Friends of the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District is using these funds to restore approximately 50 acres of prairie pothole wetlands in Clay and Becker Counties. Efforts aim to create wildlife habitat for waterfowl and other species and reduce downstream flooding of the Red River Valley by increasing the capacity of the land to hold and store water from spring runoff and severe storms.
With this appropriation, the Minnesota Land Trust plans to protect approximately 500 acres of critical shoreline habitat along Minnesota's lakes, wetlands, rivers, and streams by securing permanent conservation easements and dedicating funds for their perpetual monitoring, management, and enforcement. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding are located in Becker, Beltrami, Blue Earth, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Otter Tail, Pope, and Wabasha counties.
This appropriation is enabling Ducks Unlimited to help state and federal wildlife conservation agencies protect and restore shallow lakes for waterfowl. Conservation easements will be acquired on approximately 150 acres of privately owned shoreland and up to 60 acres of lands previously converted for cropping will be restored back to wildlife habitat. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding are located in Beltrami, Douglas, Freeborn, Grant, Meeker, Pope, Stearns, Swift, and Wright counties.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Ducks Unlimited are working together to provide technical assistance to landowners that that will result in the protection of approximately 2,500 acres of prairies and wetlands in southern and western Minnesota. As a result of this appropriation, an estimated $4 million of additional funding for conservation is anticipated to be provided in match by the federal Wetland Reserve Program.
There funds are enabling Pheasants Forever to acquire in fee title approximately 86 acres of habitat along the borders of existing Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) or Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) in LeSueur, Lincoln, or Rice counties and convey the lands to a public agency for long term stewardship and protection. These strategic acquisitions will leverage and expand the existing habitat, water quality, and recreation benefits already provided by existing protected lands.
The Trust for Public Land is using this appropriation to acquire in fee title approximately 44 acres of high quality habitat and convey it the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for long-term stewardship and protection. Priority will be given to shoreland and other lands that provide natural buffers to water resources. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding are located in Hubbard, Kandiyohi, LeSueur, and Rice counties.
The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust is using this appropriation to purchase a total of approximately 80 acres of high quality grasslands and wetlands in Blue Earth or Le Sueur County to be managed as a federal Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) in the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District.
An estimated 400 acres acquired by other Habitat Corridors Partnership (HCP) partners is expected to be transferred to the DNR for long-term management during this phase of the partnership. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is using these funds to cover professional services costs associated with these property transfers.
Hennepin County, in partnership with the Minnesota Land Trust, proposes to permanently protect through conservation easement 299 acres of the most important natural areas remaining in the county, and restore and enhance 84 acres of protected habitat including forest, savanna, prairie, wetlands, shallow lakes, shoreline, bluffs, and riparian areas.
In partnership, Hennepin County and Minnesota Land Trust, will permanently protect, through conservation easement, 246 acres of the most important natural areas remaining in the county. We will also initiate habitat improvement activities on 513 acres of protected habitat.
Hennepin County Habitat Conservation Program (HCP) partners successfully completed work with the Phase 1 / ML 2018 OHF appropriation. HCP permanently protected 179 acres of land through six conservation easement projects, exceeding protection goals by 19 acres. HCP accomplished nearly 10 acres of restoration and 162 acres of enhancement, exceeding original habitat improvement goals by 101 acres.
The Heron Lake Area Conservation Partnership (HLACP) will permanently protect 402 acres of prairie and wetlands within the Heron Lake watershed in southwest Minnesota. The landscape has less than one percent of its pre-settlement wetlands remaining. The HLACP will use conservation easements and fee-title land acquisition to protect and restore high-value wetland and prairie lands identified as critical habitat for many Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).
to construct .4 miles of new trail and make improvements to .9 miles of existing trail so both sections will provide both classic and skate skiing opportunities in the Hidden Valley Ski Area
The City of St. Cloud is proposing a project that will enhance a critical bat hibernaculum in central Minnesota. The DNR protected Highbanks Bat Hibernaculum is a brick-and-mortar structure constructed in the early 1900s. The hibernaculum has historically been home to hundreds of bats, but over the past several years, stormwater flow and flooding to the top of the structure have been detrimental for the bats to roost.
The City of St. Cloud will be rerouting and upgrading their existing stormwater system in the Highbanks Ravine area working with the DNR to preserve an existing bat hibernaculum.
No project funds were spent. The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council did not request that any services be performed with project funds. Accordingly, the $50,000 appropriation will be returned to the Outdoor Heritage Fund.
Funding for the commissioner of natural resources to perform or contract for pre-transaction services relating to land acquisition proposals submitted to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council upon the Council’s request, including, but not limited to, appraisals, surveys or title research.
Pollinators are declining in Minnesota's tallgrass prairies. We will investigate how prescribed fire affects the nesting habitat, food resources, and diversity of ground-nesting bees to make recommendations for prairie management.
Endocrine-disrupting contaminants such as environmental estrogens have been found and studied in large lakes and streams and shown to exist at concentrations that have adverse effects on wildlife. However, very little is known about the sources and effects of environmental estrogens in small, shallow lakes. Preliminary data suggests that these compounds are present in shallow lakes and have an effect on the survival and reproduction of wildlife. Researchers at the University of St.
With only 1% of Minnesota’s native prairie remaining, many prairie plant and animal species have dramatically declined. Of the 12 butterfly species native to Minnesota prairies, two species, the Poweshiek skipperling and the Dakota skipper, have already largely disappeared from the state and are proposed for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act despite being historically among the most common prairie butterflies and having their historic ranges concentrated in Minnesota.
This project will develop and implement a model stormwater water quality credit trading framework. The purpose is to provide voluntary, cost effective, pollutant reductions on a watershed scale.
This project will enhance the current program, integrating new invasive carp control and detection methods to monitor and remove invasive carp to avoid establishment in Minnesota.
Establishing monitoring sites to implement Conservation Plans for selected focal species using information from the statewide marshbird survey and the Breeding Bird Atlas focused within existing Important Bird Areas
Enhance knowledge of Minnesota's native aquatic plant biodiversity, the backbone of healthy aquatic systems, by delivering data products that support conservation, protection and management for decision-makers and scientists.
The project will accelerate the implementation of three water efficiency programs that are estimated to save 79 million gallons of water annually and serve as an example for other communities.
Restoring the Public Land Survey (PLS) will improve foundational GIS data that resource managers and citizens utilize on ENRTF projects and conservation easements.
This collaborative project creates a college to workforce pathway for under-represented students who are interested in pursuing Natural Resources careers by reducing barriers that inhibit successful educational attainment.
Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center will provide meaningful, hands-on environmental education learning opportunities to underserved rural and metro area children through our day-use and residential summer camps.
To enhance the accessibility of environmental education and outdoor recreation at Deep Portage Learning Center through projects that provide opportunities and support independence for physically disabled students visiting the campus.
