Saint Croix Basin Conservation Planning and Protection

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$60,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$60,000
Fund Source
Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund
Recipient
St. Croix River Association
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2011
End Date
June 2014
Activity Type
Education/Outreach/Engagement
Planning
Counties Affected
Aitkin
Anoka
Carlton
Chisago
Isanti
Kanabec
Mille Lacs
Pine
Washington
Aitkin
Anoka
Carlton
Chisago
Isanti
Kanabec
Mille Lacs
Pine
Washington
Project Overview

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Portions of the St. Croix River Basin are now on the impaired waters list and rare landscapes, plants, and animal communities are increasingly threatened by development pressures. Up until now, conservation efforts in the St. Croix Basin have often been lacking focus and coordination between jurisdictions has been inadequate. Through this appropriation, the St. Croix River Association is establishing and coordinating a partnership effort between local, state, and federal government units and non-profits to develop a joint plan that will identify and prioritize areas for conservation implementation and guide efforts over time to improve overall watershed health in the St. Croix Basin.

OVERALL PROJECT OUTCOME AND RESULTS
Portions of the St. Croix River Basin are now on the impaired waters list and rare landscapes, plant, and animal communities are threatened by development pressures. Multi-jurisdictional conservation efforts are complex and often lack focus and coordination in the St. Croix Basin. This project was a means to streamline and focus conservation efforts on areas with the most critical need within the Basin. By linking local, state and federal governmental units, citizen-led non-profits, and design & technical expertise in an effective, well-coordinated partnership, this project set water quality, habitat, and recreational priorities; identified specific management practices in priority locations; and implemented on-the-ground projects to promote land and water stewardship to enhance and protect the very special place the St. Croix River Basin is to live, recreate, and work. The St. Croix Action Team, consisting of multiple partnerships throughout the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River Basin, worked diligently throughout the life of the project to produce a strategic prioritization of resources based on water quality, habitat, and recreation. The final products include:

  • Identification of priority subwatersheds for resource management objectives in the St. Croix Basin (MN side) based on multiple benefits through an integrative modeling application.
  • A protocol to assist in identifying Best Management Practices (BMPs) within priority subwatersheds.
  • An expansive list of 188 BMP prescriptions for Chisago, Kanabec and Washington counties for water quality protection and habitat restoration.
  • A cost benefit analysis of each practice to help determine the most cost effective management options for the benefit received from the practice.
  • Six BMPs on the ground located in priority areas that demonstrate the use of an effective protocol and cost benefit analysis for resource protection and management.

This project was vital to create a well-coordinated procedure that identified areas of greatest resource concern and strategic, most cost-effective measures of protecting those resources.

PROJECT RESULTS USE AND DISSEMINATION
As a part of this project, Chisago, Kanabec, and Washington counties each constructed a master list of priority conservation activities to use in their work plans, build future funding strategies, and perform outreach activities to landowners for implementation. Project information has been shared with additional Basin partners, including those across the river on the Wisconsin side, through the annual St. Croix Basin Conference, Basin Team meetings, and SCRA newsletters and website.

Project Details
Legal Citation / Subdivision
M.L. 2011, First Special Session, Chp. 2, Art.3, Sec. 2, Subd. 03o
Appropriation Language

$60,000 the first year and $60,000 the second year are from the trust fund to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with the St. Croix River Association to develop an interagency plan to identify and prioritize critical areas for project implementation to improve watershed health. This appropriation must be matched by $120,000 of nonstate cash or qualifying in-kind funds. Up to $10,000 may be retained by the Department of Natural Resources at the request of the St. Croix River Association to provide technical and mapping assistance. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2014, by which time the project must be completed and final products delivered.

2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$60,000
Direct expenses
$60,000
Number of full time equivalents funded
1.3
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".

Measurable Outcome(s)

Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".

Legal Citation / Subdivision
M.L. 2011, First Special Session, Chp. 2, Art.3, Sec. 2, Subd. 03o
Appropriation Language

$60,000 the first year and $60,000 the second year are from the trust fund to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with the St. Croix River Association to develop an interagency plan to identify and prioritize critical areas for project implementation to improve watershed health. This appropriation must be matched by $120,000 of nonstate cash or qualifying in-kind funds. Up to $10,000 may be retained by the Department of Natural Resources at the request of the St. Croix River Association to provide technical and mapping assistance. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2014, by which time the project must be completed and final products delivered.

2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$60,000
Direct expenses
$60,000
Number of full time equivalents funded
1.29
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".

Measurable Outcome(s)

Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".

Project Manager
First Name
Deb
Last Name
Ryun
Organization Name
St Croix River Association
Street Address
119 N Washington St
City
St Croix Falls
State
MN
Zip Code
54024
Phone
(715) 483-3300
Email
debryun@scramail.com
Administered By
Administered by
Location

500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-296-6157
Email the Agency