Northern Waters Land Trust

The Minnesota Loon Restoration Project objectives are to reduce mortality and increase the number of young loons produced in Minnesota. The primary emphasis of the project is to provide loon nesting habitat by protecting natural lakeshores through acquisition and/or easements. By providing permanent protection of targeted lakeshores, this facilitates direct protection of loons and ensures future availability of nesting habitat for Minnesota's state bird. This project focuses on 8 northern counties: Becker, Clearwater, Beltrami, Hubbard, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, and Aitkin, which have the potential to sustain quality loon habitat. Conservation efforts will help to ensure the future of loon nesting and rearing of young on lakes. Northern Waters Land Trust is working with the MN Dept. of Natural Resources on this project.

Proactive protection of a lake’s forested watershed can mitigate impacts of climate change on water and sensitive aquatic species. Keeping forested lands forested and reforesting lands that were converted to agriculture as the area was developed sequesters carbon. Given the current climate models and the scientific community’s understanding of mitigating actions, biological carbon sequestration--the storage of atmospheric carbon in vegetation, soils, woody products, and aquatic environments--is one way landowners in northern Minnesota can participate in growing a better future with fewer climate impacts and more economic security for the communities in our region. This pilot project explores explore the viability of coordinating a woody biomass carbon sequestration (CS) program within existing land conservation easement programs and determine the type and level of financial incentive likely to encourage the target group of landowner participation.

This project aims to develop and implement a prioritization process that incorporates a GIS mapping tool that ranks and prioritizes 391 Lakes of Biological Significance (LBS), identifies properties within these watersheds that are in urgent need of protection, and lays the foundation for continued land conservation efforts. This project will produce an essential prioritization tool that benefits overall watershed health, mitigates increasing development pressures, addresses climate change and rising lake temperatures, and includes local partners and community members. Development of this GIS mapping tool that is informative, accessible, and user-friendly will increase conservation awareness in North Central Minnesota. Funding for this project is through the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership.

The Outreach and Education program focuses on outreach and engagement through watershed activities at community events and educational workshops and presentations. Workshops are facilitated by local experts and focus on a variety of topics including Minnesota Loons and Freshwater Ecosystems, Cabin Succession Planning, Resilient Shorelines, and conservation support for lake associations.