The Voyageurs Conservancy works with willing sellers to acquire the remaining private properties within the Park for the Park

The purpose: When the Park was established in 1975, there were many private properties that remained within the legislated boundaries of the Park, 50 of which are still privately-owned today. Private land poses several challenges for Park staff, such as potential for construction and development, hunting and logging, and other activities that do not support the purpose for which the Park was established. Our ultimate goal is to see all 50 private properties restored to native vegetation, protected for wildlife habitat, and opened to the public for outdoor exploration and enjoyment.

Our role: The Voyageurs Conservancy works with interested landowners to explore possibilities to protect the important environmental values of the land, and to provide information about a range of options for transferring property to the Park that is win-win for everyone. We also manage the Wallace C. Dayton Voyageurs National Park Legacy Fund for land acquisition, which assists the Park financially in purchasing properties. The Legacy Fund is designed to be a renewable fund to purchase land, which in turn will be held in our trust until federal appropriations are available to add the land to the Park and replenish the fund for future acquisitions.

Recently: The Voyageurs Conservancy transferred 61 acres on the Kempton Channel of Rainy Lake to Voyageurs National Park. The site encompasses boreal forest and several hundred feet of sand beach shoreline. It is located on the north side of the Kabetogama Peninsula, a 75,000 acre roadless area, which provides habitat for wolves, black bear, moose, otter and eagles. Once the property can be transferred to the National Park Service, structures will be removed, scenic views restored for visitors and the land and shoreline will be returned to natural habitat for wildlife.

The Voyageurs Conservancy would like to thank its members and contributors to the Wallace C. Dayton Voyageurs National Park Legacy Fund for making this possible, as well as Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. for their pro bono support of land conservation efforts in Voyageurs National Park.