Agassiz Lowlands (ALELA) Wetland Enhancements

The Chippewa Prairie is jointly owned and managed by the MN DNR and TNC. Both agencies have been purchasing land in the project area for nearly 30 years, cooperatively maintaining the prairie landscape via traditional methods, primarily prescribed fire. For over a decade, managers from both agencies have been researching, assessing need, and formulating a vision for re-introduction of grazing management. A grazing plan has been developed that implements a cooperative conservation grazing system that focuses on the need to mimic natural processes via the re-introduction of large ungulates. It was determined that a large, open, cooperative patch-burn grazing system was most appropriate to meet the management objectives of the property. Implementation of the plan started in 2009 when six miles of perimeter fence was installed on the TNC portion of the project site. We are seeking funding to finish the remaining 4.5 miles of DNR fence to bring the project to completion.