The Green Corridor Legacy Program, Phase II
This program will protect and restore/enhance high quality fish, game, and wildlife habitats by developing complexes or corridors of new and/or expansions of MN DNR Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and/or Aquatic Management Areas (AMA) in the Program area. The proposed The Green Corridor Legacy Program ? Phase II FY2011 appropriation will be a continuation of the Phase I FY2010 appropriations by LSOHC. The Green Corridor Legacy Program fiscal agent is the Redwood Area Communities Foundation (RACF) dba Green Corridor Inc with oversight/management responsibilities by the Green Corridor Inc. Board of Directors.
Publicly owned natural resource infrastructure (e.g. WMA, AMA, etc) invigorates local and regional economies by providing outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities. New business concepts are likely to arise as a direct result of the recreational/ tourism opportunities that will be advanced and promoted by the Green Corridor Legacy Program.
The Green Corridor Legacy Program - Phase II will protect and restore/enhance high quality fish, game, and wildlife habitats by developing complexes or corridors of new and/or expansions of MN DNR Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and/or Aquatic Management Areas (AMA) in the Program area. The proposed fee title acquisitions will be considered from a priority list of properties based on several key factors of which show the most urgent need. All properties will be acquired from willing and supportive landowners. All projects have the support of the local DNR offices.
Other program activities will include continuing community/citizen/regional support of the program, partnership involvement in program development, and continue to promote local/state government cooperation. Fiduciary responsibility for the program activities including all processes associated to the land transactions, financial oversight, transparency and accountability to all program activities and outcomes, and development of a strategy to monitor the outcomes with partners and agencies.
This program incorporates the basic concepts of sustainability and ecosystem management. Minnesota has lost 99% of the original prairie and has seen dramatic declines in grassland dependent wildlife of greatest need. Traditional game & aquatic species are also affected by the decline in habitat.
The Glacial River Warren created the Minnesota River Valley as it drained Lake Agassiz 10,000+ years ago. The bluff to bluff wall of water carved out one of Minnesota's most scenic landscapes, creating unique geological features, and unique plant communities only found along the valley and its primary tributaries. Efforts to restore, protect, and enhance our wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife are timely as escalating development pressures threaten remaining natural lands and water resources on both public and private lands in the program area.
The program will succeed because numerous partnerships have been developed from a wide variety of disciplines (e.g. U of M, DNR, local SWCD, USFWS, PF, MDHA, NWTF, community/civic groups, regional business leaders, and supportive landowners) that will assist in monitoring outcomes, provide long range management of the acquired lands, provide technical support, and ensure that program activities will advance the goals, objectives, and strategies of the various state-wide conservation plans and provide public transparency and input. Green Corridor Inc. is in the process of securing additional financial support of program activities with a number of local/regional wildlife, conservation, and sportsmen's groups.
Through the Green Corridor Board of Directors, we have gain the support for this program from community/civic organizations like the MN River Scenic By-way Alliance, local government agencies like the Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the program area, documented letter of support from the MN DNR Region 4 director, and documented letters of support from the local county(s) government. Once purchase agreements are secured, formal notifications to the Board of County Commissioners (in the counties were properties will be acquired) will be completed, as is the normal protocol.
$1,651,000 in fiscal year 2011 is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with the Redwood Area Communities Foundation to acquire and restore land for purposes allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15, in Redwood, Renville, Brown, Nicollet, Murray, Lyon, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa, and Cottonwood Counties to be added to the state outdoor recreation system as defined in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 86A. A list of proposed fee title acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan. The commissioner of natural resources must agree in writing to each proposed acquisition. All restorations must comply with subdivision 9, paragraph(b).
A total of 447.51 acres of Prairies to 3 WMA complexes.
Added 164.36 acres to the new Grunflur WMA complex located in Cottonwood County just south of Sanborn MN has protected a wetland structure and a small remnant native prairie parcel and is in close proximity of the Cottonwood River. This tract also protects habitat for upland game and waterfowl. This new WMA now provides greater public access to regional communities like Sanborn to this new outdoor recreational system and has the potential for future development and expansion.
Added 89.5 acres to the Lamberton WMA located in Redwood County northeast of Lamberton MN provides protection to a significant riparian drainage area and expands the existing Lamberton WMA complex. This tract also protects critical wildlife and waterfowl habitats (grasslands) that are usually associated to these types of riparian areas.
Added 193.65 acres to the new Granite Prairie WMA complex located in Renville County northwest of Morton MN. This WMA protects numerous exposed granite outcrops, remnant native prairie, existing and restored hardwood forested areas, several wetland/shallow lake structures, and also protects nearly 1.1 miles of aquatic habitats along the Minnesota River shoreline. Numerous species of game and non-game wildlife inhabit this WMA and also provides water and fishing access to the Minnesota River. This tract is also adjacent to a portion of the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway transportation system.
non-state, Renville County PF, NWTF MN Fund, donations and in kind/volunteer