Outdoor Heritage Conservation Partners Grant Program - FY 2010

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,000,000
Fund Source
Outdoor Heritage Fund
Recipient
DNR
Recipient Type
State Government
Status
None
Start Date
July 2009
End Date
June 2011
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Becker
Hubbard
Isanti
Kandiyohi
Kittson
Stearns
Steele
Steele
Becker
Hubbard
Isanti
Kandiyohi
Kittson
Stearns
Steele
Steele
Project Overview

This program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide competitive matching grants of up to $400,000 to local, regional, state, and national organizations, including government. Grant activities include the enhancement, restoration, or protection of forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. A 10% non-state cash or in-kind match was required from all grantees, and was identified at the time of application.

About the Issue

CONSERVATION PARTNERS GRANTS PROGRAM

This grant program consists of two activity categories:
Category 1 - Restoration and Enhancement. For the purpose of this grant program, this work is defined as: Restore: action to bring a habitat back to a former state of sustaining fish, game or wildlife, with an ultimate goal of restoring habitat to a desired conservation condition. Enhance: action to increase the ability of habitat and related natural systems to sustain and improve fish, game or wildlife in an ecologically sound manner.

Projects funded under Category 1, Restoration and Enhancement, consists of activities that restore or enhance habitat for fish, game, or wildlife on lands permanently protected by conservation easement or public ownership. Specific activities can be found in LSOHC Habitat activity Definitions.

1. Proposed projects on public lands are approved by and coordinated with public land managers. Projects proposed for lands under permanent conservation easement are reviewed by public land managers. Proof of review or approval is submitted with the grant application.

2. Restoration and enhancement activities are considered permanent work and a conservation easement is required for private lands before work could begin. Funding for the easement/deed restriction and associated costs can be paid for with in-kind match or grant funds.

3. Grantees are responsible for all administrative requirements such as Historic Property Review, Wetland Conservation Act, Stormwater Permits, Natural Heritage Review, DNR Waters Permits, and others as appropriate. Costs for any reviews or permits are included in the grant application, either as in-kind match or requested from grant dollars. As specified in the grant agreement, grantees may, by letter, assign these duties and associated funds back to DNR, with DNR consent.

4. The Commissioner of Natural Resources will approve all projects.

5. Vegetation and seed used in these projects are from ecotypes native to MN, and preferably of the local ecotype, using a high diversity of species originating from as close to the restoration site as possible. Existing native prairies are protected from genetic contamination to the extent possible.

6. A restoration and management plan is prepared for all restorations, consistent with the highest quality conservation and ecological goals for the restoration site. The plans include: a. The proposed timetable for implementing the restoration, including i. site preparation, ii. establishment of diverse plant species, iii. maintenance, and iv. additional enhancement to establish the restoration; b. Identification of long-term maintenance and management needs of the restoration and how the maintenance, management, and enhancement will be financed; and c. the best available science to achieve the best restoration.

7. Grantees give consideration to and make timely written contact with the MN Conservation Corps for consideration of possible use of their services to contract for restoration and enhancement services.

Category 2 - Land Protection
Protect: action to maintain the ability of habitat and related natural systems to sustain fish, game or wildlife through acquisition of fee title or conservation easements. For the purpose of this grant program, this work is defined as:

Acquisitions funded under Category 2 ? Land protection of wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife by acquiring land through fee title or permanent easement. Lands acquired in fee title are open to the public for hunting and fishing during open seasons. Easements include stewardship provisions to perpetually monitor and enforce the conditions of the easements.

1. The Commissioner of Natural Resources will agree to each proposed acquisition of land or interest in land. For fee acquisition, the final title holder and land manager are specified. Lands that will be conveyed to a public agency are donated.

2. For permanent easements, the following information is provided: a. What organization monitors the easement; b. Who the easement reverts to in the event the primary easement holder ceases to exist; c. What easement monitoring standards are used; d. Amount, funding source, and holder of the stewardship endowment dedicated to the easement; and e. Any restrictions, allowed structures, allowed activities, and reserved rights.

3. A restoration and management plan is prepared for all newly acquired lands as described in Category 1.6 above.

4. All acquisition selection processes and related transactions costs for all parties involved in the acquisition are reported to the LSOHC.

5. A Notice of Funding Restriction is recorded for each acquisition.

6. An analysis of future operations and maintenance costs for any acquired lands is provided to the LSOHC, commissioner of finance, and appropriate public agency.

7. The grantee will submit an annual report on the status of property acquired with grant funds to LSOHC by December 1 each year.

Grantees acquiring land that will be conveyed to DNR are required to follow DNR?s Third Party Land Acquisition Procedures. All appraisals are done to Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice standards. All land surveys are done to meet DNR?s General Requirements for Land Surveys. Lands that are conveyed to a public agency for long-term management are brought up to the agency?s minimum operating standards before being conveyed.

General Program Requirements: all grants will be closed by June 30, 2013, at which time all projects are completed and final products delivered. All grant projects conform to the terms set out in the 2009 MN Session Law Chapter 172, and address the priorities in the MN Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan, and Tomorrow's Habitat for the Wild and Rare. In implementing this program the DNR complies with the Office of Grants Management policies.

Grantee Match: The match requirement is 10% in nonstate cash or in-kind work, which includes verifiable equipment use, donation of materials, and donation of labor. The amount and source of the match is identified at the time of application. Proof of all required and pledged grantee match will be provided before the final payment is made.

Grant Process: A Request for Proposal (RFP) will be posted on the DNR and LSOHC websites in August 2009. The RFP contains grant program, application criteria, application and proposal requirements, state agency contacts and grant reporting requirements. The RFP and all grant agreements incorporate appropriate principles and criteria from the 2009 LSOHC Strategic Plan.

Applications will be accepted electronically, with grants selected for funding in December, 2009, and March, 2010. Maps and aerial photos showing the location of proposed projects are required, and include the name of the public land unit or private landowner, county, legal description, acres affected, and on-site and adjacent habitat types.

DNR Grants Program staff will work with grant applicants to ensure applications are complete, compile all grant applications, and enter applications into a database. A Technical Guidance Committee selected by the Commissioner of Natural Resources will rank applications based on criteria established by the LSOHC and MN State Legislature and recommend projects and funding levels. This committee includes representatives from DNR, BWSR, the U of M, the USFWS, and other appropriate members. The Commissioner will make the final decision on projects funded, and funding levels.

Ranking Criteria Used:
1. Amount of habitat restored, enhanced, or protected
2. Local support
3. Degree of collaboration
4. Urgency
5. Multiple benefits
6. Habitat benefits provided
7. Consistency with sound conservation science
8. Adjacency to protected lands
9. Full funding of the project
10. Supplementing existing funding
11. Public access for hunting and fishing during the open season
12. Sustainability
13. Use of native plant materials

Every effort will be made to evenly distribute the selected grants by geographic location, activity, and funding level. Once grant applications are selected, DNR Grants Program staff will work with grantees to ensure financial reviews, grant agreements, and any other necessary paperwork is completed. Work will not begin until the grant is executed.

Grant Payment:
Grant payments will be administered on a reimbursement basis unless otherwise provided in the grant agreement. Periodic payments will be made upon receiving documentation that the deliverable items articulated in the approved accomplishment plan have been achieved, including partial achievements as evidenced by approved progress reports. Capital equipment expenditures are not allowed.

No less than 15 percent of the amount of each grant must be held back from reimbursement until the grant recipient has completed a grant accomplishment report in the form prescribed by and satisfactory to the LSOHC.

Project Reviews and Reporting Project reviews will be completed on an annual basis by Grant Program or other DNR staff. Grantees will submit annual accomplishment reports in the form determined by the LSOHC by September 1 of each year. These reports are based on work completed during the previous fiscal year. Reports account for the use of grant and match funds, and outcomes in measures of wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat restored, enhanced, and protected. The report includes an evaluation of these results. A map and aerial photo showing the location of the project and including the name of the public land unit or private landowner, county, legal description, and acres affected will be included.

DNR Grant Program staff will compile grantee reports and submit an annual accomplishment report to the LSOHC, Legislative Coordinating Commission, and Department of Finance on October 15 of each year. Accomplishment information will be posted on LSOHC and DNR websites.

MN FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION REPORT:
This report will be submitted by January 1, 2010 to the Legislature by the Commissioner of Natural Resources. It considers the feasibility, process, and timeline for creation of a MN fish and wildlife foundation, to be modeled after the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and on the possibility of allowing for the administration by this entity of the conservation partners grant program. The legislative guide created in this act will consider whether this program should be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the commissioner of natural resources, or some neutral third party.

Project Details
Legal Citation / Subdivision
ML 2009, Ch. 172, Art. 1, Sec. 2, Subd. 5(a)
Appropriation Language

$4,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 is to the commissioner of natural resources for a pilot program to provide competitive, matching grants of up to $400,000 to local, regional, state, and national organizations, including government, for enhancement, restoration, or protection of forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. Up to 6-1/2 percent of this appropriation may be used for administering the grant. The funds may be advanced in three equal sums, on or after November 1, 2009, February 1, 2010, and April 1, 2010. Grantees may protect land through acquisition of land or interests in land. Easements must be permanent. Land acquired in fee must be open to hunting and fishing during the open season unless otherwise provided by state law. The commissioner of natural resources must agree to each proposed acquisition of land or interest in land. The program shall require a match of at least $1 nonstate funds to $10 state funds. The nonstate dollars match may be in-kind. The criteria for evaluating grant applications must include amount of habitat restored, enhanced, or protected; local support; degree of collaboration; urgency; multiple benefits; habitat benefits provided; consistency with sound conservation science; adjacency to protected lands; full funding of the project; supplementing existing funding; public access for hunting and fishing during the open season; sustainability; and use of native plant materials. All projects must conform to the Minnesota statewide conservation and preservation plan. Wildlife habitat projects must also conform to the state wildlife action plan. Priority may be given to projects acquiring land or easements associated with existing wildlife management areas. All restoration or enhancement projects must be on land permanently protected by conservation easement or public ownership. To the extent possible, a person conducting prairie restorations with money appropriated in this section must plant vegetation or sow seed only of ecotypes native to Minnesota, and preferably of the local ecotype, using a high diversity of species originating from as close to the restoration site as possible, and protect existing native prairies from genetic contamination. Subdivision 10 applies to grants awarded under this paragraph. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2013, at which time all grant projects must be completed and final products delivered, unless an earlier date is specified in the grant agreement. No less than 15 percent of the amount of each grant must be held back from reimbursement until the grant recipient has completed a grant accomplishment report in the form prescribed by and satisfactory to the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council. As a condition of proceeding with this appropriation, the commissioner shall report on the feasibility, process, and timeline for creation of a Minnesota fish and wildlife foundation, to be modeled after the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and on the possibility of allowing for the administration by this entity of the conservation partners grant program. The legislative guide created in this act shall consider whether this program should be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the commissioner of natural resources, or some neutral third party.

2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,000,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$0
Direct expenses
$4,000,000
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
2.0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Forestlands are protected from development and fragmentation
Increased availability and improved condition of riparian forests and other habitat corridors
Healthy populations of endangered, threatened, and special concern species as well as more common species
Landlocked public properties are accessible with have increased access for land managers
Improved aquatic habitat indicators
Improved aquatic habitat indicators
Wetland and upland complexes will consist of native prairies, restored prairies, quality grasslands, and restored shallow lakes and wetlands
Increased availability and improved condition of riparian forests and other habitat corridors
Water is kept on the land
Protected, restored, and enhanced aspen parklands and riparian areas
Protected, restored, and enhanced nesting and migratory habitat for waterfowl, upland birds, and species of greatest conservation need
A network of natural land and riparian habitats will connect corridors for wildlife and species in greatest conservation need
Protected habitats will hold wetlands and shallow lakes open to public recreation and hunting
Core areas protected with highly biologically diverse wetlands and plant communities, including native prairie, Big Woods, and oak savanna
Improved aquatic habitat indicators
Healthier populations of endangered, threatened, and special concern species as well as more common species
Remnant goat prairies are perpetually protected
High priority riparian lands, forestlands, and savannas are protected from parcelization and fragmentation
Rivers, streams, and surrounding vegetation provide corridors of habitat
Improved aquatic habitat indicators
Stream to bluff habitat restoration and enhancement will keep water on the land to slow runoff and degradation of aquatic habitat
Landlocked public properties have increased access for land managers
Core areas protected with highly biologically diverse wetlands and plant communities, including native prairie, Big Woods, and oak savanna
Protected, restored, and enhanced shallow lakes and wetlands
Expiring CRP lands are permanently protected
Remnant native prairies and wetlands are permanently protected and are part of large complexes of restored prairie, grasslands, and large and small wetlands
Improved condition of habitat on public lands
Water is kept on the land
Increased participation of private landowners in habitat projects
Protected, restored, and enhanced habitat for waterfowl, upland birds, and species of greatest conservation nee

Measurable Outcome(s)

A total of 10,243 acres were effected: 3,863 enhanced, 752 protect in easement, 369 protected in fee w/o PILT, 610 protect in fee with PILT, and 4,649 restored. 370 acres were restored native prairie.

Project Manager
First Name
Jessica
Last Name
Lee
Organization Name
DNR
Street Address
500 Lafayette Rd N
City
Saint Paul
State
None
Zip Code
55155
Phone
(651) 259-5233
Email
jessica.lee@state.mn.us
Administered By
Administered by
Location

500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-296-6157
Email the Agency