Conservation Easement Stewardship Program - Phase III
The purchase of conservation easements—restrictions on land use that protect natural features while keeping land in private ownership—has proven to be an effective means to protect land at a lower initial cost than full state ownership. However, once an easement is purchased there are ongoing stewardship, monitoring, and enforcement responsibilities necessary to ensure the terms of the agreement between the easement holder and the landowner are met. Earlier efforts funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund in 2008 and 2011 allowed the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to retroactively bring existing conservation easements up to minimum standards by developing a central inventory and management system of the conservation easements held by the DNR, along with a plan for how they would be administered into the future. This appropriation is the final phase of this effort
allowing the DNR to continue and accelerate the implementation of the previously developed plan. Additionally, tools will be developed to enhance monitoring efficiency using remote sensing
$200,000 the first year is from the trust fund to the commissioner of natural resources for the final phase to bring conservation easements held by the Department of Natural Resources up to minimum conservation standards, through monitoring, baseline data collection, and baseline report preparation.
Click on Work Plan under Project Details.
Click on Work Plan under Project Details.