ABOUT FENS
"Calcareous fens are the rarest wetland plant community in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and probably one of the rarest in North America. These are plant communities of wet, seepage sites that have an internal flow of groundwater rich in calcium and magnesium bicarbonates, and sometimes calcium and magnesium sulfates as well. The calcium and magnesium bicarbonates and sulfates precipitate out at the surface, creating a harsh, alkaline soil condition. Only a select group of calcium-tolerant plants, referred to as calciphiles, can tolerate these conditions. Characteristic species include shrubby cinquefoil, sterile sedge, wild timothy, beaked spike-rush, Ohio goldenrod, common valerian and lesser fringed gentian ... Calcareous fen communities in general have a disproportionate number of rare, threatened, and endangered plant species compared to other plant communities in the Great Lakes Region."
-- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, "Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin"
ABOUT THE SAVAGE FEN ADDITION
Size: 68.4 acres, conveyed to the Trust for Public Land, which then turned it over to the state.
Seller: Karl Bohn, a major landowner and former parks commissioner in the city who donated nearly half a million dollars' worth to help make the $3 million deal happen, according to the Trust.
Sources of funds and other support: Half came from the 2008 voter-approved Legacy Amendment that dedicates 0.375 percent of state sales tax to preserve Minnesota's water, land and arts heritage. About $910,000 from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, $300,000 from Critical Habitat license plate funds, about $290,000 from DNR bonding funds. Other donors and supporters include Xcel Energy Corporate Citizenship Foundation, Waste Management Corp., the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District, Lower Minnesota Watershed District, the city of Savage, Scott County, the Scientific and Natural Areas Commissioner's Advisory Council, and Great River Greening.
