Grassland Conservation Partnership Phase II
The Grassland Conservation Partnership Phase II grant resulted in the protection via conservation easement of 1,778 acres of grassland habitat and 3 miles of shoreline associated with 2 working grasslands projects in western Minnesota. Land protected through conservation easement exceeded the proposed outputs for this grant by 445% (1,778 versus 400 proposed acres). In addition, 140 acres of grasslands habitat was enhanced through the grant.
Native grasslands are the most threatened ecosystem in Minnesota and one of the most threatened in the world. The Prairie Section as defined by LSOHC has suffered the greatest habitat loss of any of the five sections examined by the Council. Furthermore, only a third of the remaining habitat in the Prairie Section is permanently protected. To compound the problem, significant amounts of Minnesota?s conservation lands enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have expired over the past half decade and have been removed from the program.
Science has proven that proper application of haying and grazing techniques can be used to mimic natural processes necessary for healthy grass natural communities. Our colleagues at The Nature Conservancy and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have proven these techniques successful in Minnesota over a significant period of time. TCF performed the initial landowner outreach and identified potential projects; MLT negotiated the terms of the conservation easements with the landowners. All easements are held and monitored by MLT in perpetuity.
Lands targeted for conservation easement protection through this project met the following criteria:
1. Lands with significant existing prairie or grassland habitat
2. Lands near or within the Core Areas and Corridors identified in the Prairie Plan
3. Lands adjacent to or in close proximity to permanently protected land (e.g., WMAs, WPAs, CREP easements, TNC preserves, etc.)
4. Lands which will help establish connections between existing permanently protected lands, and those creating larger habitat complexes
5. Lands which may also include low production cropland that can be converted back into grasslands, thereby increasing overall grassland habitat
MLT and TCF used these criteria to systematically vet and rank potential projects to ensure projects selected possessed the maximum conservation value for the state's investment. Projects were also screened to identify producers with a proven ability to successfully implement the best management practices for conservation grazing. MLT used the proven ?reverse-bid? model to incentivize landowners to donate a portion of easement value and allow for the most efficient use of conservation funds. This reverse bid model first ranks the projects according to their habitat values and then ranks them according to the landowner's bid on what they are willing to get paid for the conservation easements. Projects selected provided the greatest conservation benefits at the lowest cost to the State.
Two conservation easement projects were completed through this grant, totaling 1,778 acres and protecting 3 miles of shoreline:
Caribou Parklands (Finney) - This massive 1,510-acre conservation easement embodies the innovative protection strategy championed by the Grasslands Conservation Partnership program. Located in Kittson County in Minnesota?s unique Tallgrass Aspen Parklands biome, this property is part of a conservation grazing operation that is sustained by rotational grazing and selective haying. Strategically located in an approximately 10-square mile area of private land that is surrounded by three WMAs, this property provides a critical link between vast stretches of public lands. Ten native
plant communities have been identified on the property, including rare prairie and wetland communities. Approximately 220 acres of native prairie is present. The property is home to numerous state-listed wildlife species, including moose, elk, and marbled godwit, as well as many other species that are considered Species in Greatest Conservation Need, such as sharptailed grouse and northern harrier.
Perch Lake (Samuelson) - Nearly two miles of shoreline on Perch Lake and an additional unnamed lake in Otter Tail County are protected through this impressive 267-acre conservation easement. Located six miles northwest of Parkers Prairie, this property is situated in the scenic Leaf Hills, a rugged glacial moraine that is part of the larger Alexandria Moraine. The property contains extensive rolling pasture, grazed through a Conservation Grazing Plan, as well as a narrow isthmus located between Perch Lake and an additional unnamed lake. The isthmus is pockmarked with wetland basins and contains large stands of Pin Oak ? Bur Oak Woodland, a community that is considered ?vulnerable to extirpation? in Minnesota. This portion of the property is also part of a Site of Moderate Biodiversity Significance and is located less than a mile west of Folden Woods
Marsh Wildlife Management Area.
A large 140-acre enhancement project also occurred on the Perch Lake (Samuelson) property after the easement closed. Portions of this easement had a long history of grazing and the Land Trust worked with the landowners to develop a rotational grazing system to improve and maintain the important habitats found on this portion of the property. The Land Trust also installed fencing to operationalize the rotational grazing system. These initial investments will allow for season-long habitat across the property, providing varied grass heights, and allowing for grassland plant species to complete their lifecycles on portions of the property every year. This will, in turn, provide valuable foraging and nesting habitat for grasslands birds, as well as floral resources and shelter for prairie pollinators.
$1,475,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with The Conservation Fund, in cooperation with Minnesota Land Trust, to acquire permanent conservation easements and restore high priority grassland, prairie, and wetland habitats as follows: $64,000 to The Conservation Fund; and $1,411,000 to Minnesota Land Trust, of which up to $100,000 is for establishing a monitoring and enforcement fund, as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. 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 acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan and must be consistent with the priorities in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
This project protected 1,778 acres of grassland, wetland, and prairie habitat as identified as a priority in the Outdoor Heritage Fund?s 25-Year Framework, and more specifically identified in the Prairie Plan. This project focused on lands identified by DNR, USFWS, and our partners as necessary for the conservation of habitat for wildlife and Species in Greatest Conservation Need. Minnesota County Biological Survey data as well as USFWS data were used to identify and prioritize sites of highest value for grassland birds and other prairie species such as the Dakota skipper and Poweshiek skipperling, both recently listed as threatened by USFWS. Because the majority of prairie and grassland habitat is found on private lands, this project helped protect those habitats and establish important connections to other protected lands, thereby creating larger complexes of protected grassland habitats.
Private and Private-landowner donations