None The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota Press Releases Search All Press Releases Chris Anderson (612) 331-0747 (612) 845-2744 (mobile) canderson@tnc.org

Conservation Collaborative Forms in Brainerd Lake Area

Brainerd, Minn. -- February 2, 2004-- Conservation groups in the Brainerd Lakes Area are embarking on a unique collaborative effort.  The Brainerd Lakes Area Conservation Collaborative (BLACC) is a coalition of private conservation organizations and local and state agencies seeking to develop the tools to help local officials make informed decisions for protecting the area's most sensitive or valuable natural resources.  BLACC is identifying and prioritizing key conservation assets within the Brainerd Lakes Area, developing potential strategies for protection and seeking opportunities to partner with local units of government, nonprofits and businesses to better serve the public's expressed needs for healthier lakes, more parks, trails and open space, and finding a better overall balance between development and conservation.  Governor Pawlenty is expected to endorse BLACC as a pilot project to be promoted through his Water Initiative Task Force.

During the next 30 years, many communities across central Minnesota are expected to increase their populations by more than 60%.  This unprecedented growth will have a profound impact on the area's lakes, shorelines and open space, the very qualities that give the region its unique sense of place.  Future growth and development are causes for concern among current residents, as witnessed during the series of public hearings for the revision of the Crow Wing County Comprehensive Plan.  In those meetings, local citizens let it be known that the county's number one asset is its natural resources, and they want their county officials to find ways to protect their healthy lakes and undisturbed open spaces in the face of a rapidly growing population.

BLACC will produce a comprehensive, written Conservation Plan that will translate local priorities for conservation into strategies for effective on-the-ground action.  The Plan, which will respect the rights of individual property owners, will contain scientific data and GIS maps that will provide information necessary for counties and cities to understand the impacts (both positive and negative) of their land management decisions.  The ultimate goal of this project is to leverage public and private conservation dollars to better serve public benefit in the Brainerd Lakes Area.  One example of "public benefit" is the Trust for Public Land's plan to acquire Forest Legacy dollars to purchase Potlatch lands bordering on the Crow Wing State Forest and the Pillsbury State Forest.  These lands will then become buffer zones to not only protect the adjacent forest lands to "keep working lands working," but they will better serve the public's expressed need for open space and easily accessible, public recreational areas.  These are the kinds of amenities that make the Brainerd Lakes Area a desirable place to live and visit.  BLACC is dedicated to preserving those qualities for future generations to enjoy as well.

The Brainerd Lakes Area Conservation Collaborative (BLACC) includes representatives from the Crow Wing County Parks and Planning Departments, the Minnesota DNR, 1000 Friends of Minnesota, the Minnesota Lakes Association, The Nature Conservancy, the Initiative Foundation, the Minnesota Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Crow Wing County Soil and Water Conservation District.  Bremer Bank is assisting with project coordination, and 1000 Friends of Minnesota is acting as the group's fiscal sponsor.

For more information, contact:
Phil Hunsicker, 1,000 Friends of Minnesota, (218) 824-509