Mississippi Headwaters Habitat Corridor Project Phase 7
In Phase 7, The Mississippi Headwaters Board in partnership with The Trust for Public Land and BWSR assisted by 7 County SWCDs will permanently protect an additional 2,015 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat along the first 400 miles of the Mississippi River, its major tributaries, and 9 headwaters lakes. Previous phases have already protected 4,130 acres and 34 miles of shoreland using fee title acquisitions and conservation easements to create or expand permanently protected aquatic and upland wildlife habitat corridors. This on-going work benefits fish, game and non-game wildlife, migratory waterfowl and reduces forest fragmentation.
This Phase will continue to address current and anticipated aquatic and upland habitat protection opportunities along the first 400 miles of the Mississippi River, its major tributaries, Headwaters lakes and other high quality habitat complexes in Headwaters counties. To date, 4,130 acres and 34 miles of shoreland have been permanently protected to benefit aquatic habitat, provide food and shelter for migratory waterfowl along the Mississippi Flyway, and to create and enhance protected habitat corridors for game and non-game wildlife. Additionally, forest fragmentation that is detrimental to habitat protection has been reduced; public recreational opportunities for fishing, hunting, and passive recreation have been enhanced; and clean drinking water protected for millions of Minnesotans. There is urgency to fund this phase because previous phases through ML 21 are spent or committed to fee title acquisitions and easement projects that will protect an additional 2,936 acres and 10+ miles of shoreland.
The Mississippi River--Gichi-ziib in Ojibwe meaning "big river"-- is home to a variety of game fish and its adjacent lands are home to 350+ species of animals and birds, including most of the endangered and threatened species in Minnesota. Migratory waterfowl depend on the river for food and shelter along the Mississippi Flyway. Because quality privately owned lakeshores are already developed, pressure is building for development along the river corridor as people seek to live and recreate near water. This leads to fragmentation of forests that threatens habitat and water quality. Public lands adjacent to private property are in danger of losing habitat connectivity as private lands are increasingly developed resulting in destruction of wild rice beds, disruption of aquatic and upland habitat and fragmentation of forestlands, grasslands, and wetlands that dominate the Headwaters.
As a partnership, The Mississippi Headwaters Board administers and coordinates the project; The Trust for Public Land acquires fee-title to priority lands and conveys permanent ownership to a public entity (state or local government); and BWSR in partnership with 7 Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation Districts completes RIM conservation easements on parcels that have been identified and prioritized through a science-based selection process described below. A Technical Team of project partners along with DNR, BWSR, and The Nature Conservancy staff review and approve all projects using a ranked evaluation of habitat qualities, urgency for protection, and adjacency to public or already protected lands--a factor that is important to expanding protected habitat corridors. Strong local government involvement is unique to this project. For fee-title acquisitions, county boards are notified early to seek approval and before closing on an acquisition the County Board is again asked for final approval. Education sessions on easements have been conducted informally with county commissioners. This process has enhanced local government support and trust which has contributed to this Project's ongoing success.
$5,465,000 the second year is to acquire lands in fee and permanent conservation easements and to restore wildlife habitat in the Mississippi headwaters. Of this amount, (1) $3,814,000 is to the commissioner of natural resources for agreements as follows: $54,000 is to the Mississippi Headwaters Board and $3,760,000 is to The Trust for Public Land; and (2) $1,651,000 is to the Board of Water and Soil Resources, of which up to $150,000 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 acquisitions must be included as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Forestlands are protected from development and fragmentation - Forestlands protected are measured in the number of acres of forestland protected by either fee-title or easement and miles of protected forested shorelands. For fee-title acquisitions, the evaluation of ongoing maintenance of the forest according will be measured by the final owner's (state or local government) management plans and continued monitoring. For conservation easements, a management plan is part of the easement. Once recorded, BWSR with assistance from the County SWCD does annual monitoring to insure the management plan is not being violated.
Rivers and streams provide corridors of habitat including intact areas of forest cover in the east and large wetland/upland complexes in the west - Forestlands protected are measured in the number of acres of forestland protected by either fee-title or easement and miles of protected shoreland. For fee-title acquisitions, the evaluation of ongoing maintenance of the forest and shoreland will be according to the final owner's (state or local government) management plans and continued monitoring. For conservation easements, a management plan is part of the easement. Once recorded, BWSR with assistance from the County SWCD does annual monitoring to insure the management plan is not being violated
RIM, private and private