The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved and released to the public the Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge near Zimmerman, Minnesota. The plan contains goals and objectives for management of the refuge over the next 15 years.

Major achievements expected over the life of the plan include restoring native upland habitats, increasing wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, establishing a visitors’ center, and fostering partnerships to assist the refuge in achieving wildlife and habitat goals. “This plan drew on the expertise of many individuals, agencies and organizations,” said Refuge Manager Anne Sittauer. “It is a great foundation to move forward with natural resource management .”

The 30,575-acre Sherburne National Wildlife was established in 1965 and is located in central Minnesota at the juncture of the northern boreal forest, the eastern deciduous forest, and the tallgrass prairie. The refuge attracts over 230 species of birds each year to its diverse habitats. Of these, over 120 are known to nest in the area. The refuge wetlands provide habitat for about 30 nesting pairs of greater sandhill cranes and serves as a staging area for thousands of cranes during fall migration. During fall and spring migrations, the wetlands also support thousands of waterfowl.

The refuge’s comprehensive planning process began in early 2001. Seven public meetings and workshops were conducted between May 2001 and September 2002. The planning effort benefited from the creative involvement of the public, local, state, university and federal participants. The draft plan was released for public review and comment in July 2005.

The complete comprehensive conservation plan and summary can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/sherburne/ A limited number of printed copies and/or compact disks are available and can be requested through the website or by calling 800-247-1247. Copies of the plan and a compact disk are also available for viewing at public libraries in Becker, Big Lake, Elk River and Princeton, Minnesota.