Celebrating 75 years of conservation services

Several people with buckets collecting seeds in a hillside prairie Hennepin County has an abundance of natural resources that serve as the foundation for a high quality of life. Hennepin County has the unique role of fulfilling the duties of a soil and water conservation district, meaning the county takes the lead on providing services that improve natural resources on privately owned land. This is especially important in a place like Hennepin County that is a mix of suburban, urban and rural areas where most of the land is privately owned.

Partnering with landowners in this work provides benefits for everyone in the county is foundational to achieving our climate action goals.

Evolving priorities with a consistent mission

Cover of an old document with text The Program of the Hennepin Conservation District and a group of men standing around a table looking at a document The Hennepin Conservation District was founded in 1949 with a focus on offering technical assistance to farmers.

Although a lot has evolved in our approach to conservation work over the past 75 years, the county's guiding star has remained protecting the environment in a prioritized and cost-effective way to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.

Our current priorities include planting and caring for trees, protecting and restoring habitat, improving water quality, and working collaboratively to achieve our goals.

Planting and caring for trees

The county’s first forestry work focused on managing elm trees that were dying from Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s.

Black and white photo of a large elm tree being cut down on a city street The county returned to this work in the 2000s when ash trees, which were commonly planted to replace those elm trees, started becoming infested and dying from the emerald ash borer.

This time around, we’re taking a different approach by planting a more diverse, resilient, and equitable tree canopy. And we’re making great progress – we’re over one-third of the way toward achieving our climate action goal of planting 1 million trees by 2030.

Protecting and restoring habitat

A brown sign next to a forest with text Reinvest in Minnesota First Acres in Hennepin County The county started permanently protecting natural areas on private property with conservation easements in the 1980s. Conservation easements are a powerful tool for permanently protecting natural areas while allowing landowners to continue to enjoy what they value most about their land.

The county has accelerated this work over the past 5 years by securing more than $9 million from the state’s Outdoor Heritage Fund in partnership with the Minnesota Land Trust. With this funding, we have not only put more acres into conservation easements, but also are completing restoration projects to expand the benefits these ecosystems provide.

The next decade is a critical window for protecting the county’s prime natural areas before they are developed and for achieving our climate action goal of establishing 6,000 acres of conservation easements by 2040.

Improving water quality

A person swimming in a lake Hennepin County has an abundance of water resources, including nearly 300 lakes, 650 miles of streams, 3 major rivers, and 750 wetlands. Making significant water quality improvements requires sustained, long-term, partnership-based investments.

The county takes a data-driven approach to identify specific sources of pollution and invest in the highest impact solutions.

Working collaboratively to achieve our goals

A group of people of multiple generations standing in a newly planted garden celebrating Our conservation work over the decades has changed as Hennepin County has changed. Achieving the county’s climate action goals and advancing equitable outcomes will require bold leadership, expanded collaboration, and conservation work throughout the county.

Conservation staff work with residents in the county’s suburban and urban areas to provide habitat for pollinators, protect water, and engage youth in environmental education.

We have also aligned our goals and priorities with our partners. We recently started the Natural Resources Partnership Coalition to work with our cities, watersheds, park districts, and other partners to advance a unified and deliberate countywide vision for natural resources protection.

The county’s conservation work provides benefits to all, helping to ensure we have clean air and water, healthy habitats, opportunities for recreation and connection with nature, and resiliency to climate change. We are grateful for all of our residents and partners who care deeply about our natural resources and work with us to protect them.