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The land surrounding the Pine Needles cabin on the St. Croix River in Marine on St. Croix could be permanently protected under a plan proposed by Washington County and the Minnesota Land Trust.
Most of the 27-acre property, owned by the Science Museum of Minnesota, is being considered for a conservation easement, meaning that the vast majority of the land would have permanent restrictions on development and would remain as open space. If the project moves forward to closing, the Land Trust and Washington County will pay the Science Museum in exchange for the conservation easement.
The cabin, at 18037 St. Croix Trail N., was previously owned by James Taylor Dunn, a noted historian of the St. Croix River Valley. Dunn wanted the property, which is now the site of an artist-in-residency program run by the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, to be used as a scholarly and artistic retreat.
Washington County board members last week got an update on plans for the Pine Needles conservation easement during a workshop.
“My tree-hugger heart is happy,” said Washington County Board Vice Chair Bethany Cox. “I’ve paddled by so many times, I’m actually shocked it wasn’t already under conservation easement.”
Priority area
The Pine Needles land is located within one of the county’s top 10 priority conservation areas, is less than 300 feet from William O’Brian State Park, and includes more than 1,700 feet of St. Croix River shoreline, said Serena Raths, a planner for Washington County.
The property “is exactly the kind of land the county’s Land and Water Legacy Program was created to protect,” Raths said. “Conserving it preserves high-quality habitat for species in need of conservation and safeguards the water quality of creeks flowing to the St. Croix River … for generations.”
The cabin and some of its surrounding areas would be included in a “building envelope” that would be excluded from the easement restrictions to accommodate the Science Museum’s needs for the property, Raths said.
More than 300 acres associated with the St. Croix Watershed Research Station has already been protected through a continued partnership with Washington County and the Minnesota Land Trust.
“We are excited about the opportunity to add the 27 acres of Pine Needles,” said Adam Heathcote, director of the Department of Water and Climate Change at the Science Museum of Minnesota, which includes the St. Croix Watershed Station.
The land at Pine Needles includes “spectacular stands of maple and basswood forest” and “some of the most majestic white pine trees remaining along the St. Croix River,” he said.
“This natural beauty has served as inspiration for more than 80 artists in the Pine Needles program over the last 24 years, and countless members of the St. Croix Valley public have been positively impacted through participation in their annual community outreach events,” he said. “It is our intent to ensure that Pine Needles will continue to serve this important purpose in perpetuity and a conservation easement would help make this possible.”
Shared cost
Under the plan being considered, the Minnesota Land Trust and Washington County would co-hold the conservation easement. The Minnesota Land Trust would be responsible for 60 percent of the costs, and the county would pay the rest, Raths said. The Minnesota Land Trust’s contribution is estimated to be between $568,200 to $1,136,400, she said.
Funds for the county’s portion of the conservation easement, estimated between $378,000 and $757,000, would come from a $4.4 million extension to the Land and Water Legacy Program that the county board approved in May 2024. The $4.4 million came from $3.4 million in 2024 interest earnings and $1 million in unspent funds from budget year 2023, Raths said.
The exact amount paid for the conservation easement will be determined by an appraisal of the land’s development rights value, Raths said.
The easement will restrict uses like commercial, industrial and agricultural activities, as well as any major disturbances to the property’s natural features, according to Raths. The Science Museum will retain ownership of the land and all rights not restricted by the easement, including, but not limited to, maintaining existing structures and trails, conducting habitat management and using the land recreationally.
Conservation easements follow the land, not the landowner, “so even if the property is sold in the future, it will remain permanently protected,” Raths said.
In November 2006, Washington County voters approved a $20 million land and water protection referendum. The county expended $19 million of the funds to complete 53 projects protecting more than 1,900 acres and leveraged more than $34 million in partnership funds.
Plans for the Pine Needles conservation easement will go to the county’s parks and open space commission later this month and eventually to the Marine on St. Croix City Council before coming back to the board around June for a vote, Raths said.
