The DNR will use its expertise to hatch and grow native freshwater mussels and to restore populations in Minnesota rivers. This project is part of a long-term, collaborative effort that will lead to cleaner water through targeted restoration of native mussel populations. The foundation of the effort is comprehensive assessments of water pollution within the state’s 80 major surface watersheds and prioritized to address these problems.
We will examine impacts of neonicotinoid exposure on greater prairie-chickens in Minnesota by radio-marking hens, collecting samples, and monitoring hen survival, nest success and brood survival.
New State Trail development to complete key missing trail segments or to fulfill funding gaps in trail development projects. Potetial development to include multi-use trail, trail parking areas, trail waysides, or trail bridges. New trail development includes all associated engineering, design and construction, and is to incorporate current Best Management Practices.
Acquire 2.1 acres on shore of Lake Nisswa to support nature-based recreational activities for local, regional and statewide visitors, and provide the first public access to Nisswa Lake, very close to downtown Nisswa and the Paul Bunyan State Trail.
This acceleration package will fulfill ENTRF goals including rare wildlife data collection and management, conservation education, collaborative land protection management, & new emphasis on nature tourism to benefit rural communities.
DNR regional clean water specialists and area hydrologists work with local partners to provide technical assistance on implementation projects and related outreach, resulting in cleaner water through healthier watersheds, shorelands and floodplains. We help partners identify, develop, target, design and/or implement on-the-ground projects that improve water quality, enhance habitat and protect infrastructure. We help design restorations that provide lasting benefits by mimicking features of healthy ecosystems.
Loppet and community collaborators will promote urban nature connection for North Minneapolis residents through storytelling, nature and environmental justice programming, and environmental leadership pathways for high schoolers and young adults.
The North Shore Forest Collaborative (via Sugarloaf) seeks to contract foresters to perform a concerted private land forestry outreach to restore ecological health to Minnesota?s North Shore forest landscape.
This program acquired 1 parcel for a total of 396 acres which fell short of our total acre goal of 410 acres by 14 acres. The Gun Lake parcel purchased in this appropriation illustrates how we are working together to protect only strategic habitat critical to improving sharp-tailed grouse populations. All acquired acres are within the northern forest region. We have a balance of $24,300 that will be returned to the Fund.
This program will protect, enhance and restore up to 1,419.7 acres of open and brushland habitat and 145 acres of forest habitat in northeastern Minnesota, provide access to additional public lands for recreation, provide multiple environmental benefits, and benefit sharp-tailed grouse and other open and brushland species in greatest conservation need (several of which are state listed as endangered, threatened or special concern) by pursuing acquisitions in Kanabec and Aitkin counties.
This sharp-tailed grouse habitat partnership protected 492 acres, primarily brushland, in northeastern Minnesota for addition to the Wildlife Management Area system providing multiple environmental and wildlife benefits. The partnership between Pheasants Forever, MN Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, and the MN Department of Natural Resources has become a strong and efficient partnership through the Northeastern Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Habitat Partnership appropriations. The Pomroy Pastures and Gun Lake parcels purchased in this appropriation exemplify how we are working togethe
This Sharp-tailed Grouse Habitat Partnership protected 834 acres, primarily brushland, in Kanabec County for addition to the WMA system, providing multiple environmental benefits.
This partnership will protect, restore and enhance 2,769 acres, primarily brushland, in northeastern Minnesota. Habitat will be added to the WMA system and enhanced on existing public lands for species in greatest conservation need, outdoor recreation, and environmental benefits.
The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service will work together to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 705 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 350 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in areas identified as having significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey and located in priority areas in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service will work together to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 875 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 469 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in areas identified as having significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey and located in priority areas in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service will work together to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 620 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 333 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in areas identified as having significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey and/or the US Fish and Wildlife Service and located in priority areas in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
This program will protect, in perpetuity, native prairie tracts in western Minnesota. Fee title tracts will be the top priority for the funding. Funding will be used for the purchase of habitat easements if the funding cannot be used entirely on fee title tracts. The funding will purchase approximately 525 acres of native prairie in fee title, 1,583 acres of habitat easements, or a combination of the two.
This program will permanently protect remnant native prairie and associated wetland complexes in western Minnesota by purchasing fee title properties and/or habitat easements. Lands and easements purchased through this program by The Nature Conservancy will be transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and will become units of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge to be owned and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
This appropriation allowed the permanent protection of 769 acres in western Minnesota. These properties included 287 acres of remnant native prairie, 112 acres of associated wetland complexes, and 19,500' of stream front. For this phase, we committed to protecting 500 acres with a minimum of 250 being native prairie. Both targets were exceeded – 153% of total acres and 115% of native prairie acres. The lands and easements purchased with this funding by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have been transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and are now units of th
This appropriation allowed the permanent protection of 887 acres in western Minnesota. These properties included 664 acres of remnant native prairie, 76 acres of associated wetlands complexes, and 8,500' of streamfront. For this phase we originally planned to protect 740 acres with a minimum of 375 native prairie. Both targets were exceeded - 120% of total acres and 177% of native prairie acres.
This appropriation allowed the permanent protection of 977 acres in western Minnesota. These properties included 752 acres of remnant native prairie, 78 acres of associated wetland complexes, 8,950' of stream front, and 9,400' of lakeshore. Lands and easements purchased through this program by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and become units of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. These lands are owned and managed by the FWS.
This appropriation allowed the permanent protection of 1,283 acres in western Minnesota, including 583 acres of remnant prairie, 500 acres of other grasslands, 88 acres of wetlands, and more than 8,150' of streamfront. For this phase we had originally planned to protect 1,090 acres, with at least 545 acres of native prairie. We exceeded both goals, protecting 118% of the total acre goal and 107% of the native prairie acre goal. All parcels that were purchased with this funding by TNC have been transferred to the USFWS as part of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.
The Minnesota Land Trust acquired a total of 4,373 acres of forest from PotlatchDeltic Corporation in February 2021 and conveyed all of these acres immediately to St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department for long-term management. All lands will be open to public hunting and fishing.
The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service will work together to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 1,112 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 726 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in priority areas identified in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan that have significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey.
The acquisition work for this phase has been completed. The goal for this phase was the protection of 730 acres, 390 in fee title and 340 in conservation easements. Over the life of the grant we protected 910 acres (124% of the goal), 482 acres in fee title and 428 acres in conservation easements. The goal for native prairie acres for this phase was 410 acres. We protected a total of 456 native prairie acres (111% of the goal): 220 native prairie acres in fee title and 256 native prairie acres in easements.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will cooperate to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 540 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 270 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in areas identified as having significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey and located in priority areas in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan (Prairie Plan).
The acquisition work for this phase has been completed. The goal for this phase was the protection of 770 acres in fee and conservation easements. Over the life of the grant we protected 973 acres (126% of the goal): 913 acres in conservation easements and 60 acres in fee title. The goal for native prairie acres for this phase was 385 acres. We protected a total of 772 acres of native prairie acres (201% of the goal).
The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service will work together to permanently protect native prairie and associated complexes of wetlands and native habitats in western and central Minnesota by purchasing approximately 1,020 acres of fee title properties and/or permanent habitat easements. Approximately 545 acres will be native prairie. Work will be focused in areas identified as having significant biodiversity by the Minnesota Biological Survey and located in priority areas in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
to install and connect a 9.85 KW solar photovoltaic array and monitoring system on the roof of the main community/education facility to power all indoor, outdoor and trail lighting and to install more energy efficient light bulbs throughout the building
Aquatic invasive species are a threat to the ecology and the recreational and economic viability of Minnesota’s water resources. When an invasion is confined to a distinct lake or wetland, local government units will implement localized plans to address invasions. However, when a water body crosses jurisdictions, such as with river systems, to be effective a more coordinated, regional approach is necessary that is more attuned with the natural pathways for invasive species.
Excess nutrients are among the most common impairments of water resources in the Red River Basin, as well as the rest of Minnesota. About 80% of the land use in the Red River Basin is for agricultural cropland and over 90% of phosphorus and nitrogen found in rivers and streams in the area originate from nonpoint sources, such as cropland. Excess nutrients are also one of the most difficult impairments to correct.
Eradicate identified oak wilt at these northern most locations on nine private properties by mechanical means to stop the invasiveness before it spreads to healthy state forests affecting habitat.
Suppress oak wilt at the leading edge to prevent infestation in private and public forests to the north and west including Pillsbury State Forest and Camp Ripley.
