The bison have returned to Spring Lake Park Reserve
Images provided by the Dakota County Government Facebook Page
The Dakota County Government announced this morning that they had reintroduced bison to the Spring Lake Park Reserve in Hastings, Minnesota in early October. The reintroduction of the small herd of American bison to the prairie is part of a $940,00 construction project that was part of the Spring Lake Park Master Plan. It was made possible by a partnership between Dakota County and the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd Partnership. The bison will be playing a vital role in restoring the prairie like similar to how they were once maintained by fire, natural grazing, and climate. Additionally, they want to grow the current herd to around 15 in the 150-acre prairie they are currently in with the end goal of the partnership to eventually establish a herd of 500 bison across the state of Minnesota, otherwise known as the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd.
The project was funded by Dakota County and a $560,000 grant from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund which was reportedly recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. The construction project entailed the creation of fenced range areas for the bison, the installation of gates, watering stations, a short paved trail to an observation station, and the building of a humane animal handling facility. A map of the Spring Lake Park Reserve Bison Prairie can be found below.
According to Dakota County, the bison are not visible right now as they work to get the herd accustomed to their new home, but they are supposed to be viewable in Spring 2023. The Bison Prairie page will be updated when bison are moved from one paddock to another.
When the day comes to view the bison, there are a few rules that Dakota County has for both your safety and the safety of the bison. You can find the list of those rules below:
Do not attempt to feed the bison.
Keep your voices down and do not harass the bison.
Keep 10 feet from the fence at all times.
Pets must be leashed at all times. Do not secure pets to any tree, plant, sign or park structure. Pet waste must be removed.
Do not climb fences or gates or throw objects into the fenced bison range.
Do not tamper with fences, posts, gates, gains and locks.
Do not operate drones or other engine-powered models and toys on or around the bison range.