From the Grand Forks Herald, By Dennis Lien
A huge swath of degraded prairie and wetlands in northwestern Minnesota will be restored to its natural state and managed as a national wildlife refuge.
Formed from the nation's largest tallgrass prairie and wetland reconstruction project, Glacial Ridge will become Minnesota's 13th national wildlife refuge, providing a link to more than a dozen other nearby protected conservation areas.
The land - a mix of wetlands, prairie and farmland east of Crookston - will sustain waterfowl, prairie chickens and other upland game birds as it's restored and put gradually under federal management. It also holds several large colonies of western prairie fringed orchid - a federally listed endangered species. Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced the designation Tuesday after inspecting the land by air.
The designation has several implications for the region, all of them positive, said Dan Svedarsky, head of the University of Minnesota-Crookston's Natural Resources Department.
"It's a good day in the valley," said Svedarsky, who is also a wildlife biologist for the U of M's Northeast Northwest Research and Outreach Center.
At its core, the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is 24,140 acres owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. Since 2000, the organization has been working with more than 30 agencies and groups to restore that land to its pre-settlement condition.
"What a fabulous partnership it has been," said Ron Nargang, state director of the Conservancy's Minnesota chapter. "It's been one partnership after another stepping to the table to help us make this happen."
In two weeks, the Conservancy will donate 2,300 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the first piece of the wildlife refuge. It will transfer the vast majority of the remaining acreage to that agency as restoration is completed.
When the refuge reaches its designated size of 35,756 acres, it will include more than 11,000 acres now owned by private owners or the state of Minnesota. Land from private owners will be acquired only if the landowner wants to sell.
Together with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, 17,000 acres of farmland within the new refuge will be restored to prairies and wetlands under the Wetland Reserve Program.
"This project is proof of what can be done with a good work plan, and local, state and federal agencies working together," said Keith Mykleseth, Glacial Ridge Project manager.
Glacial Ridge has been used for many years as training ground for UMC students studying natural resources at the university.
Svedarsky said many of last year's incoming students came to UMC because of the natural resources program and its proximity to Glacial Ridge, which is featured on the university's Web site.
The designation also enhances the area as an ecotourism destination.
"Both in the spring and in the fall there are fantastic numbers of wildlife, particularly waterfowl and migrating sandhill cranes," Svedarsky said. The area is also home to the greater prairie chicken and sharp-tailed grouse.
"Who knows, one day there may even be some elk and bison running around in it," he said.
The designation is good for the city of Crookston because the city's water supply comes from the ground underneath much of the Glacial Ridge area.
"This will safeguard the water supply both in quantity and quality," he said.
The Conservancy has established an endowment fund that will ensure that full property taxes continue to local governments, a factor that was critical to garnering community support, according to Bill Montague, chairman of the Polk County Board.
The property connects 11 state Wildlife Management Areas, two state Scientific and Natural Areas, and three Waterfowl Production Areas, forming a large area of contiguous prairie habitat. The property is open to the public for hiking, hunting, fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and other recreation.
Initially, the new refuge will be managed by staff from the Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, located in nearby Erskine.
The refuge was officially established Tuesday when Fish and Wildlife Director Steve Williams approved the Land Protection Plan for the area. National wildlife refuges are a national network of lands and waters managed by the agency to conserve, manage and restore fish, wildlife and plant habitat.
The Nature Conservancy is an international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The Minnesota chapter has more than 24,000 members and manages 56 preserves totaling more than 70,000 acres.
