All Projects

We will research : 1) interest in and preferences for experiences with nature and wildlife among diverse communities, and 2) barriers to more robust engagement with wildlife resources and activities.

This project will help to expand the inaugural Diverse Texts Conference for educators. This conference was designed to promote literature representing diverse people and perspectives and provide workshops and sessions on guidance for integrating such texts in K-College classrooms. The expansion includes two author-speakers from the Red Lake Tribal Lands, books written by the authors for conference participants, a drumming performance, an authentic Anishinaabe meal, and a fireside event that includes oral storytelling that highlights Minnesota tribal experiences.

Minnesota’s natural resource professional workforce is much less diverse than its citizenry and many other professional fields. The benefits of a more diverse workforce are many, including the ability of organizations to increase innovation and creativity, attract higher qualified candidate pools, and ensure services that meet the diverse interests and needs of all citizens.

Minnesota’s natural resource professional workforce is much less diverse than its citizenry and many other professional fields. The benefits of a more diverse workforce are many, including the ability of organizations to increase innovation and creativity, attract higher qualified candidate pools, and ensure services that meet the diverse interests and needs of all citizens.

We will collect donations of prepared, ready-to-eat foods in the Metro area and send these items to local food pantries and meal programs.

The Division of Indian Work’s First Language Project will service youth who attend Minneapolis Public Schools. The goal of this grant is that American Indian youth, ages 7-17 will increase their knowledge and practice of conversational Ojibwe language. Additionally, the goal is that these students will continue to study the language after the grant cycle is over. Measurement of these goals will be determined through periodic testing of the Ojibwe language acquisition.

The commissioner shall develop a ten-year strategic state parks and trails plan considering traditional funding and the funding available under the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15. The plan shall incorporate the 25-year framework developed by the University of Minnesota Center for Changing Landscapes. (HF 1231, Art 3, Sec 2)

The first goal of this project is that sixty nine American Indian youth ages 7-17 will increase their knowledge and practice of conversational Dakota through out-of-school time instruction by the end of the project period. Additionally, it is the hope that the Indian youth will continue to study Dakota and become fluent speakers. The project will provide experiential language instruction in conversational Dakota through cultural and recreational activities to these youth.

Acquire 470 acres of high priority habitat for designation as Wildlife Management Area (Prairie Planning Section) or Scientific and Natural Area (Prairie, and Northern Forest Planning Sections) emphasizing Prairie Conservation Plan implementation and coordination with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting and fishing (a limited number of SNA’s are proposed for limited hunting for instance archery only or hunting but no trapping). Accomplishments are based on $5,000 per acre average and should be considered a minimum estimate.

Acquire approximately 400 acres of high priority habitat for designation as Wildlife Management Area (Prairie Planning Section) or Scientific and Natural Area (Prairie, and Forest/Prairie Planning Sections) emphasizing Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan implementation and coordination with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting and fishing (a limited number of SNA’s are proposed for limited hunting for instance archery only or hunting but no trapping).

Work resulting from this appropriation resulted in the acquisition, development, and inclusion of 964 acres into the state Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system by way of five acquisitions. The acres acquired met the accomplishment plan goals of 960 acres, and spent 96% of the budget. The acquired acres compliment the WMA program by adding habitat function and natural resource ecosystem services.

Diverse habitat is critical to sustaining quality fish populations in lakes and rivers. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) will complete six fish passage projects to restore habitat connectivity for fish and other aquatic life, and restore reaches of four different rivers, creating 24.4 miles of diverse aquatic habitat. Though the actual footprint of fish passage projects is relatively small, these projects will reconnect over 27,000 acres of lake and river habitat.

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.

Grasslands and wetlands in western Minnesota continues to be the most threatened habitat in the state. At the same time, the DNR continues to work to make the state's forests more productive for wildlife, timber, and other compatible uses. This request will realign and streamline previous funding requests by placing all DNR Roving Crews under a single proposal and appropriation.

Acquire approximately 325 acres of high priority habitat for designation as Wildlife Management Area or Scientific and Natural Area in the LSOHC Prairie, Forest/Prairie Transition, and Northern Forest Planning Sections emphasizing Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan and Conservation That Works, 3.0 WMA and AMA Acquisition & Management Strategic Plan guidance, and coordination with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting and fishing (a limited number of SNA's are proposed for limited hunting for instance archery only or hunting but no trapping).

This program provides critical assistance to MN DNR Parks and Trails Division Regional and District offices to assist with renewal and rehabilitation efforts prioritized locally by field staff. Projects include the following types: State Park Building and Facilities Emergency Repair and Maintenance, Paved Trail Maintenance and Asset Preservation, and State Park and State Forest Trail Renewal. This project is a newly reorganized budget area that consolidates these three smaller project areas reported on in previous years.

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.

Diverse habitat is critical to sustaining quality fish populations in lakes and rivers. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) will complete two fish passage projects to restore habitat connectivity for fish and other aquatic life, and restore reaches of two different rivers, creating 1.8 miles of diverse aquatic habitat. Though the actual footprint of fish passage projects is relatively small, these projects will reconnect over 600 acres of lake and river habitat.

Minnesota's iconic northern forest habitats, along with their interlaced wetlands and brushlands, are in need of management for the future due to stressors such as invasive species and climate change. This request will enhance and restore up to 3,250 acres of habitat in the Northern Forest Region on WMAs, AMAs, State Forests, and SNAs to increase forest health and resilience, and ultimately wildlife populations, through activities of a roving crew over three years.

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 savannas to increase wildlife populations. The Prairie Plan, Pheasant Plan, and Wildlife Action Plan will guide our efforts and ensure we are operating in a strategic and targeted manner. This proposal will enhance and restore grasslands on parcels that are permanently protected and most open to public hunting.

Acquire approximately 325 acres of high priority habitat for designation as Wildlife Management Area or Scientific and Natural Area in the LSOHC Prairie Planning Section emphasizing Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan and soon to be finalized Conservation That Works, 3.0 WMA and AMA Acquisition & Management Strategic Plan guidance, and coordination with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting and fishing (a limited number of SNA's are proposed for limited hunting for instance archery only or hunting but no trapping).

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.

DNR completed nine stream habitat projects with this appropriation. Four fish passage projects opened up access to 180 miles of river and 13,521 acres of lake and wetland habitat. We enhanced habitat on 39 Aquatic Management Areas, totalling 1440 acres, through the efforts of four positions funded by this appropriation. It also funded two stream habitat positions that oversaw the completion of 23 DNR projects and over 50 partner-lead projects funded by various OHF sources.

Work resulting from this appropriation resulted in the acquisition, development, and inclusion of 2,095 acres into the state Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system, 74 acres into the the state Scientific and Natural Area system, and through easement acquisition added 387 acres to the state Native Prairie Bank.

The following table provides a short summary of the accomplishments under this appropriation.  In total, the DNR enhanced and restored 283 sites for a total of 17,087 acres.  

We used a programmatic approach to achieve prioritized aquatic habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement for lakes, trout streams, and rivers across all LSOHC planning regions of Minnesota.

With this appropriation, the DNR enhanced and restored over 11,700 acres of public lands or permanently protected private lands under easement.  Projects under this appropriation included prescribed fire, prescribed or conservation grazing, woody removal, and enhancing plant diversity.  With this appropriation we were able to exceed our target acreage by 38 percent.  

Work resulting from this appropriation resulted in the acquisition, development, and inclusion of 1,733 acres into the state Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system.  We exceeded the projected acres by 56% and exceeded leverage by nearly 20%.

DNR modified six dams to allow fish passage and enhanced in stream habitat on two rivers with this appropriation. Also, habitat enhancement project were completed on 28 Aquatic Management Areas and three metro parks, totaling 1,002 acres. Stream habitat work for this appropriation and LSOHC-funded projects from other appropriations was aided by funding for a stream restoration coordinator and interns. These positions aided in public outreach, survey work, design, permitting, contracting, and coordination with project partners on these complex projects.

We will use a programmatic approach to achieve prioritized aquatic habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement of lakes and streams across all the LSOHC planning regions of Minnesota.

Acquire 910 acres of high priority habitats for designation as Wildlife Management Areas or Scientific & Natural Areas emphasizing Prairie Conservation Plan implementation and coordinating with partners. All lands will be open for public hunting, fishing and trapping.

We restored 2,081 acres of grassland and enhanced 42,425 acres of grassland for a total of 44,506 acres of wildlife habitat across 329 sites with these funds.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will restore or enhance habitat to facilitate fish passage, restore degraded streams, and enhance habitat critical to fish and other aquatic life. Projects are prioritized based on ecological benefit, urgency, feasibility, and stakeholder support.

This programmatic proposal will accomplish 6,195 acres of shallow lake and wetland enhancement and restoration work.

Diverse habitat is critical to sustaining quality fish populations in lakes and rivers. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) will complete nine fish passage projects to restore habitat connectivity for fish and other aquatic life, and restore reaches of five different rivers, creating nine miles of diverse aquatic habitat. Though the actual footprint of fish passage projects is relatively small, these projects will reconnect over 10,000 acres of lake and river habitat.

Undersized or improperly designed culverts often create barriers to critical cold water habitat needed to sustain robust Brook Trout populations along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior streams in a changing climate. Protecting and restoring connectivity to the highest quality remaining habitat for Brook Trout is critical to continue populations into the future and is a cost effective strategy to increase resiliency to a changing climate.