Peter Buesseler

1
Public and Private Prairie Stewardship

• Peter Buesseler
• State Prairie Program Supervisor
• DNR Scientific and
• Natural Areas Program

2
How much prairie was (is) there?
21 million acres 150,000 acres
Prairie
Marschner Pre-Settlement Vegetation
3
Why is prairie important?

• lt 1 remains. MNs most endangered natural
  habitat
• Home to gt 100 state listed species
• 56 of all element occurrences in the DNR
  Natural Heritage Data Base

4
Why is prairie important?

• Grassland dependent birds

Greater Prairie Chicken
Marbled Godwit
Chestnut collared longspur
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Why is prairie important?

• Grassland dependent birds
• Endemic prairie invertebrates

6
Why is prairie important?

• Grassland dependent birds
• Endemic prairie invertebrates
• Rare plant species like the Prairie white fringed
  orchid

7
Why is prairie important?

• Grassland dependent birds
• Endemic prairie invertebrates
• Rare plant species
• Wildlife habitat
• Haying grazing land
• Water quality benefits
• Education, research

8
Protection Saving whats left
What is protected?
150,000 acres of old growth prairie
9
Protection Public Land

• Public Prairie Preserves
• DNR Scientific and Natural Areas
• DNR Wildlife Management Areas
• DNR Parks, State Forests
• US Fish Wildlife Service
• The Nature Conservancy preserves
• 66,000 acres (DNR 2003 estimate)

10
Protection Private Land

• MN Prairie Bank Program
• Perpetual easements
• Currently 73 landowners 6054 Acres
• 30 new sites with current funding (bonding)
• Working prairies can allow haying, seed
  harvest, or grazing

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Protection Private Land

• Prairie Bank

• Exempts landowners from property taxes on
  qualifying acres
• 440 landowners enrolled, 17,000 acres
• Partnership with County Assessors
• Sites evaluated by Area Wildlife Managers

• Native Prairie Tax Exemption

12
Threats to prairies and grasslands

• Conversion to cropland

13
Threats to prairies and grasslands

• Conversion to cropland
• Rock picking

14
Threats to prairies and grasslands

• Conversion to cropland
• Rock picking
• Woody encroachment

15
Threats to prairies and grasslands

• Conversion to cropland
• Rock picking
• Woody encroachment
• Exotics and invasive species
• Poor grazing practices

16
Management Keeping prairies healthy

• Prescribed burning
• 20,000 acres of grassland/wetland burned on DNR
  land annually
• Private land burns 1,000 ac in 1999 3,500 ac
  in 2005

17
Management Keeping prairies healthy

• Prescribed burning
• Woody encroachment removal

18
Management Keeping prairies healthy

• Prescribed burning
• Woody encroachment
• Lone tree can lower nest success increase
  predation in 200 yard radius
• Removing ¼ mi long fence row can benefit up to 60
  acres of habitat

19
Management Keeping prairies healthy

• Prescribed burning
• Woody encroachment removal
• Native seed harvest, restoration
• Invasive and exotic species control
• Grazing systems

20
Management Helping Private Landowners

• Prairie Stewardship plans
• Prepared by private sector consultants
• Completed plans for 95 landowners (10,000
  acres/3,000acres native prairie)
• Estimated 2500 3000 private prairie landowners

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Management Helping Private Landowners

• Stewardship Plans
• Management assistance

• Prescribed burns
• Restorations
• Woody encroachment
• Invasive exotic species control
• Grazing improvements
• Monitoring systems

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Management Helping Private Landowners

• Stewardship Plans
• Management assistance

• Since 1993, LCMR funds have leveraged
  federal Landowner Incentive Program funds
• Assist 45 landowners with 75 prairie
  management projects per year
• Landowner grants, contracts, DNR crews

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LCMR Prairie Projects FY00 FY07
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Take Pride in Prairie
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Management Keeping prairies healthy
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Management Keeping prairies healthy
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Habitat Corridors Partnership

• HCP project areas
• Prairie subsections

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Habitat Corridors Partnership

• HCP Project Areas
• Prairie subsections
• Element occurrences
• 50 EOs occur within a HCP project area
• 50 EOs outside of HCP project area
• Some subsections entirely missed

29
Habitat Corridors Partnership

• HCP Project Areas
• Prairie subsections
• Element occurrences
• Native prairie occurrences outside of prairie
  subsections