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1. Acquiring a permanent easement on private land that restricts future development and other non-compatible activities, and requiring natural resource stewardship, such as establishing permanent buffers along protected streams and wetlands.  Agricultural easements allow agricultural activities to continue on designated portions of the property.
2. Working with other public entities to acquire fee title to the property as a public wildlife/natural area or passive park (no recreational facilities).

1.  Landowner submits a pre-application form
2.  County staff reviews pre-applications for completeness and for program eligibility
3.  County staff informs the landowner of project status (eligible or ineligible)
4.  County staff schedules an onsite meeting with the landowner to:
        -  Discuss the project
        -  Discuss the FNAP criteria
        -  Conduct a basic site assessment, and
        -  Discuss next steps
5.  Landowner submits a final application
6.  County staff prepares information and materials for Advisory Committee review
7.  Advisory Committee reviews, evaluates, score and ranks projects
8.  Advisory Committee recommends projects to the County Board for continued consideration
9.  County Board considers recommended projects and authorizes which ones will move forward for an appraisal and negotiations
10.  Landowner signs a Commitment of Interest Agreement and submits a check for $750
11.  Appraisals are conducted (at the County's expense)
12.  Negotiations begin between the County and the landowner and other project partners
13.  Projects are finalized and presented to the County Board for final approval
14.  Stewardship or Natural Resource Management Plans are jointly developed and approved by parties
15.  County Board-approved projects are closed and easements are recorded
16.  Stewardship/Natural Resource Management Plans are implemented and monitored

Program Results

Farmland
As of August 2009, Dakota County has acquired 25 permanent agricultural conservation easements totaling 3,069 acres for a total cost of over $16 million.  However, the combination of landowner donations and 50% matching funds from the United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for farmland protection has reduced the County cost to just over $6.6 million.

Landowner	Acres	Township	Relative Location     & Information
Michael & Diane Barrett	91	Sciota	Along the Canon River.
Ben & Sherrie Boyum	144	Greenvale	Along Dutch Creek.
Cliff & Mary Frandrup	120	Hampton	Along Pine Creek.
Paul Sr., & Shirley Gergen	246	Hampton	Along Pine Creek.
Paul Jr., & Lorri Gergen	169	Hampton	Mix of farmland and natural area.
Wayne & Candance Hallcock	380	Eureka/Greenvale	Within 1/2 mile of Chub Creek
Harmer Farms LLC (Jim Harmer)	39	Eureka	Along the Vermillion River.
Austa Harmer	50	Eureka	Along the Vermillion River
Chad & Jessica Harmer	28	Eureka	Along the Vermillion River.
Gary Hoffman and Dennis McNamara	100	Vermillion	Along the Vermillion River
Carl & Kathy Hunter	136	Sciota	Homesteaded since 1860 within 1/2 mile of   Cannon River.
Gerald & Sheila Kimmes	101	Marshan	Near the Sand Coulee.
Daniel Lee	185	Sciota	Along the Cannon River
James & Michael Leifeld	66	Douglas	Headwaters of Vermillion River.
Agnes Minar	149	Greenvale	Within 1/2 mile of Dutch Creek.
Gene & Catherine Mulligan	210	Greenvale	Within 1/2 mile of Dutch Creek.
Leonard Niesen	110	Douglas	Adjacent to Miesville Ravine Park Reserve.
			tributary
RTKC, Inc.	69	Sciota	Within 1/2 mile of Cannon River
Rita Regenscheid	137	Hampton	Pine Creek runs through it.
Dan & Greg Stoffel	115	Vermillion	Along the Vermillion River.
Don & Barb Swenson	162	Greenvale	Dutch Creek runs through it.
Taylor/Carpenter	147	Sciota	Along Spring Creek.
Ray & Mary Taylor	127	Sciota	Along the Cannon River.
Beverly Wirtzfeld	148	Greenvale	Part of large wetland, within 1/2 mile of Chub Creek
Tom & Jill Yanz	76	Vermillion	Along the Vermillion River.
Total Acres	3,305

The County is in the process of completing eleven additional agricultural easements totaling 1,562 acres. The County received 27 new farmland applications for the 2009 application round. On July 21, 2009, the County Board authorized the initiation of appraisals and negotiations with landowners of the top 10 ranked farmland projects from the 2009 application round.  Final County Board funding approval for each project will occur at a future date.  In February 2010, the County Board authorized the initiation of appraisals and negotiations with landowners of the next 8 ranked farmland projects of the original 27 projects from the 2009 application round.

Overall Farmland Land Protection Summary

Year	# of Projects	Acreage	Est. Total Cost	Est. County Cost
2003	9	754	$3.0 million	$1.29 million
2004	6	943	$4.7 million	$1.96 million
2005	6	724	$3.4 million	$1.51 million
2007	7	1,085	$5.6 million	$1.88 million
2009	10	1,394	$3.3 million	$0.79 million
2010	8	663	$1.7 million	$0.47 million
Totals	46	5,563	$21.7 million	$7.90 million*

* Does not include other estimated expenses (e.g. closing costs).

See the Farmland and Natural Areas Map (Attachments, bottom of this page) for the locations of completed and pending program projects.

Landowner Profile
In order for the voluntary Farmland and Natural Areas Program (FNAP) to be successful, it is critical to work with landowners who share the goals of land protection.  Ray and Mary Taylor became the first landowners in Dakota County and in Minnesota to permanently preserve farmland for agricultural and natural resource protection purposes through the FNAP.  Through the FNAP, the Taylors have permanently protected 236 acres and will soon add another 111 acres.
 
The Taylor's, born and raised in Sciota Township, have worked hard to protect and improve their land.  To prevent erosion, they planted grass waterways to slow and collect field runoff.  They also use no-till cultivation (crop residues are left on the field) to save time, fuel, and reduce soil compaction.

When the FNAP began, the Taylors were one of the first landowners to apply and they have submitted four successful FNAP applications.  When asked why they wanted to participate, the Taylors said they wanted to preserve the land for the family today and future generations.  As part of the FNAP, landowners are required to implement a Stewardship Plan to reduce erosion and establish a permanent vegetative buffer along surface waters.  Part of the Taylor’s land is along the Cannon River and a 150-foot buffer was installed next to the river in 2005.  Spring Creek bisects another Taylor property where the Taylors have installed a natural buffer strip of willows and other native plants to protect the creek from runoff.

The interest and commitment of landowners like the Taylors, and other partners, is essential to succeed in preserving Dakota County's natural and agricultural heritage.
 
Natural Areas
As of August 2009, the County has been a key partner in protecting 23 natural area projects totaling 2,332 acres for a total cost of $46.6 million.  However, the combination of landowner donations and matching funds from a variety of non-County sources has reduced the County cost to just over $7.4 million.

Natural Area	Acres	City/ Township	Relative Location & Information
Gene & Carol Almquist	59	Ravenna	Along Highway 316, south of Hastings.
Caponi Art Park	60	Eagan	Provided $850,000 to permanently protect public and private land involving the City of Eagan, the Caponi Art Park Corporation, and the MN Department of Natural Resources.
Paul & Kari Curtis	69	Ravenna	Along Highway 316, south of Hastings.
Dodge Nature Center	156	Mendota Heights	Provided $500,000 of one-to-one matching funds to acquire an easement on this $13 million property to provide permanent protection.
East Lake Community Park	12	Lakeville	Provide $690,000 to the City of Lakeville to acquire a high-quality oak forest and peninsula between two lakes as part of a larger passive nature park.
Empireview Wildlife Mgmt. Area (Miles Property)	475	Empire Township	Provided $1 million to the MN DNR to create a new state Wildlife Management Area that includes over one mile of the Vermillion River.
Raymond Freitag Estate	309	Hastings	Provided $250,000 in a cooperative project with MN DNR to acquire this land along the Mississippi River adjacent to the Gores Pool State Wildlife Mgmt. Area (WMA).
Carolyn Gelhar	36	Ravenna	Along Polk Avenue in Ravenna Township.
Marlys Guildner	5	Castle Rock	This is one of four land parcels that comprise the 48-acre Poplar Grove woods project.
Marcia Hinz	8	Castle Rock	This is one of four land parcels that comprise the 48-acre Poplar Grove woods project.
Carrie Jennings	110	Eureka	This property is located just southwest of Chub Lake and encompasses part of a large wetland complex.
Tecla Karpen	5	Hastings	This property is located adjacent to Lake Rebecca overlooking the Mississippi River.
Thomas & Marilyn Maher	76	Marshan	New MN Scientific & Natural Area, along Redwing Boulevard, south of Hastings.
McCarthy	34	Eagan	This property is located along Wescott Road west of Lexington Avenue.
Melson/Breitschwerdt	20	Castle Rock	This is one of four land parcels that comprise the 48-acre Poplar Grove woods project.
Murnane	8	Marshan	Donated property in the Hastings Sand Coulee.
William & Jeanette Otting	44	Vermillion	This property is located on the south side of the Vermillion River, west of Highway 52.
Patrick Eagan Park	9	Eagan	Provided $270,000 for a cooperative project involving the City of Eagan and the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to acquire and add nine acres to the main entrance of the 100-acre Patrick Eagan Park.
Pilot Knob I	8	Mendota Heights	Provided $400,000 in a cooperative project with the City of Mendota Heights and MN DNR to acquire and restore a historically, culturally, and ecologically significant bluff overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.
Pilot Knob II	15	Mendota Heights	Provided $410,000 in a cooperative project with the City of Mendota Heights, and three MN DNR contributions to acquire this property adjacent to the Pilot Knob I conservation area.
Polkinghorne	32	Inver Grove Heights	This property is located adjacent to the Pine Bend Bluff SNA in Inver Grove Heights along the Mississippi River.
Pearl Shirley	15	Castle Rock	This is one of four land parcels that comprise the 48-acre Poplar Grove woods project.
Vermillion Highlands/Butler Trust Property	816	Empire	Adjacent to Empireview WMA; FNAP provided $1 million in a cooperative project with the MN DNR; north 456 acres is a County regional park and south 360 acres was added to the Vermillion River WMA.
Wicklund Wildlife Preserve	26	Rosemount	Provided $250,000 toward acquisition of a permanent easement on 26 acres, including 15 acres now owned by the City of Rosemount.
Bonnie Wilmar	42	Vermillion	Property's wooded area straddles the Vermillion River; almost 25 acres of cropland will be converted to native vegetation.
Total Acres	2,371

The County continues to work in partnership with many entities to conclude 15 remaining natural area projects totaling 1,241acres. The County received 17 new natural areas applications for the 2009 application round. On August 17, 2009, the County Board authorized the initiation of appraisals and negotiations with landowners and partners of 12 of the highest ranking natural area projects from the 2009 application round.  Final County Board funding approval for each project will occur at a future date.

Overall Natural Area Land Protection Summary

Year	# of Projects	Acreage	Est. Total Cost	Est. County Coat
2003	7	665	$20.8 million	$3.31 million
2004	5	195	$2.8 million	$0.87 million
2005	7	967	$3.5 million	$1.52 million
2006	1	32	$0.9 million	$0.27 million
2007	6	634	$17.9 million	$1.73 million
2008	2	18	$0.07 million	$0.01 million
2009	12	1,194	$12.0 million	$1.69 million
Totals	40	3,705	$58.0 million	$9.40 million*

* Does not include other estimated expenses (e.g. closing costs).

Overall Program Summary

Total Number of Projects	86
Estimated Number of Acres that Will be Protected	9,268
Total Estimated Easement Value	$79.7 million
Estimated County Cost	$17.3 million
Estimated Fund Balance	$2.7 million

* Does not include other estimated expenses (e.g. closing costs).

See the Farmland and Natural Areas Map (Attachments, bottom of this page) for the locations of completed and pending natural area protection projects.

Impact on Natural Resource Protection in Dakota County

Completed farmland and natural area projects already provide on-the-ground, permanent protection in key locations throughout the County.  In addition, FNAP:

• Fosters better natural resource stewardship practices on private lands of landowners who are not currently participating in the program.
• Leverages significant non-county funds to maintain and enhance natural resource protection.
• Works cooperatively with township and city officials to plan and protect natural resources within and adjacent to their respective boundaries.
• Coordinates multiple conservation funding sources to more effectively use public and private land conservation funds.

Land and Water Protection Opportunities in Dakota County

Farmland
Dakota County has over 235,000 acres of productive farmland - more than any other county in the seven-county Metropolitan Area.

Natural Areas
There are approximately 252 miles of river and creek shoreland in Dakota County, including some of the few remaining, naturally reproducing trout streams in the Metropolitan Area:

Mississippi River	25 miles	Pine Creek	12 miles
Minnesota River	16 miles	Spring Creek	3 miles
Cannon River	26 miles	Trout Brook	15 miles
Vermillion River	38 miles	Dutch Creek	9 miles
Chub Creek	24 miles

 
Note: Through the FNAP, the County has protected 193,000 linear feet (approx. 36.6 miles) along lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks, and 107,000 linear feet (approx. 20.3 miles) around wetlands.

• Undeveloped bluff land along the Mississippi and Cannon Rivers
• Rare spring-fed calcareous fens in the Burnsville area (northwest Dakota County)
• Undeveloped wooded lakeshore (e.g., Chub Lake)
• Chimney Rock and Sand Coulee in Marshan Township
• Marcott Lakes in Inver Grove Heights
• Hampton Woods in Castle Rock and Hampton Townships
• Vermillion River Natural Area in Empire Township
• Greenway corridors and buffer lands around existing regional parks

Recognition
The Farmland and Natural Areas Program has made presentations or provided information to the 2005 National Association of Watershed District Conference and 2005 National Rails to Trails Conference; Sioux Falls, South Dakota Land Trust; Polk County/Des Moines, Iowa; Ozaukee and Washington Counties, Wisconsin; University of Wisconsin Extension and Rice, Stearns, Steele, and Waseca Counties in Minnesota.

FNAP was one of six recipients from across the country to receive an inaugural County Conservation Leadership Award from the National Association of Counties and the Trust for Public Land in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2005.

The Farmland and Natural Areas Program has also received awards from the American Planning Association, Minnesota Association of Counties, and the Minnesota Environmental Initiative.  In 2009, the Farmland and Natural Areas Program received a Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention.

Attachments

•  2010 FNAP Project Map (1 pp)