The Deciduous Transition Region offers an appealing mix of remnant forests, prairies, savannas, and wetlands set in an agricultural landscape.  The headwaters of many of Minnesota’s cold-water trout streams are located here.  This rural farm countryside offers wide-open spaces broken by river valleys and bluffs where woodlands still are common.  The pastoral nature of the region is balanced by a close proximity to urban amenities of the rapidly growing southern Twin Cities and Rochester.  The overall result is a landscape of small towns where it is still possible to make a living off the land and regional growth centers that offer rapidly expanding economic opportunities.