04-05-2007, 10:10 PM
Efforts to protect and enhance breeding bird habitat in west-central Minnesota will get a $3.3 million boost, thanks in part to two federal grants awarded recently to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) and its partners.
A $1 million grant, provided under the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Standard Grant program will be matched with $2 million from six partners to help protect, restore and enhance nearly 2,400 acres of wetland and adjacent uplands in west-central Minnesota.
The DNR also received a $75,000 NAWCA Small Grant that will be matched with $300,000 from two partners to enhance 625 wetland acres at Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
"These funds will provide a major step forward in enhancing and preserving wetland wildlife habitat in Minnesota," said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife management chief. "The DNR and its partners continue to make progress in our long-term commitment to enhance habitat for migratory and breeding birds that depend on wetland and grassland ecosystems."
Under the Standard Grant, Laq qui Parle WMA will benefit from the acquisition of additional public land in Chippewa County. Additional acquisitions will occur in Big Stone, Laq qui Parle and Redwood counties.
Funds will also be used to repair and enhance water control structures in Big Stone, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties. In all, work funded by this grant will help protect approximately 115 acres of scrub shrub, riparian forest and emergent wetland, and restore or enhance 600 acres of other wetlands. An additional 74 acres of adjacent grasslands will be improved to help boost duck production. Finally, the funding will be used to protect an additional 1,260 acres of grasslands.
The DNR's partners in the Standard Grant include the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources, Ducks Unlimited, Waukon RIM Inc., Pheasants Forever, Independence Tube Corp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Stevens County SWCD.
"The west-central part of Minnesota contains important habitat for mallard, northern pintail and lesser scaup populations," Simon said. "With its numerous wetlands and important nesting habitat, the prairie pothole region of the state is critical to Minnesota's duck population."
Ducks Unlimited and the Legislative and Citizens Commission on Minnesota's Resources partnered with DNR to provide match funds and construction services for the Small Grant. The three new water control and fish barrier projects constructed at Carlos Avery WMA will allow DNR to manage pools 15 and 17, and Mud Lake for brood and migration habitat for mallard, wood duck, redhead and canvasback.
Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever also recently received NAWCA Small Grants. Since 1991, the DNR and its conservation partners have received 51 NAWCA grants totaling more than $21 million. With more than $52 million in matching funds, a total of approximately 170,000 acres of migratory bird habitat have been improved, restored or acquired in Minnesota.
"Our long-range pheasant and duck plans contain ambitious goals to improve and protect vast amounts wetland and grassland habitat in the coming decades," Simon said. "With our partners, we can continue to move toward those goals through cooperative efforts, exemplified in these NAWCA grants."
The Minnesota DNR long-range pheasant plan and DNR duck plan are available online on the DNR's Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us click on either pheasant or waterfowl.
(DNR) and its partners.
A $1 million grant, provided under the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Standard Grant program will be matched with $2 million from six partners to help protect, restore and enhance nearly 2,400 acres of wetland and adjacent uplands in west-central Minnesota.
The DNR also received a $75,000 NAWCA Small Grant that will be matched with $300,000 from two partners to enhance 625 wetland acres at Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
"These funds will provide a major step forward in enhancing and preserving wetland wildlife habitat in Minnesota," said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife management chief. "The DNR and its partners continue to make progress in our long-term commitment to enhance habitat for migratory and breeding birds that depend on wetland and grassland ecosystems."
Under the Standard Grant, Laq qui Parle WMA will benefit from the acquisition of additional public land in Chippewa County. Additional acquisitions will occur in Big Stone, Laq qui Parle and Redwood counties.
Funds will also be used to repair and enhance water control structures in Big Stone, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties. In all, work funded by this grant will help protect approximately 115 acres of scrub shrub, riparian forest and emergent wetland, and restore or enhance 600 acres of other wetlands. An additional 74 acres of adjacent grasslands will be improved to help boost duck production. Finally, the funding will be used to protect an additional 1,260 acres of grasslands.
The DNR's partners in the Standard Grant include the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources, Ducks Unlimited, Waukon RIM Inc., Pheasants Forever, Independence Tube Corp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Stevens County SWCD.
"The west-central part of Minnesota contains important habitat for mallard, northern pintail and lesser scaup populations," Simon said. "With its numerous wetlands and important nesting habitat, the prairie pothole region of the state is critical to Minnesota's duck population."
Ducks Unlimited and the Legislative and Citizens Commission on Minnesota's Resources partnered with DNR to provide match funds and construction services for the Small Grant. The three new water control and fish barrier projects constructed at Carlos Avery WMA will allow DNR to manage pools 15 and 17, and Mud Lake for brood and migration habitat for mallard, wood duck, redhead and canvasback.
Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever also recently received NAWCA Small Grants. Since 1991, the DNR and its conservation partners have received 51 NAWCA grants totaling more than $21 million. With more than $52 million in matching funds, a total of approximately 170,000 acres of migratory bird habitat have been improved, restored or acquired in Minnesota.
"Our long-range pheasant and duck plans contain ambitious goals to improve and protect vast amounts wetland and grassland habitat in the coming decades," Simon said. "With our partners, we can continue to move toward those goals through cooperative efforts, exemplified in these NAWCA grants."
The Minnesota DNR long-range pheasant plan and DNR duck plan are available online on the DNR's Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us click on either pheasant or waterfowl.