Wild Rice Shoreland Protection Program - Phase IV
12 easements have been recorded on 1,127.0 acres.
The Bird’s Eye Lake AMA acquisition has been completed. A portion of the land cost had come from this
appropriation, the 2016 Aquatic Habitat OHF appropriation, and by gifts matched with RIM Critical Habitat. This
tract consists of 52 acres, of which 5 acres are being reported on under this appropriation, as to not double count
acreage.
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. DNR staff used the normal DNR acquisition process for the Bird's Eye Lake AMA acquisition.
$131,000 in the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for the acquisition of land in fee and $1,469,000 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 $90,000 to the Board of Water and Soil Resources is 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 proposed fee land acquisitions must be included as part of the required accomplishment plan by the Department of Natural Resources and a list of permanent conservation easements must be provided as part of the final report by the Board of Water and Soil Resources.
Protected 5 acres (in fee with state PILT liability) and 1,127 acres protected in easement for a total of 1,132 acres