Houston County has a rich tradition of farming, and family farms still dot the landscape here in Southeast Minnesota. Development has accelerated however, leading to the loss of some cherished family farms and putting the health of our waterways at risk. Thanks to Bob and Michelle Scanlan though, one family farm will be protected forever [...]
For thousands of years, prairie fires were common across much of Minnesota. Some were naturally-occurring events and some were set by Native Americans as a way to rejuvenate the prairie. Many of today’s landowners use prescribed fires to restore the land. A few weeks ago we joined Dr. Dick Huston as he held a prescribed [...]
Parts of this first appeared in our print Mid-Year Review. Sign up for Land Trust print and online publications and get updates on what’s happening with conservation across our state! It’s prophetic, in a way, that Candace Gouze’s birthday falls on Earth Day. After all, she’s led her family’s extraordinary efforts to protect their own [...]
The tallgrass aspen parklands of northwestern Minnesota is a region with a unique mix of wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands. Through time, the region has been maintained by dynamic cycles of precipitation, fire, and grazing which provide essential habitat to birds like the sharp-tailed grouse, upland sandpiper, American bittern, least bittern, Franklin’s gull, and countless other [...]
This article originally appeared in the print version of the 2019 Landowner Newsletter. Minnesota Forests Overview According to the 2017 USDA Forests of Minnesota Resource Update, approximately 17.7 million acres (35%) of Minnesota’s total land is forested. While forests predominate in the northern and eastern part of Minnesota, forest and woodland areas can be found [...]
