Working Conservation Lands

Row crops and production orchards, hay fields and pastureland. These land classifications are typically cultivated and managed for the sole purpose of producing the most of a commodity, sometimes at an ecological detriment.

Working

National Parks, BLM, State Forests and Nature Preserves. We set aside these lands to sit unmanaged as remanant havens for wildlife and recreation.

Conservation

Everything else! There are millions of acres sitting ecologically and fiscally unproductive in Minnesota, from backyards to back 40's, from ditches and drained wetlands to fallow fields and gravel pits.

Lands

The Problem is...

For generations we have viewed these as separate land classifications. We have isolated uses of the land, fractured ecosystems, and limited the scope and function of ecological processes.

What if they were all the same?

At UnCLE, we believe that all lands can be Working Conservation Lands. That they can be functioning at the highest level ecologically, while still providing economic return, incentivizing farmers, landowners, and corporations to partake.

How does this work?

Case study, Perennial Crops:

Let's say we have a 200 acre parcel which historically has been poor production land for corn and soy crops. Instead, we can plant perennial grain crops over 80% of the field, and restore native prairie and wetland habitat on the buffers. Perennial grain crops provide pollinator food and habitat, while simultaneously producing a valuable crop with less inputs for the farmer year after year. Additionally, the grain, with the prairie and wetland buffer are sequestering many times more carbon and nutrient runoff, which can be monetized as mitigation credit and sold. At UnCLE we are experts in restoration, and by combining these techniques and more, provide a viable E-lifted alternative to traditional farming on marginal lands. Learn more about how we package these benefits with Ecosquares next.

Case Study, Conservation Farming:

The simplest working conservation lands we can create resemble conventional row crop farms, but with a few key differences. Instead of annual tilling, we will implement no-till practices within fields. Additionally, we'll focus on maintaining healthy native communities in field edges and drainage areas, sequestering carbon and preventing excess nutrient loss. Again, carbon and nutrient benefits can be monetized, while maintaining production of the important crops we need.

Case Study, Total Restoration of Native Ecosystems:

The ideal ecological outcome for any piece of land is of course complete restoration to pre-settlement conditions. However, this is seldom done as it is often impractical for family farmers and landowners to relinquish revenue streams coming from the property. With UnCLE, we can create an a successful transition ecologically and financially for the land.

Envision a 200 acre corn and soy farm in central Minnesota. A farmhouse sits next to the road, a small woodlot behind that, and an old stream-turned-drainage ditch meanders through the middle. Upon acquisition, we restore the fields back to native prairie and implement a conservation grazing program on the land. We restore the stream, and manage the woodlot for maximum carbon sequestration and habitat value. The farmhouse will be rented out, and the tenants will enjoy living on an ecological preserve. From an ecologically draining operation, we have provided habitat, multiple benefits to society, and an additional 5 revenue streams from carbon, nutrient, and stream mitigation, grazing and meat production, and rent.