MINNESOTA VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE TRUST INC

2024 STATEMENT OF PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTSIN KEEPING WITH ITS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 2019-2024, THE MINNESOTA VALLEY TRUST (MVT) HAD THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2024:1. MVT INVESTED IN STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION FOR THE MINNESOTA VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX. MVT CONTINUED WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS ON ACQUISITION OF PARCELS TO EXPAND AND COMPLETE UNITS FOR THE REFUGE COMPLEX. IN 2024, MVT ACQUIRED 2 PARCELS TOTALING 14.26 ACRES AS EVENTUAL ADDITIONS TO THE MN VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THE ACQUIRED PARCELS SERVE AS CRITICAL AND IMPROVED PUBLIC ACCESS POINTS TO THE REFUGE. MVT ALSO ACQUIRED 277.2 ACRES ACROSS TWO PARCELS TO EXPAND THE PAULEY WATERFOWL PRODUCTION AREA IN BLUE EARTH COUNTY. MVT FURTHER COMPLETED THE TRANSFER OF TWO PARCELS CONSISTING OF 242 ACRES IN TOTAL TO THE MN VALLEY WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.2. MVT INVESTED IN STRATEGIC HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT ON THE REFUGE COMPLEX. EMPLOYED A FULL-TIME HABITAT BIOLOGIST TO DESIGN, PLAN AND MANAGE HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT ON MVT LANDS, COORDINATE THE CONSERVATION CORPS MN-IA (CCMI) CREW, AND ASSIST WITH REFUGE PROJECTS. CONTRACTED FOR AND COORDINATED A CCMI CREW THAT CONDUCTED HABITAT ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES OVER 241 ACRES ACROSS 19 PROJECT SITES ON THE REFUGE COMPLEX. CONTRACTED FOR HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT WORK OVER ANOTHER 231 ACRES AT 11 SITES THROUGHOUT THE REFUGE COMPLEX, INCLUDING 4 PARCELS RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY MVT.3. MVT SUPPORTED SPECIAL PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE, INSPIRING EXPERIENCE ON THE REFUGE FOR A DIVERSITY OF VISITORS. FUNDED THE OPERATIONS OF THE RAPIDS LAKE EDUCATION AND VISITOR CENTER (EVC) AND INTERN BUNKHOUSE. PROVIDED PUBLIC WI-FI AT THE BLOOMINGTON EVC. FUNDED ONE REFUGE MAINTENANCE POSITION. FUNDED AND CONTRACTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN APPROXIMATELY 2,200 SQUARE FOOT MANUFACTURED HOME AT THE RAPIDS LAKE EVC. THE HOME SERVES AS HOUSING FOR FIRE PROGRAM APPRENTICES AND OTHER PERSONNEL TEMPORARILY ASSIGNED TO THE REFUGE. EMPLOYED A GIS SPECIALIST & PROJECT MANAGER TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A GEODATABASE AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE DASHBOARD FOR THE REFUGE, PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY REFUGE MAPS FOR VISITOR AND STAFF USE, COORDINATE ALL WORK RELATED TO CONVEYING LANDS TO THE USFWS AND MANAGE IT FOR THE REFUGE.4. MVT INVESTED IN CONNECTING MORE PEOPLE AND A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE WITH THE REFUGE. PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND OTHER SUPPORT TO THE MINNESOTA VALLEY REFUGE FRIENDS. FUNDED THREE PARK RANGER POSITIONS IN VISITOR SERVICES ON THE REFUGE. EMPLOYED FOUR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TEACHING INTERNS IN FULL-TIME ONE-YEAR POSITIONS TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER CONTENT TO STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND VISITORS ON THE REFUGE, AT PARTNER SCHOOLS AND IN THE COMMUNITY. EMPLOYED THREE APPRENTICES IN FULL-TIME TWO-YEAR POSITIONS TO SERVE ON THE REFUGE TEAMS IN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VISITOR SERVICES.2 EMPLOYED A FULL-TIME INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR TO ASSIST WITH RECRUITMENT AND SUPPORT OF THE MVT FULL-TIME INTERNS AND APPRENTICES ON THE REFUGE, AS WELL AS TO LEAD THE REFUGE'S HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. EMPLOYED A FULL-TIME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER TO STRENGTHEN REFUGE PARTNERSHIPS, FOSTER NEW COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THAT BUILD THE REFUGE AS A COMMUNITY ASSET, AND BUILD THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF REFUGE STAFF TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY-INCLUSIVE, MEANINGFUL AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCES TO AUDIENCES TYPICALLY UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE OUTDOORS AND AT REFUGE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS.5. MVT LEVERAGED ITS ASSETS. RECEIVED $2,234,725 IN GRANT PAYMENTS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND U.S.DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR FOR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND LAND ACQUISITIONS COMPLETED AS PER GRANT AGREEMENTS. WAS AWARDED A GRANT BY THE 2024 MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,250,000 AS RECOMMENDED BY THE LESSARD-SAMS OUTDOOR HERITAGE COUNCIL FOR METRO BIG RIVERS PHASE 14. THE GRANT WILL BE PAID ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS FOR STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION FOR THE REFUGE COMPLEX. WAS AWARDED A GRANT BY THE 2024 MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE IN THE AMOUNT OF $793,000 FROM THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MN LEGISLATIVE CITIZENS COMMISSION ON MINNESOTA'S RESOURCES FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE "MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION PROFESSIONALS" PROGRAM. WAS AWARDED A GRANT BY THE MN DNR CONSERVATION PARTNERS LEGACY PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $400,000 FOR PHASE 3 OF THE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT IN THE MN RIVER VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AND WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT PROGRAM.