DNR WMA and SNA Acquisition - Phase VII
Acquire 910 acres of high priority habitats for designation as Wildlife Management Areas or Scientific & Natural Areas emphasizing Prairie Conservation Plan implementation and coordinating with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting, fishing and trapping.
Through this appropriation the MN DNR protected lands in the prairie and northern forest ecological sections. The
MN DNR prioritized our acquisitions to focus on parcels with an existing habitat base, acquisition opportunities
that provided connectivity and worked toward building habitat complexes, and opportunities that allowed us to
maximize habitat benefits. All acquisitions were a result of a relationship with a willing seller. We scored them
using a GIS tool that assigns points based on the natural resource attributes along with other ecological and
management criteria. We then ranked them in importance based on their score and input from local DNR land
managers. All acquisitions where then subject to County Board review and approval. Eleven WMA parcels and two
SNA totaling 1,924 acres are now permanently protected as a result of acquisitions funded by this program. This
eclipsed our Accomplishment Plan goal for acquisition by 1,014 acres!
$4,570,000 in the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources to acquire land in fee for wildlife management purposes under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 8, and to acquire land in fee for scientific and natural area purposes under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 5. Subject to evaluation criteria in Minnesota Rules, part 6136.0900, priority must be given to acquisition of 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 and permanent conservation easement acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
1,253 Prairie acres Protected in Fee with State PILT Liability. 671 Forest acres Protected in Fee with State PILT Liability. Total of 1,924 cares protected.
Wildlife Surcharge, Reinvest in Minnesota Critical Habitat Match Program, Landowner donations, Reinvest in Minnesota Critical Habitat Match Program