The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a conservation easement on approximately 18 acres on Valley Creek Trail South in Afton Dec. 15.

The easement is the final step of a Land and Water Legacy program project approved earlier by the board.

The county’s Land and Water Legacy Program is a voter-approved program that allows the county to acquire and improve land and interests in land for the purposes of improving water quality of rivers, lakes, and streams; protecting drinking water sources; purchasing parklands; preserving wetlands and woodlands; and protecting land along water bodies from development.

The easement in Afton will be co-held by Washington County and the Minnesota Land Trust. The land is on Valley Creek, a tributary to the St. Croix River, and features a mix of steep forested hills that slope down to a floodplain, open areas, streams, and ponds.

The area is in the Valley Creek Corridor and contains multiple spring-fed ponds that, along with water flowing from an adjacent property, form one of the headwaters of Valley Creek and provide habitat for species, including native brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout. The property provides a year-round refuge for birds and other wildlife, including varied waterfowl, trumpeter swans, white-tailed deer, and a variety of woodland birds. Additionally, the property is adjacent to another conservation easement and within three miles of 13 properties protected by the Minnesota Land Trust that cover more than 1,600 acres.

Previously, the County Board approved an $85,000 contribution to the project. The Minnesota Land Trust is contributing $360,000, and the landowner is contributing $30,000 in donative value to the project.