So far, the county has purchased one of the 15 properties ?EUR??,,????'??+ 8.2 acres on Moore?EUR??,,????'???s Lake, a backwater of the Mississippi River that will be part of a future county park on Grey Cloud Island.

Much work and many negotiations are ahead before the county seals deals on the other 14 properties.

?EUR??,,????'??Each of the projects are a little different, but we?EUR??,,????'???re inching them all forward,?EUR??,,????'?? said Jane Harper, Land and Water Legacy Program manager. ?EUR??,,????'??The referendum was a very important tool. It allows us to protect important natural areas that we otherwise wouldn?EUR??,,????'???t be able to protect.?EUR??,,????'??

The 15 properties total 585 acres. Most border natural areas or parks and include valuable water features. If all 15 transactions were completed, the showcase of the project would be a nearly 3-mile ecological and scenic corridor bordered by the St. Croix River on the east and St. Croix Trail, a national scenic byway, on the west.

PICKING AND PLANNING

So far, the county has barely dipped into the $20 million. It spent just $271,600 on the Grey Cloud Island property; the Metropolitan Council pitched in another $181,600.

Harper estimates the 15 purchases could use up half the $20 million. She said the county is constantly seeking partnerships with other agencies to stretch dollars even further.

The county will buy some parcels outright. For others, it will buy a conservation easement, which prevents the owner and any future owners from further developing the property.

Owners are allowed, however, to maintain their homes and any existing farm operations. The cost of a conservation easement can range from 10 percent to 90 percent of the property value.