Description
Moon Valley WMA includes nearly three miles of shoreline along the southern branch of the Middle Fork of the Zumbro River, which flows into the Mississippi River. The site has forested bluffs protecting a large spring.
The property has been transferred to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and established as Moon Valley Wildlife Management Area (WMA), providing public access for hunting, bird watching, fishing and hiking 15 minutes from downtown Rochester.
Why TNC Selected This Site
As Rochester grows and develops, it is important to identify areas where habitat can be protected before fragmentation occurs. TNC and Trust for Public Land acquired the property from the Moon family, who operated a family farm there for nearly a century. The family wanted to see the property preserved as a natural area.
This acquisition represented a rare chance to protect a significant amount of habitat in a single transaction. The land is located in the Driftless Area, one of the most biologically rich areas in Minnesota. Bald eagles, Blanding’s turtles, timber rattlesnakes and more all call the Driftless home.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
Moon Valley includes about 200 acres of former cropland, which will be restored to wetlands, prairie and floodplain to improve water quality and provide habitat for native fish and wildlife.
Funding for the property was provided by the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which was created under the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, through an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
The property is open to the public for hiking, photography and bird-watching. The Minnesota State Constitution requires all properties purchased with Outdoor Heritage Fund dollars to be open to the public taking of fish and game during the open season. As a result, hunting, trapping and fishing are allowed on this property in accordance with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Management Areas rules published in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook.
Many of the properties purchased through the project are adjacent to private lands that are not open for public hunting. Please restrict hunting and fishing activities to only those lands clearly marked with signage showing they are “Open to Public Hunting.”
