Martin County DNR WMA Acquisition Phase 3
Two strategically identified parcels were purchased and restored totaling 463 acres. Four Corners WMA tract 11 (Kittleson tract) restored 55 acres of wetlands and 163 acres of diverse native prairie. With the recent addition of a private RIM easement on adjacent lands, a large wetland basin which crosses property lines will be restored soon via tile removal from that project. All work from this program is completed on this tract.
Caron WMA tract 11 (Swanson Tract) protected an additional 140 acres (40 acres was already permanently protected by easement) and restoration work completed 26 acres wetland and 134 acres prairie.
Fox Lake Conservation League and The Conservation Fund worked together to identify these key parcels with willing sellers. TCF used utilized their expertise to navigate the real estate processes while Fox Lake worked with MN DNR to submit and approve WAIF and IDP. FLCL held and monitored each parcel while Ducks Unlimited developed restoration plans and hired contractors to implement restoration dirt work, tree removal, and prairie seeding.
$3,650,000 the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for agreements to acquire lands in fee and restore and enhance strategic prairie grassland, wetland, and other wildlife habitat in Martin County for wildlife management under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 8. Of this amount, $3,002,000 is to Fox Lake Conservation League Inc., $554,000 is to Ducks Unlimited, and $94,000 is to The Conservation Fund. A list of proposed acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
These projects will protected and restored threatened habitats in Martin County. Native prairie was protected and high quality wetlands and prairie were restored and existing habitats expanded upon. Restoration provided the opportunity to expand populations of at-risk and threatened plant species that the Martin SWCD had propagated for introduction to permanently protected sites. Threatened species include, Eared gerardia (Agalinis auriculata); Sullivant's milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii); and Tuberous Indian plantain (Cacalia tuberosa). Other locally rare or Special Concern species include: Small white lady's slipper (Cypripedium candidum) and Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium). We included local ecotype native plant materials in the establishment of a highly diverse prairie landscape, which provides habitat to support native pollinators, including several species of milkweed to support the federally threatened Monarch butterfly.
NAWCA