Since 2012, Wild Rivers Conservancy has worked with partners throughout the watershed linking forestry to water quality. Forests act as natural filters for water running off the land, and are essentially our best defense against water quality degradation.
Acting as a “one-stop shop”, Wild Rivers Conservancy’s My St. Croix Woods (MSCW) program was developed to provide woodland owners with the resources and tools necessary to maintain stewardship of their forests. The MSCW program takes the difficulty out of the complex web of available services while offering customized options for management based on the individual goals of woodland owners.
The MSCW program is showing success, as the demand for stewardship and protection of private forestlands is increasing. One theme that keeps rising to the top of people’s minds is the desire for lasting protection and the desire to leave a legacy for future generations. Building on this momentum, Wild Rivers Conservancy is moving forward with its first ever permanent protection program.
Together, alongside The Trust for Public Lands and the Minnesota Land Trust, Wild Rivers Conservancy was awarded $3,751,000 from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund in 2019. These funds will be used to permanently protect 750 acres of critical habitat and forestlands through fee-tile acquisition and conservation easements. In addition, the project aims to restore up to 50 acres of habitat for species of greatest conservation need. The program, titled “St. Croix Watershed Habitat Protection and Restoration” is the first phase of what we hope to be many phases to come.
To find out more, go to www.mystcroixwoods.org
