Wild Rice Shoreland Protection - Phase V
This Phase 5 continuation of the Wild Rice Shoreland Protection Program will utilize permanent conservation easements to protect 500 acres, translating to approximately 3 miles of wild rice shoreland habitat. Sites are selected through an integrative ranking process that considers development risk, surrounding land use, habitat value, and numerous other criteria. BWSR will utilize the RIM Easement process in partnership with 12 local SWCDs within the Northern Forest and Forest/Prairie Transition Sections during the appropriation term.
A local technical team used the scoring and ranking sheet to decide which easements to fund. SWCD staff work
with BWSR staff to complete the easement. Easements were completed in Aitkin, Becker, Cass and Crow Wing
Counties. In total 3.05 miles of shoreline and 780 acres were protected. The Aitkin and Crow Wing easements are
adjacent to each other and together protect approximately 90% (1 3/4 miles) of the Cartie Lake shoreline (Cartie
Lake lies on the Aitkin/Crow Wing Counties border). The Becker County easement likewise protects approximately
90% (1.12 miles) of Little Cotton Lake.
$750,000 in the first year is to the Board of Water and Soil Resources to acquire permanent conservation easements on wild rice lake shoreland habitat for native wild rice bed protection. Of this amount, up to $59,000 is to the Board of Water and Soil Resources for establishing a monitoring and enforcement fund as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. A list of permanent conservation easements must be provided as part of the final report by Board of Water and Soil Resources.
30 Wetland acres, 37 Prairie acres, 713 Forest acres (for a total of 780 acres) Protected in Easement.