Metro Big Rivers Habitat Phase 7
The Metro Big Rivers (MBR) partners successfully completed their work with the Phase 7 / ML2016 OHF appropriation. MBR exceeded original acreage goals by 14% and completed work on a total of 1,199 acres. Partners protected 145 acres through fee title acquisition and 194 acres through permanent conservation easement, restored 241 acres and enhanced 619 acres.
MBR 7 expended 99% of the OHF funds granted and leveraged the grant by 49% with almost $2 million in other funds.
Brief summaries of the work completed under this phase of Metro Big Rivers are provided below. More in-depth information of projects completed is provided in attachments to this final report.
Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) completed its work under this grant as of June 30, 2022. FMR restored habitat at 197 acres at 2 sites, exceeding its original plan of 160 acres. FMR was able to expand its planned work area at the William H. Houlton Conservation Area and add the adjacent Bailey Point Nature Preserve to its work under this grant.
Great River Greening (GRG) concluded its restoration and enhancement work as of June 30, 2021. Through this grant, GRG restored 4 acres and enhanced 619 acres of habitat (623 acres total) at 7 sites in the metro region, slightly exceeding its original goal. The project sites were Izaak Walton League Minnesota Valley Gateway, Lebanon Hills Regional Park Phase 1, Lilydale Bluffs, Minnehaha Creek Greenway, Pond Dakota Mission, Rum River Regional Park & Cedar Creek Conservation Area, and Trout Brook Afton Phase 1 (5 are detailed in the attachment).
Minnesota Land Trust (MLT) concluded its land protection work associated with this grant in June 2019. MLT protected 3 sites under conservation easement and exceeded its projected goals for the grant, protecting 194 acres (relative to the 100 acres proposed) and 2.18 miles of shoreline. MLT leveraged $1,055,000 in landowner donations of easement value through this grant. MLT easement projects completed in this phase are:
?Medvecky Woods (Baker) - An 80-acre property protecting high-quality oak-maple-basswood forest, tamarack swamp, and hardwood swamp. The property lies within the Medvecky Woods Site of Outstanding Biodiversity Significance and adjacent to Cedar Creek Natural History Area and conservation easements held by the Land Trust.
?Pickerel Lake (Imholte) - This 42-acre property is dominated by oak forest and lies along the shorelines of Pickerel and Fish Lakes. The property lies adjacent to another conservation easement held by the Land Trust.
?Oak Lake (Phyllis Wheatly Community Center) - This 83-acre property (72 acres funded through this grant) contains a DNR-designated Big Woods Heritage Forest and nearly 1.5 miles of shoreline on Oak Lake. The conservation easement forever protects high quality habitat within Camp Katherine Parsons, one of the nation?s earliest camps focused on serving the needs of African-American youth.
Minnesota Valley Trust (MVT) completed its work under this grant as of December 31, 2022. With about half of the grant, MVT protected through fee title acquisition 26 acres of a high-priority 77-acre parcel for the Rapids Lake Unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The balance of the site was acquired with the MBR 6 / ML 2015 grant and $794,462 in other, private funds.
MVT then used the balance of the MBR 7 grant to complete the initial habitat restoration of 40 acres of the acquired parcel, converting the building site and crop field to prairie and wetland. Simultaneously, MN Land Trust conducted initial restoration of 35 acres of degraded oak savanna on the site through MBR 6 / ML 2015. Follow-up treatments to maintain and enhance the restored 77 acres will be completed by MVT and USFWS under the MBR 9 / ML2019 grant.
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) concluded its land protection work associated with this grant in January 2018, when it acquired a 119-acre addition to the Janet Johnson WMA. TPL exceeded its target of protecting 80 acres.
$4,000,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for agreements to acquire land in fee and permanent conservation easements and to restore and enhance natural systems associated with the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix Rivers within the metropolitan area as follows: $500,000 to Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc.; $430,000 to Friends of the Mississippi River; $1,170,000 to Great River Greening; $800,000 to The Trust for Public Land; and $1,100,000 to Minnesota Land Trust, of which up to $60,000 to Minnesota Land Trust is to establish a monitoring and enforcement fund as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. A list of proposed land acquisitions and permanent conservation easements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Metro Big Rivers projects improved habitat values for wildlife and SGCN, including birds using the Mississippi River migratory corridor, pollinators, wildlife, and an array of rare and endangered species.
FMR converted crop field to diverse prairie and restored forest at two sites on the Mississippi and Elk Rivers in Sherburne County. The restoration provides critical habitat for resident and migrant birds (including five SGCNs surveyed post-restoration), native pollinators, and mammals. The sites are partially located in the high potential zone for Rusty Patched bumblebee. Post-restoration surveys documented increases in pollinator abundance and diversity.
GRG worked on public conservation lands to improve habitat values for wildlife and SGCN, including birds using the Mississippi River migratory corridor and pollinators. Work restored and enhanced riverine, forest, oak savanna, prairie, and wetland habitat at seven conservation sites.
MLT prevented fragmentation around lakes experiencing development pressure (Pickerel and Fish Lakes), as well as areas of biological significance (Medvecky Woods). MLT conservation easements also protected two miles of shoreline and associated riparian habitat on Pickerel, Fish, and Oak Lakes. Over six bird species designated as SGCN have been identified on the Oak Lake conservation easement alone.
MVT acquired lands identified through the USFWS Comprehensive Conservation Plan, which prioritizes lands for high biodiversity, connectivity, and ability to preserve habitat for SGCN. MVT?s acquisition protected oak savanna, remnant prairie, oak basswood forest and seasonal ephemeral wetlands. A bioblitz identified more than 200 species, including the endangered Henslow?s sparrow, bloodroot, pasqueflower, kittentail (state threatened species), buffalo bean, bergamot, common milkweed, whorled milkweed, green milkweed and bur oak. Restoration created habitat for grassland and savanna-dependent birds, other wildlife and pollinators, including the endangered Rusty Patched bumble bee and monarch.
TPL acquired land prioritized in Minnesota?s Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) due to its high biodiversity significance, connectivity to existing public lands, and ability to preserve habitat for SGCN. Acquisition for the Janet Johnson Memorial WMA protected two habitat types identified within the WAP?s St. Croix River Watershed Conservation Focus Area and key wildlife habitat utilized by 67 listed SGCN within the Anoka Sand Plain ecological subsection.
City of Elk River, City of Elk River, FMR, Greening, IWLA, SWWD, Dakota County, MCWD, Landowner donated value, MCWD, St. Louis Park, MVT - Private, Private funds, SWWD, South Washington Watershed District, Vail Resorts, Various state and local and private funds