9.1. SR 07-21-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The partners of Metro Big Rivers Phase 2 arefive established and experienced conservation organizations-- Friends of the Mississippi River, Great River Greening, Minnesota Land Trust, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc., and Trust for Public Land. Each of these organizations has a solid track record completing the type of work proposed, both independently and collaboratively. Their proposed work is described below, Priorities are set bythe partners to meet objectives of the many applicable state and local plans (listed later) and in collaboration with the governmental agencies that will be the final stewards,where applicable. of the Mississip_pi_River(FMR)will conduct restoration and enhancement activities on 136 acres at two high priority publicly-owned sites in Dakota County.These sites were identified as being ecologically important by two or more separate and independent science-based planning processes,which also included public-input components. As a result,each of the proposed sites not only contains important habitat and other ecological values,they also benefit from the-support of local communities. Both properties are connected to other important natural areas, build on existing restoration projects, and are within the Metro Conservation Corridors. Gores Pool Wildlife Management Area, Freitag Tract--FMR will (1) restore 4 acres of prairie and 15 acres of wet meadow by eradicating non-native grass cover and re-seeding with native wetland species, and restore 7 acres of floodplain forest by reducing invasive grass cover, and (2) enhance 94 acres of floodplain and upland forest by removing exotic invasive woody plants. Gores Pool is a state-owned Wildlife Management Area and Aquatic Management Area. It is a 6,449 acre complex of floodplain forest, marshland and backwater along the Mississippi River and Vermillion River Bottoms.The Freitag Tract was purchased in 2008 by the DNR in partnership with Dakota County and the City of Hastings. FMR developed a Natural Resource Management Plan and has begun working with the DNR's Area Wildlife Manager on habitat restoration and enhancement activities on 70 acres of this 300-acre tract. Rosemount Wildlife Preserve--FMR will enhance a restored 7 acre prairie and 9 acre forest with treatment of exotic invasive species and prescribed burns.These 16-acres are the public portion of the larger 24-acre wildlife preserve,which also includes permanently protected private land. This preserve is within the metro conservation corridors in north-central Rosemount, between Lebanon Hills Park and Pine Bend Bluffs SNA,and contains prairie,woodland and a pond.The City of Rosemount owns 16 acres and a private party owns the other 8 acres.The entire site is permanently protected by a conservation easement. The property is identified in state and local plans as ecologically significant and worthy of protection. FMR developed a Natural Resource Management Plan for the site and has been steadily implementing it over the last five years, in cooperation with the private landowner and the City of Rosemount, partners in this project. The work to be completed under this grant is a continuation of the. restoration work started five years ago.