This DNR Aquatic Habitat appropriation used a programmatic approach to achieve prioritized aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement of lakes and streams. DNR modified two dams and replaced five culverts to restore fish passage on six streams. Twenty acres of habitat were restored on two streams and three acres of stream habitat were enhanced with this appropriation. All of these projects will provide excellent opportunities to educate the public on the importance of lake and stream habitat restoration and enhancement.
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.
Over a century ago, the Roseau River in the northwestern corner of Roseau County was channelized by the State with the establishment of State Ditch 51. The Roseau River Watershed District and Minnesota DNR, through multiple phases, will cooperatively restore a total of 13.6 miles of river channel, adding 366 acres of high-quality large river habitat within the Roseau River WMA and enhancing the river's riparian habitat corridor. This project is the first phase and will begin progress towards restoring the Roseau River.
Over the next six years, the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District (BRRWD), in partnership with landowners, federal, state, and local agencies, intends to implement a long-term comprehensive plan to restore the Wolverton Creek and its riparian corridor. This comprehensive project will turn 20 channelized stream miles to 26.2 miles of restored natural prairie stream channel. It will also protect, enhance, and restore over 740 acres (357 acres in Phase 1) of floodplain wetland and grassland habitat along the Wolverton Creek.
The City of Hallock, with funding from LSOHC, restored and enhanced habitat to facilitate fish passage by retrofitting the existing Hallock Dam on the South Branch of the Two Rivers and re-established a stable riffle-pool habitat downstream. In addition to the fish habitat improvement , the project has provided enhanced recreational opportunities for paddlers along the river.
A century of channel straightening has significantly reduced the stream habitat quality within the BRRWD. The BRRWD has identified, with preliminary designs completed, a number of straightened streams. In several multi-phase projects, the BRRWD in partnership with landowners, federal, state, and local agencies, will restore 3 miles of targeted stream and their respective riparian habitat corridors. Targeted restorations of straightened streams include the South Branch of the Buffalo River, Upper Buffalo River, Stony Creek, Whisky Creek, and Whiskey's Creek southern tributary.
RIM Wetlands - Restoring the most productive habitat in Minnesota will protect and restore approximately 325 acres of previously drained wetlands and adjacent native grasslands on approximately 5 easements across the State to restore wetlands and associated uplands for habitat and associated benefits. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) will utilize the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) easement program in partnership with local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCDs) to target, protect and restore high priority habitat.
The Shell Rock River Watershed District (SRRWD) is seeking funding for their Habitat Restoration Program to restore, and protect essential prairie upland, wetland, lake and streambank habitat across the watershed. As a result of the projects, key biological functioning parcels will be permanently protected, streambank habitat will be enhanced, and vegetation and feeding sources will be restored for migratory fowl habitat. Projects are critical for the benefit of fish, waterfowl, and wildlife populations, reversing the trend of wetland loss and habitat degradation.
Pilot the implementation of portable biochar kilns in natural resource management and restoration as a reduced carbon-emitting, biologically beneficial alternative to open pile burning when managing invasive trees and shrubs.
Phase 5 of the Minnesota Land Trust's Critical Shoreland Habitat Program protected approximately 3.75 miles of shoreland and 417 acres of associated high-quality habitat in Minnesota's Northeast region by securing five permanent conservation easements in strategic locations along priority lakes and rivers. Conservation easements secured under this program are perpetual and will prevent fragmentation and destruction of existing habitat.
The Department of Public Transformation will hire a Development Consultant to lead the Board and staff toward more sustainable and intentional fundraising strategies. Specifically, a consultant teaches skills in building annual giving programs, creating audit systems and policies, coach staff and board on effective fundraising strategies, and implement processes that can evolve as the organization continues to grow.
Funds for RIM conservation easements build on Clean Water Fund (CWF) investments for restoration and protection projects that "stack" habitat and clean water benefits. Projects will be identified in watershed plans developed through BWSR's One Watershed, One Plan program, in which local governments strategically set priorities for clean water and habitat, target implementation, and set measurable goals. BWSR currently distributes CWF dollars to partnerships with approved plans for water quality projects.
Data is needed about which aquatic habitats moose prefer and how moose can potentially enhance nearshore lake foodwebs. This project will map critical aquatic habitats and measure lake foodweb effects.
We enhanced 4,650 of forested habitat in SE MN and restored 22 acres of fallow fields into forest habitat exceeding our initial project proposal acres by 1,622 acres. Projects included 710 acres of tree planting, 2,142 acres of prescribed burns, 75 acres of tree seedling release, and 1723 acres of invasive species removal. All projects were completed in cooperation with local staff from the Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife.
Minnesota has spent millions on stream habitat improvement and restoration; we will evaluate effectiveness and durability of project designs. Results will inform success of future projects and improve cost effectiveness.
This work order will provide the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with assistance in assembling, graphics, geographic information system (GIS) maps, data synthesis, writing, formatting and editing the 5-year nutrient reduction strategy progress report and update and similar updates for the Sediment Reduction Strategy. The Sediment Strategy update also involves incorporation of modeling results and other technical information into the 2015 strategy document.
Producer driven inquiries and significant land conversion pressure away from grazing lands has developed growing interest from SWCD's and conservation partners to develop a program that keeps cattle on the landscape while maintaining and improving wildlife habitat and protecting and improving water quality. RIM easements that allow long-term grazing coupled with approved grazing plans that take wildlife and water quality into consideration will be utilized to protect approximately 716 acres.
The Shell Rock River Watershed District (SRRWD) is seeking funding for the Habitat Restoration Program to restore and protect 104 acres of essential prairie upland, wetland and streambank habitat across the watershed. As a result, key biological functioning parcels will be permanently protected, streambank habitat will be enhanced, vegetation and feeding sources will be restored for migratory fowl habitat, and wetlands will be restored from row crop agriculture.
The Wild and Scenic Rum River is a State Water Trail linking Mille Lacs Lake to the Mississippi River. Providing habitat for SGCN across two ecological provinces, the Rum also supports game fish and waterfowl. Land conversion, drainage, increased runoff, accelerated bank erosion, and invasive species threaten ecosystem stability of the Rum River corridor.
This proposal protects and restores 651 acres of land in the Minnesota prairie-chicken range, that will be transferred to the MNDNR as a WMA or to the USFWS as a WPA. All land will be open to public hunting. MN Prairie Chicken Society and Pheasants Forever will be protecting parcels that focus specifically on prairie chicken benefits, which makes this proposal unique and highly focused. All acquisitions will occur within the prairie and prairie/forest planning regions with a focus in Clay, Norman, Mahnomen and Wilkin counties which is the primary range of prairie chickens in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society in partnership with Pheasants Forever seek to protect and restore parcels within the Minnesota prairie chicken range. Focus will be on parcels that will specifically benefit prairie chickens, a species of special concern. Acquisitions will be located in the prairie or prairie/forest planning regions with an emphasis in the primary prairie chicken range. Parcels will be transferred to either the MN DNR as WMA's or the USFWS as WPA's and will be open to the public.
The Prairie Chicken Habitat Partnership VI accelerates the protection and restoration of 408 acres of strategic prairie chicken-focused habitats that will be transferred to the MNDNR as a WMA or to the USFWS as a WPA and are open to public hunting. MN Prairie Chicken Society and Pheasants Forever will protect parcels that focus specifically on prairie chicken benefits, which makes this proposal unique and highly focused.
Great River Greening (GRG), Anoka Conservation District (ACD), Isanti SWCD (ISWCD), Minnesota Land Trust (MLT), and Stearns SWCD (StSWCD) enhanced 339 acres, equaling 137% of the stated goal of 247 acres, and 0.12 miles of shoreline. Further, MLT permanently protected 86 forest and 181 wetland acres, equaling 334% of the stated goal of 80 acres, and 1.67 miles of shoreline through conservation easement.
The Anoka Sand Plain (ASP) Partnership will restore/enhance 299 acres of prairie and forest habitat within the ASP ecoregion. Our actions will increase biodiversity, habitat connectivity, recreational opportunities, and landscape resilience which align with the ASP Partnership's strategic plan, DNR Wildlife Action Plan, and LSOHC Section priorities.
The Anoka Sand Plain (ASP) Partnership protected 423 acres through conservation easement, restored/enhanced 768 acres of Prairie/Oak Savanna, Wetland, Habitat, and Woodland/Forest habitats, including rescue and relocation of 11,000 rare plants, at sites centered around the DNR's ASP ecoregion. Overall, we reached 112% of our acreage goals, and an additional 5.4 miles of shoreline.
Bartlett Lake in Koochiching County is impaired for eutrophication and has already undergone a paleolimnological study. This project will utilize the data and results of paleolimnological study to develop in-lake management strategies that, if implemented, could significantly improve the water quality of Bartlett Lake.
The Cannon River Watershed Habitat Complex Phase IX program will protect approximately 150 acres in fee, and restore and enhance approximately 93 acres of high priority wildlife habitat within the Cannon River Watershed, including wetlands, prairies, Big Woods forest, and river/shallow lake shoreline. Its goal is to reverse habitat loss, prevent degradation of water quality, improve watershed function, and provide public access.
Through this grant, the Minnesota Land Trust protected approximately 8.25 miles of critical shoreland and 1,095 acres of high-quality fish and wildlife habitat in northeast Minnesota by securing four permanent conservation easements in strategic locations along priority lakes and rivers, exceeding our land protection goals by 332% and shoreland protection goals by 825%. Conservation easements secured under this program are perpetual and will prevent fragmentation and destruction of existing habitat.
This project will emphasize restoring and enhancing approximately 260 acres of various permanently protected habitats, and acquiring approximately 154 acres of permanent conservation easements or fee title. Project sites include Lake Byllesby Regional Park, land adjacent to Regional Park Reserves and Regional Greenways, Chub and Marcott Lakes, rivers and streams, and hydric soil areas. Habitats will include forest, grassland, wetland, and riparian areas throughout the County.
This project helps municipal wastewater plants, landfills, and compost facilities protect human health and the environment by developing strategies to manage per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in land-applied biosolids.
This DNR Aquatic Habitat appropriation used a programmatic approach to achieve prioritized aquatic habitat restoration, and enhancement of lakes and streams across all the LSOHC planning regions. Two stream restoration projects totaling 23 acres were completed with this appropriation. Also, habitat enhancement projects were completed on 43 Aquatic Management Areas, totaling 849 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.
