivated cropland in close proximity to our public lands will improve and buffer our public shallow lakes and remaining wetlands and help create functioning prairie-wetland habitat complexes for breeding ducks and other prairie wildlife.

DU professional engineers and biologists work closely with MNDNR and USFWS biologists to plan and implement robust prairie pothole wetland and grassland restorations, including diverse native forb/grass seed plantings and complex wetland restorations that often involve extensive tile drainage systems.

Legal Citation / Subdivision
ML 2024, Ch. 106, Art. 1, Sec. 2, Subd. 4(b)
Appropriation Language

$7,670,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with Ducks Unlimited to acquire land in fee for wildlife management purposes under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 8, or to be designated and managed as Waterfowl production areas or national wildlife refuges in Minnesota, in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and to restore and enhance prairie lands, wetlands, and land buffering shallow lakes.

2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,670,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$885,000
Direct expenses
$7,620,000
Administration costs
$50,000
Number of full time equivalents funded
1
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Protected, restored, and enhanced shallow lakes and wetlands - Land bordering shallow lakes and land containing drained wetlands will be acquired and restored back to prairie pothole wetlands and grasslands. Native grass and forb wildflower grasslands will surround wetlands as functional habitat for pollinators, migratory birds, and resident wildlife. Lands transferred into the state Wildlife Management Area system will provide additional prairie habitat for migratory species and public use, both of which will be monitored by Minnesota DNR. Restored lands acquired will be monitored by DNR area wildlife field staff and managed to optimize wildlife habitat conditions. Prairie uplands will be managed to minimize trees and encourage native plants

Source of Additional Funds

DU private, federal NAWCA, and federal USFWS IRA-NbS and Federal USFWS Migratory Bird Conservation Funds

Project Manager
First Name
Jon
Last Name
Schneider
Organization Name
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Street Address
311 East Lake Geneva Road
City
Alexandria
State
MN
Zip Code
56308
Email
jschneider@ducks.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-296-6157
Email the Agency