Minnesota DNR study: Wetland acreage stable, quality down Nearly half of all federally endangered species count on wetlands for at least part of their habitat. By: John Myers, Duluth News Tribune Published May 31, 2013 Minnesota is holding on to more of its wetlands, a new study concludes, but the quality of those wetlands may be diminishing. That’s the conclusion of a report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released today that the agency called the state’s first scientific assessment of wetland gain versus loss. Wetlands are considered critical for fish and wildlife habitat, to hold back floods and filter water, often at the headwaters of sources for drinking water and recreational waters. Nearly half of all federally endangered species count on wetlands for at least part of their habitat. But increased prices for farm crops, as well as development pressures near urban areas, continue to eat away at original wetlands. And experts say manmade wetlands dug to replace the original often are not as good. The report found that, from 2006 through 2011, Minnesota gained 2,080 wetlands across the state, or a 0.02 percent gain. But during that same period, 1,890 acres of emergent wetlands were converted into cultivated wetlands, mostly for farming, reducing their value to wildlife and for flood prevention, essentially offsetting the overall gain. The DNR notes that while cultivated wetlands retain some wetland characteristics, they often have undergone significant drainage and lack vegetation that provides good wildlife habitat. “While it’s encouraging that overall wetland acreage appears stable, there are still concerns about the quality of wetlands being gained and the conversion of emergent wetland to cultivated status,” said Doug Norris, DNR wetlands program coordinator. The findings were based on nearly 5,000 randomly selected one-square-mile plots that were assessed using aerial photos for the period 2006 to 2008, then again for the period 2009 to 2011. Norris added the slight improvements come at a time of increasing pressures on wetlands. Statewide, Minnesota has lost more than half of its wetlands, and — in the southern farm area — that loss is more than 80 percent. In northern Minnesota, considerably more than half of original wetlands remain. Norris said the report provides a first snapshot of wetland trends and that a more-complete picture will be evident after additional sampling. The study will be updated every three years, and a companion study of wetland quality conducted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will be released sometime next year. The effort is part of a comprehensive Minnesota wetlands assessment, monitoring and mapping strategy that was jointly developed by DNR, PCA, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006 to determine if state wetland policies are effective. More from the DNT here: duluthnewstribune/event/article/id/268684/group/Outdoors/ MDNR report: files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/wetlands/wstmp_trend_report_2006-2011.pdf
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:21:59 +0000
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