Accelerating the Wildlife Management Area Program - Phase XI

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,060,000
Fund Source
Outdoor Heritage Fund
Recipient
Pheasants Forever
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
In Progress
Start Date
July 2019
Activity Type
Land Acquisition
Counties Affected
Big Stone
Brown
Carver
Chippewa
Cottonwood
Dakota
Douglas
Faribault
Jackson
Kandiyohi
Lac qui Parle
Lincoln
Lyon
Martin
McLeod
Meeker
Murray
Nobles
Otter Tail
Pope
Redwood
Rock
Sibley
Stearns
Swift
Washington
Watonwan
Yellow Medicine
Big Stone
Brown
Carver
Chippewa
Cottonwood
Dakota
Douglas
Faribault
Jackson
Kandiyohi
Lac qui Parle
Lincoln
Lyon
Martin
McLeod
Meeker
Murray
Nobles
Otter Tail
Pope
Redwood
Rock
Sibley
Stearns
Swift
Washington
Watonwan
Yellow Medicine
Project Overview

This programmatic proposal accelerates the protection and restoration of 1,073 acres of strategic prairie grassland, wetland, and other wildlife habitats as State Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) open to public hunting. Pheasants Forever (PF) will be protecting parcels that build onto or create a corridor between existing protected lands which will be transferred to the MN Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) to be included as a WMA. All acquisitions will occur within the prairie, prairie/forest transition, and metro planning regions. These areas have seen the greatest decline in upland and wetland habitats.

About the Issue

Pressures from development, industry, and agriculture continue to mount on wildlife habitat within the farmland regions of Minnesota. Despite our collective investments in conservation, many of the agricultural counties in Minnesota are continuing to experience a net loss of wildlife habitat. This unfortunate reality is exacerbated by the conversion of lands expiring out of CRP. In the next five years, Minnesota's agricultural landscape is set to experience a loss of 549,185 acres due to expiration out of CRP. In 2018 alone MN will lose 201,294 acres of CRP that are set to expire. This equates to roughly a 20% loss of our grassland habitat necessary for pheasants, ducks, and the suite of grassland species that call Minnesota home. Now, more than ever, is the time to accelerate our investments in permanently protected high-quality habitat complexes that will protect, sustain, and increase Minnesota’s wildlife populations. Providing public habitat for Minnesotans to hunt, trap, fish and otherwise recreate in the outdoors are urgent needs for Minnesota's growing citizenry. Access to the outdoors is fundamental to ensuring Minnesota’s outdoor heritage is passed on to future generations.PF and our partners will protect (fee acquisition from willing sellers) 1,073 acres of high priority grassland (native prairie if available), wetland, and wildlife habitat as WMAs throughout the pheasant range of Minnesota. PF is striving to protect strategic tracts that build landscape level habitat complexes. Many of the potential projects are additions to existing WMAs which were originally acquired in partnership with MNDNR, local PF chapters, and conservation partners. Projects were developed and selected in conjunction with local and regional DNR staff. All projects will meet standards and requirements for inclusion into the WMA system and DNR Commissioner approval will be received for any project funded under this proposal. In addition to meeting the minimum WMA standards, additional criteria are used to develop the potential project list including: 1) Does the parcel contain habitat restoration potential that will result in an increase in wildlife populations? 2) Does the parcel build upon existing investments in public and private land habitat (landscape scale significance)? 3) Does the parcel contain significant natural communities or will it protect or buffer significant natural communities? 4) Does the parcel have the potential and focus for habitat protection and restoration in the future? 5) Does the parcel provide multiple benefits (recreation, access, water control, water quality, wellhead protection, riparian protection, local community support, etc.)?Providing high-quality habitat and keeping future management concerns in mind, all acquisitions will be restored and/or enhanced to as high quality as practicable, with the belief that quality and comprehensive restorations utilizing native species result in lower management costs. Acquired croplands will be permanently retired and restored to diverse grasslands and wetlands habitat. Restorations will also consider the needs of the monarch butterfly and native prairie.

Legal Citation / Subdivision
ML 2019, 1st Sp. Session, Ch. 2, Art. 1, Sec. 2, subd, 2(b)
Appropriation Language

$6,060,000 the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with Pheasants Forever to acquire in fee and restore and enhance lands for wildlife management under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 8. 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. A list of proposed land acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.

2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,060,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$215,000
Direct expenses
$6,048,600
Administration costs
$11,400
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.154
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Protected, restored, and enhanced nesting and migratory habitat for waterfowl, upland birds, and species of greatest conservation need - Strategic parcels that increase the functionality of existing habitat will be acquired and restored to functioning wetlands with diverse upland prairie to serve as habitat for pollinators, resident and migratory game and non-game species. Lands will be transferred to the state as a WMA to provide accelerated wildlife habitat and public access, monitored by Minnesota DNR. Protected and restored acres will be measured against goals outlined in the "Minnesota's Wildlife Management Area Acquisition - The Next 50 Years" and "the Long Range Plan for the Ring-Necked Pheasant in MN"..Protected habitats will hold wetlands and shallow lakes open to public recreation and hunting - Strategic parcels that increase the functionality of existing habitat will be acquired and restored to functioning wetlands with diverse upland prairie to serve as habitat for pollinators, resident and migratory game and non-game species. Lands will be transferred to the state as a WMA to provide accelerated wildlife habitat and public access, monitored by Minnesota DNR. Protected and restored acres will be measured against goals outlined in the "Minnesota's Wildlife Management Area Acquisition - The Next 50 Years" and "the Long Range Plan for the Ring-Necked Pheasant in MN".ds..Key core parcels are protected for fish, game and other wildlife - Strategic parcels that increase the functionality of existing habitat will be acquired and restored to functioning wetlands with diverse upland prairie to serve as habitat for pollinators, resident and migratory game and non-game species. Lands will be transferred to the state as a WMA to provide accelerated wildlife habitat and public access, monitored by Minnesota DNR. Protected and restored acres will be measured against goals outlined in the "Minnesota's Wildlife Management Area Acquisition - The Next 50 Years" and "the Long Range Plan for the Ring-Necked Pheasant in MN"..

Source of Additional Funds

PF, Federal, Private

Project Manager
First Name
Eran
Last Name
Sandquist
Organization Name
Pheasants Forever, Inc.
Street Address
410 Lincoln Ave S PO Box 91
City
South Haven
State
MN
Zip Code
55382
Phone
(3202367755) -
Email
esandquist@pheasantsforever.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-296-6157
Email the Agency