BLAINE, Minn. – (Aug. 17, 2017) – Nature lovers, runners, and families have been enjoying the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary for some time but this week the city officially opened the new 500 acre open space. Only a few minutes from the rush of Highway I-35W visitors to the wetland sanctuary are able to relax and enjoy nature.
“We got it here and it’s here forever,” Mayor Tom Ryan said at the grand opening. “It’s not something that we talk about that might not change, this is not going to change, this is here for eternity.”
“I’ve been out here on the trail and there’s a lot of bikes, and dogs and people out here having a good time and it’s just starting,” said city council member Dave Clark.
Back in 2000, Blaine voters passed a bond referendum to preserve open space in the city. This wetland area is part of the effort. The wetland is part of the Anoka Sandplain. Through extensive research, it has been determined that this space in Blaine is home to many rare and endangered plants that can not be found in any other place in the country.
“It’s called exceptional natural value wetlands,” explained MaryJo Truchon of the Blaine Natural Resources Conservation Board. “That means that this is the highest quality kind of wetland you’ll find anywhere in Minnesota,” Truchon said.
“This is a very unique location,” said former Blaine Stormwater Manager, Jim Hafner. “Something this size with these kinds of native plants, a lot of which are rare and endangered, it’s not something you find just any place.”
The project has taken years to come to fruition. The area has undergone a large restoration to bring the plant life back but before that, Hafner explained that years of behind the scenes work took place.
“People don’t really see [all] that goes into this project, the time spent with the regulatory agencies, getting permits and compling with laws, that in itself took us at least three years to get to the point where we could actually start in the ground and start doing things out here,” Hafner said.
Wetlands bring many benefits. They help keep ground water clean. They provide habitat for all life stages of plants and animals. They help with flooding and natural land erosion. They also can provide visitors with a connection to nature close to home.
“I’ve been up to the boundary waters and it is marvelous, but it takes a long drive and a permit, you go in by canoe and all you have to do if you live in Blaine or anywhere in here is park in our parking lot and get out and take a walk and you have some of the best wetland available to study or just enjoy,” Truchon said.
“The key theme to this is you make it accessible to the public, to the taxpayers,” Clark said. “We own this property let’s let the people get out and use it and take advantage of it.”
The Blaine Wetland Sanctuary will continue to evolve as more restoration is completed and more trails and amenities, including a nature center, are added. But for now all are welcome to come and enjoy some open space.
“I hope all the people in Blaine come out, this is ours, guys this belongs to everybody, not just in Blaine we know that people from all over will enjoy coming here, bringing their children, and we hope that it’s a great learning center,” Truchon said.
The Blaine Wetland Sanctuary is accessible from a small parking lot on the west side of Lexington Avenue direction across from the Lexington Athletic Complex. You can also enter the trails from area neighborhoods or adjoining parks.
