Photo: Contributed
WOODBURY, MN (WNN) – State grants will pay for prairie enhancement in Lake Elmo Park Reserve and woodland restoration in Big Marine Park Reserve.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved the grants last week. The money comes from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, one of four funds established by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.
The $250,000 grant for Big Marine Park Reserve will restore 50 acres of woodland habitat. The restoration is taking place in a mixture of oak woodland, mesic hardwoods, and a wetland complex between the main park road and County Road 4 (170th St.) where invasive shrubs, such as common and glossy buckthorn, are invading the plant community. The grant will help pay for “contracted services to cut and treat common buckthorn, thinning undesirable trees, follow-up treatment of common buckthorn re-sprouts, and supplies for native seeds and plants,” the county states in a news release.
A second grant of $165,000 will restore 35 acres of prairie habitat in Lake Elmo Park Reserve. “The project location is on the north end of the park in a field dominated by smooth brome, a grass that grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet and provides minimal plant and wildlife diversity. The goal of the project is to increase plant diversity by setting back smooth brome and reseeding and planting native species,” the release states. “The grant will help pay for contracted services including prescribed burning and grazing, seeding, and planting.”
An in-kind 10 percent match required for both grants will be provided by staff time to plan and implement the projects.