Wetland and Grassland Easement Restoration 1

Across the prairie pothole region of Minnesota, greater than 90% of wetlands have been drained and approximately only 1% of native prairie still remains on the landscape. One only needs to drive across the area or look at aerial photos to see how radically we have changed the ecology of this landscape. This has had two effects. First, wetland drainage and agricultural tillage has removed hundreds of thousands of acres of nesting and brood rearing habitat for waterfowl and other grassland game-birds and songbirds. Second, instead of holding water in the watershed in those wetlands, and reducing erosion of uplands, precipitation flushes directly into our lakes and river systems. This project focuses on restoring or enhancing wetlands and grasslands protected in perpetuity by conservation easements. This work uses the best conservation science to strategically restore and enhance wetlands and praire grasslands on the landscape to increase migratory bird and resident wildlife populations.