Northeastern Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Habitat, Phase 1
This program will protect, enhance and restore up to 1,419.7 acres of open and brushland habitat and 145 acres of forest habitat in northeastern Minnesota, provide access to additional public lands for recreation, provide multiple environmental benefits, and benefit sharp-tailed grouse and other open and brushland species in greatest conservation need (several of which are state listed as endangered, threatened or special concern) by pursuing acquisitions in Kanabec and Aitkin counties.
As noted in the LSOHC's Northern Forest Section Vision, the condition of brushlands within forestlands is of special concern. The partnership, including Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society (MSGS), Pheasants Forever (PF), Minnesota Waterfowl Association (MWA), Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS), Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA), Central Lakes College Natural Resource Club (CLC) and Minnesota DNR, is collaborating to ensure that landscapes important to the sustainability provide, persist in the future.
The problem to be addressed is loss, degradation and fragmentation of open and brushland habitat within northeastern Minnesota due to natural succession and conversion to other land uses. It has lead to a long term decline in the sharp-tailed grouse population and populations of several other wildlife species that use or depend upon these habitats, causing their listing as species in the greatest conservation need. This program is directly related to protecting, restoring and enhancing habitat because these measures are precisely what is needed to solve it. The strategy of protection, restoration and enhancement will work because sufficient, secure, quality habitat is key to sustaining wildlife populations. Where brushland wildlife species have the amount and quality of habitat they require, their populations are sustainable, having greater resilience and ability to persist in the future.
The nature and extent of the partnership includes project coordination and management by MSGS, grant management and appraisal assistance by PF (i.e. fiscal agent), and cooperation with willing sellers and oversight of habitat work and hiring of contractors by local DNR wildlife managers, as well as financial support from MSGS, PF, MWA, RGS, MDHA, CLC, and DNR. There are no stakeholder or public participation processes associated with the project? other than interested parties are very welcome to join and support the partnership and its habitat efforts. Additional financial support is anticipated from PF and MDHA chapters. No opposition to the? project is anticipated. The two parcels in Kanabec and Aitkin Counties have not had formal County Board approval, but local County Commissioners have been contacted and their initial support successfully sought.
Working with numerous partners, Pheasants Forever acquired a strategic 1,284.6 acre parcel of land from a willing seller in Kanabec County. This land has been enrolled into the state Wildlife Management Area (WMA) System and will be protected and managed in perpetuity by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In addition, the newly acquired WMA will provide public access and recreational opportunities for ALL Minnesotans, so fundamentally important to our outdoor heritage.
The offer to the landowner was based on appraised value and seemed to be competitive with the market at the time. This parcel addressed the loss, degradation and fragmentation of open and brushland habitat within northeastern Minnesota due to natural succession and conversion to other land uses. It has lead to a long term decline in the sharp-tailed grouse population and populations of several other wildlife species that use or depend upon these habitats, causing their listing as species in the greatest conservation need. The parcel was identified in conjunction with DNR wildlife professionals and based on criteria in addition to minimum WMA standards that included: habitat restoration potential, landscape scale significance, presence of significant natural communities, future expansion potential, and multiple benefit analysis.
In total, $1,536,536.52 of Outdoor Heritage Funds were matched with $51,435 of non-state funding to complete this work.
$1,559,000 in fiscal year 2011 is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with Pheasants Forever to acquire interests in land, and to restore and enhance habitat for sharp-tailed grouse in Kanabec, Aitkin, and St. Louis Counties in cooperation with the Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Society. A list of proposed acquisitions and a list of proposed restorations and enhancements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan. The commissioner of natural resources must agree in writing to each acquisition of interest in land, restoration project, and enhancement project. All restorations must comply with subdivision 9, paragraph (b).
1285 acres
various private and state