Metro WMA Enhancements

Washington County in east-central Minnesota is a habitat mosaic of wetlands and prairies that offers a diverse landscape for many different species of wildlife to thrive within one of Minnesota's largest urban centers. Over the past several years, Washington County has also taken the initiative among others areas of the state to be a leader in pollinator projects/enhancements through innovative partnerships. The Washington County Chapter of Pheasants Forever has been a partner in this endeavor and would like to continue moving forward with pollinator/habitat initiatives in the county through public lands habitat enhancements. Through a Conservation Partners Legacy Grant, Pheasants Forever will direct funds to enhance critical grasslands in Washington County through active management of public property owned by the state of Minnesota.:

(1) Bayport WMA: The Bayport Wildlife Management Area is located in eastern Washington County and is a heavily used public area with many different wildlife qualities. The WMA is 452 acres in size and consists of two main parcels - a north and south unit. The major emphasis is to manage for a variety of woodland and grassland wildlife. The area consists of 72% grassland/agricultural land, 27% woodland and a small amount of wetland. The CPL grant would address management needs on several prairie areas within the WMA, restoring function and diverse prairie species in the process. The following parcels would be included in the grant:

Bayport North ? MNDOT Unit ? 15 acres
Bayport North ? Central Unit ? 29 acres
Bayport South ? East Unit - 37 acres

(2) Hardwood Creek WMA - Hardwood Creek Wildlife Management Area is a 582-acre wetland complex located in northern Washington County and is a heavily used public area with many different wildlife qualities. The aim of the Hardwood Creek WMA Grassland Enhancement Project is to restore the existing native prairie through a prescribed burn, as well as killing volunteer trees (boxedler, elm, and buckthorn) starting to emerge on the property. The CPL grant would cover a 22-acre prescribed burn on the property's NW Unit while providing positive benefits for grassland species (pheasants, songbirds, turkeys, pollinators) by providing a disturbance to rid the ground of clump grasses and restore the function/diversity of native prairie lands.