to construct a 10 foot wide bituminous pedestrian trail, extending the Cross City Trail from 37th Avenue West to 24th Avenue West within the City of Duluth
Acquire private land surrounding a historic fire tower to protect and provide a buffer to the tower itself while creating interpretive walking trails on the newly acquired property.
The Crow-Hassan Prairie Complex Restoration and Enhancement restored 246 acres of prairie, 28 acres of forest and enhanced 500 acres of prairie within a larger prairie complex totalling 1200 acres. This is the largest prairie complex in the metro area. It will provide excellent breeding and nesting habitat for waterfowl, grassland birds, and other wildlife.
This project acquired ~40 acres of land for the Cuyuna State Recreation Area, and may serve to expand recreational trails or other amenities in the future.
This project converted 2-way mountain biking trail in the Cuyuna Country SRA to one-way trail near the Portsmouth Mine and Manuel Mine Lakes. This represents a substantial safety enhancement at the SRA.
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 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.
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.
The acqusition of this 80 acre parcel is a very nice fit to the Dalbo WMA. It allows for expanded habitat management and hunting opportunities for a myirad of wildlife species. This is a wonderful additon/round-out to this expansive and heavily used WMA. Which currently is 2610 acres in size.
This MDHA chapter provided significant dollars to help DNR acquire 460 tract with in the past two years.
This is a legislatively mandated project. In order to receive $1,075,000 in water recreation account appropriations for enhancing public water access facilities in FY 2014 and FY 2015 respectively, the commissioner must develop design standards and best management practices specifically for improving water quality by avoiding shoreline erosion and runoff for water accesses.
Asian carp pose a real and serious threat to Minnesota’s aquatic ecosystems. While there are a few instances of individual carp being found in Minnesota waters, including the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, it is not presently believed that there are significant established populations in the state. In order to quickly and effectively respond to threats posed by Asian carp in the future, though, detailed information about the fish themselves is needed.
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.
We propose to develop a genetic control tool that exploits the natural process of RNA silencing to effectively control zebra mussels without affecting other species.
3.5 mile long bituminous surface trail beginning at the intersection of Hwy 169 and County Road 88 to Ely. In Ely, connection will be made to existing Mesabi Trail.
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.
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)
Good habitat is critical to sustaining quality fish populations in both lakes and rivers. DNR proposes to restore or enhance aquatic habitat under two programs: stream restoration, and Aquatic Management Area (AMA) enhancement. Stream restoration includes major channel restorations and fish passage projects such as dam removals intended to improve or provide access to critical aquatic habitats.
This programmatic request will build on the DNR’s previous efforts to enhance and restore grasslands, prairies, and savannas. We will use the Prairie Conservation Plan and Pheasant Summit Action Plan to guide these efforts in a strategic and targeted manner. This proposal will work on a number of types of permanently protected habitats, most of which are open to public hunting, including; DNR WMAs, SNAs, AMAs, Prairie Bank Easements, State Forests, as well as USFWS WPAs and Refuges.
Through this appropriation MN DNR was able to acquire 115 aces of permanent trout stream conservation easements, nearly doubling the AP goal of 62 acres. This amounts to over seven miles of protected shoreline. We were able to nearly fully send the appropriation. All the acquired easements are now open to public angling and are locate in SE and NE Minnesota. This appropriation also included a contribution to the Conservation Stewardship Account.
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.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) will complete a fish passage project on the Otter Tail River to reconnect eight miles of stream habitat and 96 acres of lake habitat for fish and other aquatic life. We will also restore four miles of stream habitat on a previously straightened portion of Stony Creek. Stream projects were selected from a statewide list, prioritized by factors such as ecological benefit, scale of impact, urgency of completion, and local support. On Aquatic Management Areas, MNDNR will enhance over 900 acres of riparian and terrestrial habitat.
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 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).