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Nature Conservancy outlines plan to protect 1,900 acres of prairie habitat in Clay County area
Summary
The Nature Conservancy told the Clay County Board it is working to protect 1,900 acres of wet-meadow prairie and marginal cropland in Keene and Hagen townships, with long‑term ownership split among the Conservancy, Minnesota DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funding proposed from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.
Representatives from the Nature Conservancy told the Clay County Board of Commissioners on May 5 that a landowner has offered about 1,900 acres of wet‑meadow prairie and marginal cropland for protection and restoration.
"We're very pleased to protect more land for wildlife habitat and for controlled, public recreational access," said Liz Bieri, associate director of Grasslands in Minnesota for the Nature Conservancy. Bieri said hunting would be allowed across the complex and that planned long‑term ownership would be split roughly among the Nature Conservancy (about 480 acres), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (about 320 acres as a Wildlife Management Area) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (about 1,100 acres).
Bieri described the site as native wet meadow habitat that supports pollinators and grassland birds, and said restoration work and some preparatory farming would occur over the next two years before transfers to state or federal ownership. "We'll be transitioning those acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota DNR within the next one to two years," Bieri said.
Jane Cowan, the Conservancy's habitat‑protection program manager, said the project advances goals in regional prairie connectivity, helps control erosion, and can improve water quality and aquifer recharge. She said some existing conservation practices on neighboring lands, such as rotational haying and conservation grazing, would inform future management.
Cowan said the proposed source of funding for the protection work is the Outdoor Heritage Fund portion of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The presenters also said they expect to work with local landowners on future haying and grazing and that they typically do not construct formal walking trails so as to prioritize wildlife habitat. "We don't tend to establish walking trails or paths; we just keep it wide open for wildlife habitat," Bieri said.
Board members asked about timing and recreational access. Commissioner Bair asked when transfers would occur; Bieri reiterated the one‑to‑two‑year timeline after restoration. Commissioners thanked the presenters and requested contact information for follow‑up coordination.
The Nature Conservancy and the county did not present or approve any binding conveyance documents at the meeting; the presentation described the project plan, proposed ownership split and intended funding source.
