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The DNR is not the only governmental agency in the Cannon River area that protects land and natural resources Individual counties also take an active role in conservation. Rice County, for example, oversees twelve county parks. Rice County's parks offer hiking and cross county skiing trails, picnic shelters, rustic camping, public water access, fishing, swimming, and other great recreation opportunities for the public (Rice County 2004). Wildlife viewing and photography is also considered excellent at Rice County parks and is strongly encouraged (Rustad 1997).
The purpose of the Rice County Parks is to provide a balanced and maintained system of parks for all Rice County residents to enjoy and for the preservation of natural resources within the county. The Rice County Parks/Building Maintenance Department handles the maintenance of 1100 acres within the twelve parks (Rice County 2004). Because a county generally works on a smaller governmental scale than do states, it is easier for people to become involved not only in active conservation, such as planting tress, but also in policy making. Check out the Get Involved link here or at the left for links to county governments in the Cannon River area.
The
Cannon
River Wilderness Area Park (CRWA) , founded in 1972, is the largest of Rice County’s
parks.
It
covers 850 acres flanking the
Cannon River between Faribault and
Northfield.
Historically, the
bottomland in the CRWA was heavily grazed until the mid-1960s
(Umbanhowar et al. 1999).
Most of the forested land has been logged except for the steep slopes
flanking the river. The park is a wonderful representative of the
Big
Wood, that at one time covered much of this area (Grimm 1984). The Environmental Studies Senior Seminar at St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN did a study on the CRWA in 1999 and included the following management suggestions in its report:
1) Identify native and biotic communities that are threatened
2) Conduct regular surveys of the area
3) Work with local landowners
4) Public education (Umbanhowar, et al. 1999)
To further some of these goals, Rice County and the CRWA may be getting some outside help. The Field Ecology (Biology 371) class at St. Olaf College performs a variety of studies on the slopes in the CRWA, including forest composition and soil sampling that can be used to determine threatened areas within the park. Additional land adjacent to the CRWA is being considered by the Forest Legacy program of the National Forest Service. The Forest Legacy program acquires land through cooperation of the state and the Forest Service and often works with landowners through easements. The goal of the Forest Legacy program is to identify and protect rare forest types, such as the Big Woods area (USFS 2004).
The CRWA is another great place to see wildflowers, especially on the west side of the park. The park also has healthy populations of wild turkey and grouse. The west side of the park is easily accessible by taking Highway 3 between Northfield and Faribault and following the sign to 151st street (Rustad 1997).
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