1. Minnesota Prairie Plan Working Group June 14, 2011
Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan 2010 A habitat plan for native prairie, grassland, and wetlands in the Prairie Region of western Minnesota
Minnesota Prairie Plan Working Group
June 14, 2011

2. New Funding for Prairie Conservation
In 2008, the citizens of Minnesota passed a constitutional amendment increasing the state sales tax by 3/8¢
One third of the increase ($ M per year) is to restore, protect, and enhance prairies, forests, wetlands, and habitat for fish, game and wildlife

3. Minnesota Prairie Plan Working Group
Core group:
Marissa Ahlering, TNC
Tom Landwehr, TNC (facilitator)
Steve Chaplin, TNC
Tom Larson, USFWS
Carmen Converse, DNR
Jim Leach, USFWS
Meredith Cornett, TNC
Kevin Lines, BWSR
Ryan Drum, USFWS
Clint Miller, TCF
Neal Feeken, TNC
Mary Mitchell, USFWS
Jason Garms, DNR
Darby Nelson, LSOHC
Diane Granfors, USFWS
Ray Norrgard, DNR
Fred Harris, DNR
Mark Oja, NRCS
Greg Hoch, MPCS
Bill Penning, DNR
John Jaschke, BWSR
Matt Holland, PF

4. Minnesota’s Prairie Region
24.9 million acres
Includes the Prairie and Forest-Prairie Transition Planning Sections employed by the Lessard-Sams Outdoors Heritage Council

5. Minnesota Native Prairie
Of 18 million original prairie acres, less than 2% remain,
~ 96,000 acres are legally unprotected
Even if we protect every acre of remaining native prairie, we can not maintain viable prairie animal species or many ecosystem functions

6. Functional Prairie Systems
“A native prairie ecosystem that is of sufficient size, habitat condition, and landscape composition to maintain natural ecological processes and viable populations of nearly all of the native animals and plants that would naturally be found there”

7. Size Matters

8. Multifunctional Landscapes
Can grass-based economic uses provide a sufficient return on labor and investment to sustain rural families and communities?

9. Conservation Vision for the Prairie Region
“In strategic locations, large areas of prairie, grassland, and associated habitats will be protected and restored to create functioning prairie systems that provide major opportunities for sustainable grass-based agriculture such as grazing and haying. These functioning landscapes will also contribute clean water, fish and wildlife habitat complexes, high quality recreational opportunities, and thriving rural communities where Minnesota’s citizens will want to live and visit.”

10. Focusing Prairie Conservation
Ag Matrix
Corridor Complexes
Corridors
Core Areas

11. Focusing Prairie Conservation - Core Areas -
36 landscapes, 1.5 million acres, ranging from 5, ,000 acres
Captures 73% of native prairie
Goal: 40% grassland, 20% wetland, 50% permanent protection

12. Glacial Lakes Prairie Landscape

13. Glacial Lakes Prairie Core Area (Acres)
Core Area Acreage 169,305 Native Prairie (NP) 7,214 Protected NP 2,872 Other Grassland 55,128 Protected Other Grassland 7,720 Grassland in CRP 10,264 Wetland 36,308 Protected Wetland 8,134 Grassland Habitat Shortfall from 40% Goal 5,380 Wetland Habitat Shortfall from 20% Goal 0 NP Protection Shortfall 4,342 Grassland Protection Shortfall 18,927 Wetland Protection Shortfall 8,796

14. Focusing Prairie Conservation - Corridors -
Habitat Suitability Analysis based on 28 species of waterfowl, marsh birds, grassland passerines, shorebirds, and game birds
Corridors connecting core areas
Habitat suitability analysis (USFWS HAPET)
6 species of waterfowl
4 species of marsh birds
8 species of grassland passerines
8 species of shorebirds
2 species of game birds

15. Focusing Prairie Conservation - Corridors -
Five major corridors along geomorphological features
Corridors 6 miles wide
1.6 million acres total
10% of each square mile section be protected in permanent grassland or wetland habitat

16. Focusing Prairie Conservation - Habitat Complexes within Corridors -
9 square miles
Every 6 miles
40% grassland, 20% wetland, 50% permanent protection

17. Focusing Prairie Conservation - The Agricultural Matrix -
21.7 million acres total
104 Land type associations
Goal: 10% of each LTA in perennial cover protected permanently or under year contract

18. Prioritization within the Agricultural Matrix
Proximity to native prairie
Areas of High or Outstanding Biodiversity Significance
Bordering public conservation land
Containing restorable wetlands
Priority basins or basins with portfolio lakes
Proximity to high priority shallow lakes
Adjacent to high priority warm-water streams
Adjacent to other watercourse or water body
Within a Grassland Bird Conservation Area or an Important Bird Area
Highly erodible soils

19. Native Prairie Protection Goals (Acres)
Core
Corridor Complex
Corridor
Agricultural Matrix
Total
Fee Acquisition
21,444
693
1,362
5,436
28,935
Easement
50,036
1,618
3,177
12,683
67,514
71,480
2,311
4,539
18,119
96,449
$236 M

20. Grassland and Wetland Protection Goals (Acres)
Core
Corridor Complex
Corridor
Agricultural Matrix
Total
Fee Acquisition
25,725
10,131
10,507
152,728
199,091
Easement
38,590
12,306
21,014
305,455
377,365
Contract
64,315
73,551
1,069,094
1,206,281
128,630
22,437
105,072
1,527,277
1,782,737

21. Grassland and Wetland Restoration Goals (Acres)
Core
Corridor Complex
Corridor
Agricultural Matrix
Total
After fee acquisition
35,985
5,779
2,643
25,088
69,495
After easement
53,977
11,558
5,286
50,176
120,997
After signing year contract
89,962
40,453
18,500
175,616
324,531
179,924
57,790
26,429
250,880
515,023

22. Take Home Message
Even with major new conservation funding, “grass-based” agriculture will be essential to drive the voluntary protection and restoration of grassland and wetland.

23. Annual Enhancement Goals on Protected Lands
Core
Corridor Complex
Corridor
Agricultural Matrix
Total
Native Prairie
22,390
493
650
3,402
26,935
Other Grasslands
25,831
2,867
4,964
47,194
80,856
Wetlands
31,277
2,098
4,246
69,673
107,292
79,498
5,457
9,860
120,268
215,083
$108 M

24. Annual Enhancement Goals on Unprotected Lands
Core
Corridor Complex
Corridor
Agricultural Matrix
Total
Native Prairie
8,935
289
567
2,265
12,056
Other Grasslands
42,224
4,178
27,771
279,422
353,595
Wetlands
16,990
1,671
11,695
196,445
226,802
68,150
6,138
40,034
478,132
592,453
$296 M

25. Total Cost
Overall cost from all sources for actions described in the plan =
$3.6 billion
Anticipate need from the Outdoor Heritage Fund over the next 25 years =
$1.1 billion

26. Reconnecting Minnesota’s Fragmented Prairie Landscapes
One of the tools TNC makes use of is restoration – in recent projects like Glacial Ridge, we’ve taken it to a large scale, which has helped us reimagine conservation in prairie landscapes, which Steve C. will be talking about in a minute…..
We took great care at glacial ridge to use local ecotype seeds, clearly define resotration outcomes in terms of historical expressions of tallgrass prairie communities, battle invasives. It was state of the art. Here is one of the questions we have for you: Please ponder this as we’ll be taking it on in your discussion groups a little later.
“Restore What?”
© Insert Image Credit
Reconnecting Minnesota’s Fragmented Prairie Landscapes