Stearns County board approves $700,000 buckthorn eradication project at Quarry Park

The Stearns County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved a contract to remove invasive common buckthorn from roughly 70–73 acres at Quarry Park, the county’s most visited park.

County Parks Director Ben Anderson told the board the work would be funded through a grant administered by Great River Greening using Outdoor Heritage Fund money, with Stearns County providing a $10,000 local match. Anderson said the contract price presented to the board is about $700,000 and would fund multiple treatments over a multi-year period if the board signs the agreement.

The board hearing focused on the scope and cost of treating buckthorn, an aggressive invasive shrub that Anderson said can create a monoculture in oak woodlands and wetland edges and push out native plant species. The proposed work includes mechanical treatments for large infestations and hand removal around ecologically sensitive rock outcrops and wetland margins where rare species such as prickly pear cactus and other specialists still occur.

Anderson said the Great River Greening grant comes from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which was created by Minnesota voters, and that Quarry Park falls within the Anoka Sand Plain project area eligible for those funds. If approved and signed, the contract would run through June 30, 2030, and include at least three, often four, treatment cycles across the acreage to limit regrowth.

Commissioners who questioned the item said the dollar amount was large for removal of buckthorn but acknowledged the acreage and multi-year treatment plan. Several commissioners also emphasized the value of volunteer efforts and noted smaller volunteer-driven projects complement larger-scale contracting where the infestation is extensive.

The board voted to approve the contract after the item was pulled from the consent agenda for discussion.