Protecting Valley Creek One Property at a Time

Valley Creek is also what drew Charlie Bell to this area in the 1950's and stands as the principal reason that the Belwin Conservancy exists today. His original land protection efforts centered on the Creek and as the preserve has grown, protecting the land and water that sustains this gem has remained at the core of our work.

For these reasons, the Belwin Conservancy has been an active participant in the Valley Creek Protection Partnership (VCPP) since 2008. The VCPP is a collaboration among several organizations who are all pooling their resources so that together, we have the greatest combined impact on this irreplaceable natural resource. The VCPP currently includes the Belwin Conservancy, the Minnesota Land Trust, Trout Unlimited, Washington County, and the Valley Branch Watershed District.

Brook Trout in Valley Creek Valley Creek is also what drew Charlie Bell to this area in the 1950's and stands as the principal reason that the Belwin Conservancy exists today. His original land protection efforts centered on the Creek and as the preserve has grown, protecting the land and water that sustains this gem has remained at the core of our work.

The unofficial but most important members of the VCPP are the many committed landowners who live along the creek. These landowners know better than anyone how special this creek is. It is because of them that the VCPP has been able to string together some very important projects in the past four years.

In 2008 the VCPP and the members if the Belwin Conservancy joined together and protected the 12-acre Metcalf property located at the headwaters of the north branch of Valley Creek. In 2009, the members joined again in a year-end push to acquire the 8-acre Wilson Tract that abuts our Kettlekamp Prairie. That same year, the Minnesota Land Trust was able to secure an easement over a 12-acre property that abuts Belwin Conservancy land and Valley Creek.

In 2010, we were able to leverage funding from the Minnesota Legacy amendment to purchase a 17-acre property located very near the mouth the creek. Also in 2010, we received a donation from the Science Museum of Minnesota of more than 113 acres at the very headwaters of Valley Creek.

Finally, earlier this year, we purchased a 12-acre parcel on the banks of Lake Edith that we then resold with a perpetual conservation easement. Now, thanks to yet another landowning couple on Valley Creek, we once again have an unprecedented opportunity to protect a critical aspect of Valley Creek.

Valley Creek

Our Opportunity

The property that we have an opportunity to protect is a 50-acre parcel located just upstream from our preserve. It contains 2,300 feet of stream channel and is the primary location for much of the trout spawning that occurs on the creek. During the spawning in the fall, hundreds of trout can be seen in the crystal clear water here.

The Belwin Conservancy and the Minnesota Land Trust intend to acquire a conservation easement over the entire 50 acre property that will forever protect the land and ensure that the spawning grounds of Valley Creek retain their pristine condition.

A conservation easement is a valuable tool that we have to protect land. When a landowner conveys a conservation easement to a non-profit organization or government agency, they are giving up the right to develop the property in a way that would be harmful to the land and waters we are trying to conserve. The easement is tied inextricably to the deed ensuring that the land will always be protected.

A conservation easement can be a great alternative for a landowner because it allows them to continue living on their property and enjoying what they love about it, while protecting it forever. The landowner becomes a partner with the Belwin Conservancy as our mutual interests are met while eliminating the substantial cost that acquisition would entail for the Conservancy. A conservation easement can also be structured so that an organization like the Belwin Conservancy can access the property to perform maintenance or restoration. For many landowners, having the Conservancy as a partner in the buckthorn battle is a wonderful incentive to place a conservation easement over their land.

Thanks to the generosity of these landowners, we have an incredible opportunity right now to protect one of the most critical spots along Valley Creek and we need your help to do it.

We have until the end of the year to raise $30,000 that will be matched almost twenty-fold by other grants we have solicited and a sizable donation from the landowners themselves.

You’ve done it before and we’re sure our membership is up to the challenge again.