The Minnesota Land Trust is one of 15 organizations working to achieve an unprecedented conservation project entitled “Restoring Minnesota’s Fish and Wildlife Habitat Corridors.” The goal of this unique conservation collaboration is to reestablish a network of statewide corridors that connect core units of high quality habitat for the purpose of sustaining fish and wildlife populations, enhancing their migration and survival, permitting greater genetic interchange, and restoring the integrity of natural communities that are sustainable with human activities. The project is funded by the Minnesota Legislature, as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

As part of this project, the Minnesota Land Trust is working with interested landowners to secure conservation easements on private lands that contain critical riparian habitats. These habitats may include undeveloped lakeshore, sensitive trout streams, or major wetland complexes. Under the first phase of this project which ended June 30, 2004, the Minnesota Land Trust permanently protected 2,847 acres of land and 75 miles of shoreline. We are currently working on the second phase of the Partnership.

Wildlife Corridors Project partners

• The Nature Conservancy
• Pheasants Forever
• Ducks Unlimited
• Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
• National Wild Turkey Federation
• Trust for Public Land
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust
• Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
• Red Lake Band of Chippewa

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