This Phase 9 request for Ducks Unlimited's Living Lakes program will enhance or restore 1,440 acres of wetlands and adjacent prairie grasslands for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Minnesota DNR on public lands and private lands under permanent easement. DU biologists and engineers will design wetland restorations and water control structures for active management of shallow lake water levels to enhance their ecology for ducks, other wildlife, and people, primarily in SW Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region.
This Phase 10 request for Ducks Unlimited's Living Lakes program will enhance or restore 1,325 acres of wetlands and adjacent prairie grasslands for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Minnesota DNR on public lands and private lands under permanent easement. DU biologists and engineers will design wetland restorations and water control structures for active management of shallow lake water levels to enhance their ecology for ducks, other wildlife, and people, primarily in SW Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region.
This Phase 8 request for Ducks Unlimited's Living Lakes program will enhance or restore 1,070 acres of wetlands and adjacent prairie grasslands for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Minnesota DNR on public lands and private lands under permanent USFWS easement. Where required, DU engineers will design water control structures to restore wetland hydrology and allow active management of shallow lake water levels to enhance their ecology for ducks, other wildlife, and people, primarily in Minnesota's Prairie Pothole Region.
Provide approximately 15 matching grants for local parks, trail, acquisition of natural areas and trails to connect people safety to desirable community locations and regional or state facilities.
This project will result in the installation of give water quality practices totaling 350 linear feet of restored lakeshore and 6,000 square feet of native plant stormwater management. By targeting properties that are eroding and/or with concentrated overland flow to the lake, pollutant discharge to the lake will be reduced.
This project will install practices to improve water quality in Long Lake, Isanti Co. We will install at least 350 linear feet of restored lakeshore and 3,000 sq ft of native plant stormwater treatment with an emphasis on bioengineering techniques, native plants and locating buffers/swales/rain gardens at points of concentrated overland flow into the lake. By targeting properties that are eroding and/or with concentrated overland flow to the lake we will reduce suspended solids discharge by 6,300 lbs/yr and phosphorus by 0.6 lbs/yr.
This project will include analysis of existing and newly collected water quality data to verify the impairments on the currently listed reaches and to determine the status of the remaining river reaches as being either impaired or currently meeting standards. Stakeholder involvement and public participation will be a focus throughout the Watershed Approach Project. The project provides an opportunity to assess and leverage the capacity for the local community to engage in the process of watershed management and to adopt protection and restoration practices.
This project will address Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA), and public comments on draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies and Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) reports, preliminary draft TMDL studies, and public noticed TMDL studies and WRAPS reports for the Lower Red River Watershed and the Lake of the Woods Watershed and produce final versions of the TMDL studies and WRAPS reports for each watershed.
Twenty oral history interviews were collected from residents of Isanti County from the cities of Cambridge, Grandy, Braham and Isanti. Their memories of the business community in their respective cities were the focus of the interviews. They were videotaped, roughly transcribed, copied to DVD's and a video sampler was posted on Youtube. The video collection was presented, along with artifact displays at an exhibit opening called "Let's Meet at the Soda Fountain".
This project will support water quality monitoring and data analysis in the Red River Basin. The monitoring will assist in providing water chemistry data needed to calculate annual pollutant loads for the Major Watershed Load Monitoring Program (MWLMP) and provide short term data sets of select parameters to other MPCA programs.
Leveraging new statewide climate data, we will assess future change in the duration, frequency and magnitude of heavy precipitation and drought events and engage communities to prepare for these extremes.
To bring a new cultural performance to the Marshall County Fair. Programming included a performance by Williams and Ree, a duo that singes traditional Americana and Native American songs and recounts early local folklore.
To add and enhance arts programming at the Marshall County Fair. Funds will be used to host a master puppeteer and a bluegrass band, and to improve the performance area by enhancing the lighting, adding electrical outlets and wiring.
The Argyle Historical Society added 52 rolls of the microfilmed newspapers, Marshall County Banner and Marshall County Leader to their collections and acquired a reader/printer to broaden public accessibility to primary records.
These funds will enable Great River Greening to restore approximately 90 acres of permanently protected forests, savanna, prairie, and wetland habitat and 0.18 miles of shoreland habitat while engaging hundreds of volunteers in the stewardship of the Metropolitan area's remaining natural areas. Specific activities include invasive species control, seeding/planting, prescribed burning, and other associated activities.
With this appropriation, the Minnesota Land Trust plans to protect 100 acres of high quality forest, prairie, wetland, or shoreline habitat 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 Chisago, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, and Washington counties.
The Minnesota Land Trust provides coordination, mapping, and data management for the Metropolitan Conservation Corridors partnership. Funds are being used to coordinate the partnership, guide strategic outreach and implementation efforts, manage project data, and provide reporting and mapping of accomplishments.
These funds will enable Great River Greening to restore approximately 121 acres of permanently protected forests, savanna, prairie, and wetland habitat and 0.18 miles of shoreland habitat while engaging hundreds of volunteers in the stewardship of the Metropolitan area's remaining natural areas. Specific activities include invasive species control, seeding/planting, prescribed burning, and other associated activities.
The Trust for Public Land is using this appropriation to purchase approximately 30 acres of land and 0.3 miles of shoreline with high ecological value and then convey the land to state or local governments for long-term stewardship and protection. Lands being considered for permanent protection in this round of funding include areas around the Rum River and Rice Creek in Anoka County, Lindstrom Natural Area in Chisago County, Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area and Pike Lake in Scott County, and St. Croix/Fraconia-Scandia Scientific and Natural Area in Washington County.
With this appropriation, the Minnesota Land Trust plans to protect 150 acres of high quality forest, prairie, or wetland habitat 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 Anoka, Carver, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Washington, and Wright counties.
The ENRTF grant will introduce 12 young people to conservation careers through full-time, paid internships and apprenticeships on the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (16 FTEs over 2 years).
Using the best science and biological data available, this project will protect sites that the DNR and has identified as high priority habitat acquisitions that are vital to support specific wildlife targets in the Metro Section Planning region. The Conservation Fund (TCF) will proactively contact and negotiate land protection with willing landowners in these complexes in coordination with DNR and local conservation groups and local communities to maximize wildlife populations of statewide and local importance.
It is critical to train new staff, create modeling protocols for new BMPs, refine and calibrate models, and test ever-advancing modeling applications. The Metro Conservation District?s (MCD) Sub-Watershed Analysis (SWA) program provides these capacity-building services and unites efforts across 11 SWCDs. MCD proposes to analyze an additional 15 subwatersheds. The analyses will identify the location and estimated cost/benefit relationship for BMPs, evolve with new technology, and share discoveries metro-wide.
Through a long standing partnership, this project will continue to implement a process formalized with a 2010 Clean Water Fund Grant to conduct stormwater sub-watershed assessments. The goal of the sub-watershed assessments is to accelerate water quality improvements by focusing efforts in high priority areas. Specifically, subwatershed assessments are a tool used to identify the most effective urban stormwater conservation practice by location.
Metro Big Rivers Phase 10 will protect 535 acres in fee title and 157 acres in permanent conservation easement, restore 123 acres and enhance 295 acres of priority habitat in the big rivers corridors in the Metropolitan Urbanizing Area (MUA). Metro Big Rivers partners will leverage the OHF funds at least 10% with partner funds, private funds, local government contributions, and landowner donations of easement value. In addition, significant volunteer engagement will be invested in habitat enhancement activities, although not technically counted as leverage.
This project will establish a groundwater monitoring network in the 11 county metropolitan area. The network will provide information about aquifer characteristics and natural water trends by monitoring healthy aquifers (non-stressed systems). The project will also develop an automated system that captures groundwater level and water use data. This system will enhance evaluation of changes in aquifers that are stressed by pumping from existing wells.
The Metro Big Rivers (MBR) partners successfully completed their work with the Phase 7 / ML2016 OHF appropriation. MBR exceeded original acreage goals by 14% and completed work on a total of 1,199 acres. Partners protected 145 acres through fee title acquisition and 194 acres through permanent conservation easement, restored 241 acres and enhanced 619 acres.
MBR 7 expended 99% of the OHF funds granted and leveraged the grant by 49% with almost $2 million in other funds.
Metro Big Rivers Phase 13 will protect 875 acres in fee title and 180 acres in permanent conservation easement, restore 24 acres and enhance 170 acres of priority habitat in the big rivers corridors in the Metropolitan Urbanizing Area (1,249 acres total). Partners will leverage OHF grants 32% with partner funds, private donations, local government contributions, and landowner donations of easement value. Significant volunteer engagement will be invested in habitat enhancement activities.
Metro Big Rivers Phase 14 will protect 350 acres in fee title and 191 acres in permanent conservation easement, restore 807 acres and enhance 493 acres of priority habitat in the big rivers corridors in the Metropolitan Urbanizing Area (1,841 acres total). Partners will leverage OHF grants at least 10% with partner funds, private donations, local government contributions, and landowner donations of easement value. Significant volunteer engagement will be invested in habitat enhancement activities.
Metro Big Rivers successfully completed work with the Phase 8 / ML2018 OHF appropriation, exceeding amended acreage goals by 16% and completing work on 701 acres. Partners protected 87 acres through fee title acquisition and 199 acres through permanent conservation easement, restored 6 acres and enhanced 409 acres.
MBR 8 expended 97% of the OHF funds granted and leveraged the grant by 60% with over $1.5 million in other funds and landowner donation of easement value.
