MeCC V - Restore & Enhance Significant Watershed Habitat (2.3)
Project Outcome and Results
The Twin Cities contains significant habitat areas. There is a concerted effort to protect, improve and link these areas. FMR's goal with this project was to partner with landowners to restore and enhance habitat at a number of these areas. During this phase of the MeCC project, FMR conducted activities at 9 distinct sites resulting in the restoration of a total of 287 acres, including 179 acres using Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund funds and 108 acres using leveraged funds. A management plan exists for each site, which served as guide for the restoration and enhancement activities. These sites included:
- Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area: Spot treated weeds on a 17-acre restored prairie and conducted exotic brush control on 28 acres of woodland. Conducted follow up buckthorn control on 3-acres of woodland.
- Sand Coulee Prairie. Conducted prescribed burns, mowing, and spot-spraying on 83- acres. Volunteers assisted in collecting seeds and removing weeds.
- Rosemount Wildlife Preserve. Conducted a prescribed burn on 16 acres of woodland.
- Wilmar. Mowed a 25-acre prairie restoration & treated exotic invasive plans in a 15-acre woodland.
- Mississippi River Gorge. Volunteers installed native tree and shrubs on 2-acre and installed prairie plants to enhance a 4-acre prairie restoration within Crosby Park. Volunteers also hand weeded the site. At the Riverside Park in Minneapolis, volunteers installed native plants within 4-acre of woodland.
- Hastings Riverflats Park. Applied basal bark treatment to buckthorn on 27 acres of floodplain forest.
- Gores Pool Wildlife Management Area and Aquatic Management Area. Exotic brush was removed and sprouts treated on 67 acres of woodland. Native grass seed was broadcasted over this woodland. Prairie restoration activities took place on a 4-acre old field. A 4-acre reed canary grassland was treated as part of a re-forestation effort.
- Ravenna Block Greenway-Dakota County. Buckthorn was removed from 12 acres of woodland, while a prescribed burn was conducted and native prairie seed was broadcasted on a 24-acre grassland.
- Emrick. 22 acres of a former farm field were seeded to prairie, followed by a mowing. Nine acres of exotic dominated woodland were removed and chipped for biofuels.
Project Results Use and Dissemination
FMR organizes many tours and stewardship events at the sites where we conduct restoration activities. We share information about this project with the participants of these events. FMR also occasionally publishes articles in its paper and electronic newsletters regarding restoration projects that it is involved in.
$3,375,000 is from the trust fund to the commissioner of natural resources for the fifth appropriation for acceleration of agency programs and cooperative agreements. Of this appropriation, $2,185,000 is for Department of Natural Resources agency programs and $1,190,000 is for agreements as follows: $380,000 with the Trust for Public Land; $90,000 with Friends of the Mississippi River; $155,000 with Great River Greening; $250,000 with Minnesota Land Trust; $225,000 with Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc.; and $90,000 with Friends of the Minnesota Valley for the purposes of planning, restoring, and protecting important natural areas in the metropolitan area, as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2, and portions of the surrounding counties, through grants, contracted services, technical assistance, conservation easements, and fee title acquisition. Land acquired with this appropriation must be sufficiently improved to meet at least minimum management standards as determined by the commissioner of natural resources. Expenditures are limited to the identified project corridor areas as defined in the work program. This appropriation may not be used for the purchase of residential structures, unless expressly approved in the work program. All conservation easements must be perpetual and have a natural resource management plan. Any land acquired in fee title by the commissioner of natural resources with money from this appropriation must be designated as an outdoor recreation unit under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.07. The commissioner may similarly designate any lands acquired in less than fee title. A list of proposed restorations and fee title and easement acquisitions must be provided as part of the required work program. All funding for conservation easements must include a long-term stewardship plan and funding for monitoring and enforcing the agreement. To the maximum extent practical, consistent with contractual easement or fee acquisition obligations, the recipients shall utilize staff resources to identify future projects and shall maximize the implementation of biodiverse, quality restoration projects in the project proposal into the first half of the 2010 fiscal year.
Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".
Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".