The Anoka Conservation District selected the City of Blaine as the 2020 Anoka County Outstanding Conservationist. Blaine has over 800 acres of dedicated open space throughout the City creating greenway corridors, opportunities to protect and restore biological diversity, and providing outdoor educational and recreational opportunities.

The Blaine Wetland Sanctuary is one of the City’s open space sites serving many functions. The northern and central portions of the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary are being restored to increase diversity and are certified as wetland banks, which generates funds used to maintain and update the City’s parks, trails, and open spaces. The protected open space also serves as a refuge for the rare plants currently existing there and also has diverse micro habitats to accept salvaged rare plants.

The City of Blaine promotes and facilitates environmental education at the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary and public engagement with groups working on invasive species and planting salvaged rare plants. The City undertook the difficult task of turning once ignored and undesired wetlands into a regional community resource.