Trust for Public Land Announces the Opening of Medford WMA For Public Use
Medford, Minnesota - On November 12, 2023, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced the addition of the 153-acre Medford Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to the existing Faribault WMA in northern Steele County. This newly accessible public land is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The property is an important part of the Cannon River Watershed, providing valuable wetland, forest, grassland wildlife habitat, and recreational areas along 1.1 miles of the Straight River.
The Cannon River Watershed is an area where less than 5% of the land is accessible to the public, and less than 20% of the area is natural habitat. Trust for Public Land has partnered with Great River Greening and Clean River Partners to protect and restore critical habitat throughout the Cannon River watershed. Since 2010, TPL has protected 2,900 acres in the watershed with the help of landowners and outreach assistance from Clean River Partners.
TPL works with landowners to reach a land purchasing agreement and then transitions the property into the public domain.
“With the help of our partners on this project, our goal is to protect and restore this land to its natural habitat, which helps to support wildlife populations and improve water quality while also providing public access to the property for outdoor recreation,” said Bob McGillivray, TPL Land Protection Director.
"This process is most effective when the landowner has a strong conservation ethic and wishes to leave a lasting legacy with their land," explained McGillivray.
Don Redman, the previous landowner, said, “I owned this land for over 50 years. The Steele County Historical Society has an article in the paper on how it was mined in the 1910s. The land has had a history of use, and there are still [mineral] reserves present, so putting it in the public land trust was a good way to go.” He noted that the Minnesota DNR’s work in monitoring uncommon species and preserving nature was crucial in his decision to permanently protect the land for others to enjoy.
This photo is from the Steele County Historical Society documenting the workers at the Medford gravel pit in the 1910s.
The property was purchased through a generous bargain sale by the landowner to TPL. The purchase funds were provided by the Reinvest in Minnesota program and the Outdoor Heritage Fund. TPL then transferred ownership to the Minnesota DNR, which will manage the property with GRG for the purpose of public recreation and wildlife habitat for the next five years. The property will be open for hiking, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities, and will provide access to the outdoors for over 3.4 million people who live within an hour's drive from the Cannon River Watershed.
If you're interested in learning more about the program, please contact Alan Kraus or Maggie Stahley at Clean River Partners at alan@cleanriverpartners.org or maggie@cleanriverpartners.org, or call them at 507-786-3913 for more information.
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
Great River Greening has worked for more than 25 years, restoring land and water resources throughout Minnesota. With the help of local volunteers, Great River Greening has restored degraded forests and prairies and improved our outdoor recreation experiences, our economy, and our drinking water. Contact www.greatrivergreening.org to give your support or become a volunteer in restoring habitat.
About Clean River Partners (Us)
Clean River Partners, a member-based, nonprofit organization headquartered in Northfield, MN, envisions a community that creates and protects a watershed to achieve healthy soils; drinkable groundwater, and clean, fishable, and swimmable rivers, lakes, and streams. Learn more about and support Clean River Partners’ collaborative efforts with local communities, partner organizations, and farmers to promote sustainable practices and protect our waterways at www.cleanriverpartners.org.
