During this grant time frame, Dakota County was able to protect habitat through acquisition of seven parcels, totaling 409 acres. The fee title ownership of three of the parcels, totaling 197 acres, was transferred to the Minnesota DNR as part of establishing the new Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area in Hampton and Castle Rock townships.
The Dakota County?Farmland and Natural Areas?Program will protect over 350 acres of high quality wildlife habitat including 1.7 miles of Cannon River shoreline, 2.0 miles of Chub Creek and .70 miles of shoreline along Marcott Lake in Dakota County. Permanent conservation easements from willing landowners will be acquired and landowners will be required to complete natural resource management plans.
This program initiates a comprehensive approach to protecting, restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat and water quality by working with willing landowners to establish permanent conservation easements totaling 620 acres along the Vermillion River and including North, Middle and South Creeks, the South Branch and their tributaries; the Cannon River and its primary tributaries within Dakota County (Dutch, Mud, Chub, Darden and Pine Creeks, and Trout Brook); and to acquire permanent easements on 84 acres along Marcott Lake in Inver Grove Heights, Lake Marion in Lakeville, and Chub Lake in Eu
This project acquired 84 acres of conservation easements along the Mississippi, Cannon and Vermillion Rivers. Through amendments, the acquisition acreage was decreased from the original proposal, due to landowner changes and project withdrawals. This project also restored/enhanced 220 acres within associated habitat corridors. Through amendments, the restoration/enhancement acres were increased from the original proposal by adding specific restoration projects.
This project will restore approximately 800 acres of permanently protected habitats, and acquire approximately 480 acres of permanent conservation easements and/or fee title lands. Project sites include converting cultivated areas to wetlands in the southern two-thirds of the County, and various habitats, including forest, grassland, riparian areas, and other wetlands throughout the County. This initiative includes identified sites and flexibility for opportunities that will arise.
This project will restore approximately 474 acres of permanently protected habitats, and acquire approximately 420 acres of permanent conservation easements and/or fee title lands. Project sites include converting cultivated areas to wetlands in the southern two-thirds of the County, and various habitats, including forest, grassland, riparian areas, and other wetlands throughout the County. This initiative includes identified sites and flexibility for opportunities that will arise.
The Dakota County Historical Society (DCHS) worked with a graphic designer to develop several templates for exhibit guides. The exhibit guides are short publications that promote and/or provide additional information about topics featured in DCHS exhibits and programs. Three different templates were developed, a two-sided 4" x 9" promotional card, a traditional three-fold brochure, and a booklet 5.5" x 8.5" that can be scaled in four-page increments. Each of these guides is immediately recognizable as a product of DCHS.
Design, engineer and construct segment of the trail including grade separated crossing at Hwy 110 and Dodd Road intersection and a connection to Valley Park.
Design, engineer and construct segment of the trail including grade separated crossing at Hwy 110 and Dodd Road intersection and a connection to Valley Park.
Build ADA compliant, year round, multi-purpose, paved trail and boardwalk around Empire Lake; Construct 2 camper cabins; Improve/replace Empire Lake dike outlet; Install benches & site furnishings; landscaping and MP-approved improvements. Includes design, engineering, construction & construction administration.
To hire qualified professionals to design construction drawings for the Armory - Winona Commercial Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This project determines ambient background per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) levels in urban and non-urban soils. This information will help Minnesota develop management strategies for PFAS contaminated soils.
The acquisition of high-resolution sonar data provides important information essential for mapping mussel habitat while having ecological applications useful to resource managers and policy makers protecting Minnesota threatened/endangered native mussels.
To digitize and preserve items representing the ecologic history of the Driftless Area in Minnesota, create a map from 1862 data, and conduct an interpretive program.
We will determine the distribution, relative density, and spatial occupancy patterns of 3 small weasel species in Minnesota to fill key knowledge gaps in weasel distribution and status in Minnesota.
Minnesota's iconic northern forests, wetlands, and brushland habitats require management beyond basic forestry practices or at smaller scales than commercial operations work. Other enhancements, such as brushland shearing or mowing have low commercial value but high wildlife value. These additional habitat enhancements improve the quality of the forests for both wildlife and outdoor recreation.
Grasslands continue to be the most threatened habitat in the state. This programmatic request will build on the DNR's history of enhancing and restoring grasslands, embedded wetlands, and oak savannas to increase wildlife populations. The Prairie Plan, Pheasant Plan, and Wildlife Action Plan will guide our efforts to ensure we are operating in a strategic and targeted manner.
We restored and enhanced a total of 40,539 grassland acres with 446 activities on Wildlife Management Areas, Scientific and Natural Areas, Native Prairie Bank easements, Waterfowl Production Areas, and National Wildlife Refuges.
This project supports continuing development of County Groundwater Atlases for approximately three years. The goal is to provide this valuable water and resource management information infrastructure to every county.
