Miesville Bluff Restoration Phase II

Dakota County plans to restore and enhance approximately 130 acres of degraded bluffland and former crop fields to native prairie, savanna, woodland, and forest at Miesville Ravine Park Reserve (MRPR) in southeast Dakota County. The proposed project area is on the shoulder, crest, and flat tops of limestone bluffs on the east side of Trout Brook, a class-1A protected trout stream. Historically, much of the steep bluffs contained Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (UPs13c), a state and globally threatened plant community and potential habitat for dozens of Minnesota?s SGCNs. Today, there are several small patches of prairie scattered across the slopes of the project area, but they are shrinking due to encroachment by woody vegetation. This project will expand and buffer the remnants, connecting them where possible, and connect them to several other remnants that we are currently enhancing, adjacent to the proposed project area, thanks to a CPL grant from FY 2016. The remainder of the project acreage consists of enhancing savanna, woodland, and forest, plus restoring former cropland and an old field; all that are next to UPs13c communities.
In total, this project includes the enhancement or restoration of all three Key Habitat Types within the Blufflands ecological subsection, as identified in Minnesota?s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Prairie, Savanna, and cliff/talus).
MCBS surveyed a variety of native plant communities with high biological diversity significance in MRPR, and surveyors noted several rare plants species and SGCNs within and adjacent to this project area. This project will provide multiple habitat and water quality benefits outlined in the Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan, including: Habitat 5-Restore land, wetlands and wetland-associated watersheds; Habitat 7?Keep water on the landscape; Habitat 13-Habitat and landscape conservation and training programs for all citizens-engaging community volunteers in enhancement efforts.