Washington County Habitat Protection and Restoration Partnership

Washington County's prairies, savannas, forests, and wetlands, streams and rivers provide some of the best remaining wildlife habitat in the Metro Urbanizing Area. Located along the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers, Washington County serves as a significant migratory corridor for birds. These two rivers and their tributaries support a diverse assemblage of freshwater mussels and small stream fishes, and provide the cool, clear water required for trout. According to the Minnesota Wildlife Action Plan, as many as 149 SGCN are known or predicted to occur within Washington County; fifty species listed Endangered, Threatened or as a Species of Special Concern by the State of Minnesota or the U.S. government have been documented in the County. Three of the DNR's highest priority trout streams in the Twin Cities - Valley Creek, Old Mill Stream, and Brown's Creek - are located in Washington County.

Yet, these resources are under threat. Located between the Twin Cities and the St. Croix River, Washington County is especially vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation due to increasing development demands. These pressures will continue to grow, with a population increase of 25% projected by 2040. Only 7% of Washington County is currently protected.

Through a 2006 voter referendum, Washington County created its Land and Water Legacy Program (LWLP), approving $20 million in funding to acquire and restore high priority lands for purposes of wetland, shoreline, and woodland conservation and water quality improvement. To date, the County has completed 33 LWLP land protection projects, many of these funded jointly by the Outdoor Heritage Fund through partnerships with the Minnesota Land Trust, Trust for Public Land, and others. The program continues to have broad support of its residents and local units of government.

This model of matching County Legacy and State Outdoor Heritage Fund dollars to protect priority lands has been wildly successful and has generated significant landowner interest in recent years. In the past two years, the County and its partners have completed eight land acquisition projects, with ten others in motion, including the program's largest acquisition and easement purchase of Wilder Forest. This increased demand has outstripped the availability of resources and strapped existing capacity, resulting in the need to pursue direct funding through the Outdoor Heritage Fund, dedicated specifically to Washington County.

The Washington County Habitat Protection and Restoration Partnership is requesting funding to meet this growing conservation demand. The Partnership protects and restores critical wildlife habitats by focusing on Washington County's "Top Ten" priority conservation areas as identified by its LWLP. The Partnership harnesses each individual partner's strengths and expertise for success. Washington County will administer the program and orchestrate the restoration and enhancement on protected lands, working with Valley Branch Watershed District, Washington Conservation District, and others. The County and the Land Trust will work in close partnership to secure conservation easements on private lands. The Land Trust will engage local partners in conducting landowner outreach within priority conservation areas.