Native Prairie Bank (NPB) will help landowners conserve native prairie though multiple outreach methods, restoration and enhancement of 700 acres, and protection of 130 acres through conservation easements.
The groundwater contained in confined glacial aquifers provides clean drinking water to many Minnesota residents. An important factor affecting the long-term sustainability of these aquifers is how water infiltrates through clayey deposits of overlying glacial till, which act as barriers to contaminants but also limit water flow and aquifer recharge. Very little is actually known about the properties and infiltration of water through till, which hinders the ability to accurately define the sustainability of these aquifers.
A partnership among the City of Baxter, Brainerd Public Schools, Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape program and The Conservation Fund will acquire 200 acres of riparian forest on the upper Mississippi River Headwaters.
This project will complete 18 permanent conservation easements, 30 forest management plans, and 20 best management practices (BMP) around Aitkin and Crow Wing Counties highest quality lakes.
Project will reduce EAB through community developed management (inventory, canopy assessment, management plan, removal, non-neonicotinoid treatment) and improve their community forest by involving citizens and planting a diversity of trees.
This statewide inventory will provide baseline data and build in-state knowledge on Minnesota's stoneworts, a diverse group of aquatic plants that are critical for clear lakes and healthy fish habitat.
Enormous growth in irrigation in Minnesota?s Mississippi Headwaters/Central Sands has occurred without assessment of water resource impacts. This project will assess aggregate irrigation water quality and quantity impacts/sustainability.
Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Citizen Science Program aims to prevent and reduce purple loosestrife by engaging, educating and empowering citizens in using a biocontrol to protect and restore native ecosystems.
We will quantify exposure to two contaminants for 12 Minnesota raptors. Polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) and methylmercury (Hg) are bioaccumulative toxicants that cause reproductive failure in birds.
Guiding management for reduction of phosphorus inputs to Lake of the Woods by examining sources, mobility, and storage of sediment-bound phosphorus within Rainy River.
The Redhead Mountain Bike Park will add up to 12 miles of additional trails and accommodations to Redhead Mountain Bike Trail System at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm,
Many lakes in Minnesota are classified as “impaired” for aquatic recreation and aquatic life as the result of nonpoint source pollution. These impairments can be addressed by the citizens that live by and have a vested interest in these water bodies, but there is often a lack of knowledge and resources to take effective action. The Freshwater Society is using this appropriation to train citizen groups in lake ecology and management in order to guide them in implementing water quality improvement projects for their local water bodies.
To inventory vegetation and evaluate wetland condition on permanent conservation easements, and conduct education and outreach regarding prairie and wetland habitats and their management.
Dakota County, in conjunction with the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd, will reintroduce American plains bison (Bison bison) to the prairie of Spring Lake Park Reserve.
We seek to renew access to one of Minnesota's most iconic vistas, the Bean and Bear Lakes section of the Superior Hiking Trail, using national trail design best practices.
Restores 420 acres of high-quality forests at Itasca, Jay Cooke, Scenic, Forestville Mystery Cave and Wild River State Parks and Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area.
Amphipods are wetland invertebrates that are critical wildlife food and indicators of water quality. We will assess reasons they are missing from Prairie Potholes and unique methods to restore amphipods.
Project will mitigate the effects of climate change by restoring water retentive capabilities to 7 acres on the Long Prairie River while also creating both recreational and educational opportunities.
This project will restore healthy ecosystems and Indigenous cultural practices. Through expanded programming for preK-12th grade, urban Native students and families will reestablish enduring connections to land and culture.
Restore native freshwater mussel assemblages in the Mississippi, Cedar, and Canon rivers to provide necessary ecosystem services, expand imperiled species populations, and inform the public on mussels and their conservation.
Citizens will be enlisted to field-test a new method of managing carp to restore an impaired lake. Water quality & cost-effectiveness will be quantified to inform statewide implementation.
Minnesota's wetlands provide crucial habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, assist in flood control, and help maintain water quality. However, the state has lost half the wetlands that existed before European settlement and these drained wetlands have not been mapped as part of the National Wetlands Inventory. This appropriation is enabling efforts by Ducks Unlimited to provide a complement to the National Wetlands Inventory by identifying and mapping drained wetlands that have the potential to be restored to provide their various benefits once again.
Overall Project Outcome and Results
The Restorable Wetlands Inventory (RWI) is a complement to the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) completed in late-1980s by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. An administrative decision was made developing the original NWI not to map wetland basins in Minnesota identified as completely drained. The number and acreage of completely drained wetlands that were not mapped by the NWI process is significant.
Restoring native mussel assemblages can improve water quality and ecological health of rivers. Mussels filter water, purifying and improving water clarity by removing particles and contaminants like E. coli bacteria.
Demonstrate, evaluate, and increase adoption of silvopasture - the combined use of tree, forage, and grazing management - as a method to restore and manage forests and savannas across Minnesota
