by John Lenczewski, Executive Director

On April 5 we joined with partners to celebrate the Public Lands that we collectively own.

Public Lands are vital for supporting trout and steelhead populations and providing public fishing access. Wild trout and steelhead populations are products of the forests on public lands in northern Minnesota. They provide clean water to our streams, rivers, and inland trout lakes. Our legacy of Public lands includes a mix of:

• State Forests
• National Forest land
• Aquatic Management Areas
• State Parks
• Wildlife Management Areas
• County managed lands
• City and county parks
• RIM easements

In southern Minnesota there is less land owned outright by the State.  Instead, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources owns permanent easements on private land.  These easements provide public fishing access to more than 500 miles of trout streams! Landowners retain ownership of most of the property, but the State purchases the right for anglers to fish these sections and the DNR (and MNTU) to undertake stream habitat restoration work.

State dedicated funding from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment and the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund is vital both to acquiring more public land (and public access) and restoring and enhancing existing public lands and waters. MNTU has secured competitive grants from these funds to restore habitat on  over 100 miles of trout streams.

On Friday April 5 we gathered to celebrate our public lands and remind public decision makers that public lands play a vital role in protecting and sustaining coldwater fisheries across Minnesota. We also urge vigilance to ensure dedicated funds continue to be used only for these purposes:

• to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife.
• to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and to protect groundwater from degradation.
• to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance.
• to provide a long-term, consistent, and stable source of funding for activities that protect and enhance Minnesota’s environment and natural resources for the benefit of current citizens and future generations.

Public lands are your lands and my lands.  Without them we would not be able to access many great trout fisheries. Learn how our advocacy work is helping protect public lands and water from many threats on our advocacy page.