Dakota County Riparian and Lakeshore Protection and Management , Phase 3

Through the County Farmland and Natural Areas Program, the ShoreHolders Program, and now combined Land Conservation Program, Dakota County has been protecting high-quality natural areas for wildlife habitat and improved water quality, outside its regional park system, since 2003.As with many conservation acquisition efforts, during the term of this grant, modifications were made to accommodate evolving circumstances. As a result of this Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOHC) grant, Dakota County focused on five conservation easements that protected 84 acres of wooded and grassland riparian areas, 26 acres of which surrounds ponds, wetlands and small lakes in the City of Rosemount, 19 acres of which are along Chub Creek in Waterford Township, and 39 acres of which are along the Vermillion River in Empire and Vermillion Townships. Through these easements, over three miles of shoreline was protected, including over 1.5 miles of the Vermillion River, over one mile of which is part of the designated trout stream portion of the river. Approximately $128,200 of landowner donations of easement value helped fund the protection of these areas. Conservation easements are a valuable tool to achieve permanent land protection, while not removing the land areas from the local tax base.Regarding restoration efforts, the County was successful in getting restoration projects at least started and completed on several properties. The County requires not only Natural Resource Management Plans (NRMPs) for each natural area easement, but is now requiring that landowners sign a Management Agreement (MA) that outlines restoration and maintenance activities, who is responsible, and how each activity will be funded, using cost estimates. Getting these agreements in place, while simultaneously executing consultant contracts for some of them proved to be too much; and although all were completed prior to the June 30 funding deadline, much of the proposed restoration work was not completed. That said, the County was able to get significant amounts of restoration work completed by the funding deadline. Restoration work involved enhancement of 235 acres of properties that include almost eight miles of shoreline.