Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program Phase 10: Statewide and Metro Habitat
As of 11/1/2022, the CPL program has provided over 900 grants totaling $109 million to over 200 different grantee organizations, improving or protecting over 339,000 acres of habitat. Demand for CPL grants has continued to grow each year as new applicants hear about the program and successful grantees return. In ML 2018 there were 107 grants awarded- 18 metro grants, 20 traditional grants, and 69 Expedited Conservation Partners grants. Through these 107 grants, over 18,000 acres were restored, enhanced, or protected. Over $11M was awarded to organizations for projects.
The CPL program fulfills MS 97a.056 Subd. 3a, directing LSOHC to establish a conservation partner?s grant program encouraging/supporting local conservation efforts. $11,053,000 was available for grants. Of this amount, up to $2,567,000 was used for projects in the 7-county metro area and in cities with a population of 50,000 people or greater. This is a stand-alone program, but depends on support/technical advice from public land managers and habitat and acquisition specialists.
Grant activities included enhancement, restoration and protection of forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. A 10% match from non-state sources is required for all grants, and may be in-kind or cash. Applicants described the project, location, activity, habitat, benefit, etc. For acquisition projects, applicants described the parcel selection process. CPL Staff developed an RFP incorporating LSOHC priorities. Staff worked with applicants to submit applications, oversaw grant selection, prepared/executed grant documents, reviewed expenditures, approved payments/reports, monitored work, and assisted recipients with close-out. Staff complies with Office of Grants Management policies.
The CPL program has 3 annual grant cycles- Traditional, Metro, and Expedited Conservation Projects (ECP). The Traditional and Metro cycles had one grant round beginning August 2017. Projects under $25,000 will have a simplified application. The ECP grant cycle had two rounds of funding.
CPL staff reviewed applications for completeness. Technical Review Committees, comprised of habitat experts across the state and approved by the DNR Commissioner, reviewed and scored Traditional and Metro applications based on evaluation criteria (see attached). The DNR Directors of Fish and Wildlife, Eco Waters, and Forestry reviewed the committee?s recommendations and provide a final ranking to the Commissioner. Funding decisions were made by the Commissioner?s office. ECP grants are reviewed by CPL staff and DNR habitat experts using established criteria. The Director of Fish and Wildlife made final funding decisions for ECP.
Grantees were required to submit annual and final accomplishment reports. Grantees were paid on a reimbursement or ?for services rendered? basis, meaning payment is made to the grantee after work has been performed. Proof that the vendor was paid must be submitted to staff before additional payments are made. Funds were advanced for acquisitions to accommodate cash flow needs.
CPL Administration Budget:
Administration costs of $137,400 include salary/fringe, direct support services, travel, supplies, outreach, ongoing application system/database maintenance, and other professional services.
$11,589,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for a program to provide competitive matching grants of up to $400,000 to local, regional, state, and national organizations for enhancing, restoring, or protecting forests, wetlands, prairies, or habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. Of this amount, up to $2,567,000 is for grants in the seven-county metropolitan area and cities with a population of 50,000 or greater. Grants must not be made for activities required to fulfill the duties of owners of lands subject to conservation easements. Grants must not be made from the appropriation in this paragraph for projects that have a total project cost exceeding $575,000. Of the total appropriation, $536,000 may be spent for personnel costs and other direct and necessary administrative costs. Grantees may acquire land or interests in land. Easements must be permanent. Grants may not be used to establish easement stewardship accounts. Land acquired in fee must be open to hunting and fishing during the open season unless otherwise provided by law. The program must require a match of at least ten percent from nonstate sources for all grants. The match may be cash or in-kind resources. For grant applications of $25,000 or less, the commissioner must provide a separate, simplified application process. Subject to Minnesota statutes, the commissioner of natural resources must, when evaluating projects of equal value, give priority to organizations that have a history of receiving, or a charter to receive, private contributions for local conservation or habitat projects. If acquiring land in fee or a conservation easement, priority must be given to projects associated with or within one mile of existing wildlife management areas under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 8; scientific and natural areas under Minnesota Statutes, sections 84.033 and 86A.05, subdivision 5; or aquatic management areas under Minnesota Statutes, sections 86A.05, subdivision 14, and 97C.02. All restoration or enhancement projects must be on land permanently protected by a permanent covenant ensuring perpetual maintenance and protection of restored and enhanced habitat, by a conservation easement or by public ownership, or in public waters as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.005, subdivision 15. Priority must be given to restoration and enhancement projects on public lands. Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 13, applies to grants awarded under this paragraph. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2022. No less than five percent of the amount of each grant must be held back from reimbursement until the grant recipient has completed a grant accomplishment report by the deadline and in the form prescribed by and satisfactory to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. The commissioner must provide notice of the grant program in the summary of game and fish law prepared under Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.051, subdivision 2.
All CPL project requests included a Natural Heritage Database Review, which addresses wildlife species of greatest conservation need, the MN County Biological Survey data, and/or rare, threatened and endangered species inventories.
local match