Waterfowl Identification Guide Comprehensive Conservation Plan Phone: 218-8474431 |
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Executive Summary
Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District is part of a unique natural ecosystem and an equally unique legacy of human partnership.
The ecosystem is known as the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, and its combination of prairie grasslands and small wetlands made it among the most biologically diverse and intricate landscapes in the world. When European settlers arrived and discovered the land's tremendous productivity, the tallgrass prairie ecosystem became one of the most altered ecosystems on earth. The landscape changed rapidly, and little of the original prairie was saved. Today only fragments exist in small, isolated blocks.
Partnerships have been inherent in efforts to preserve the remaining prairie. From the Duck Stamp Act of 1934 to the Wetland Loan Act of 1961 to the Small Wetland Acquisition Program of 1962, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and hunters, environmentalists, and communities have worked together to preserve land and wildlife. Funding for acquisition of Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) comes in large part from funds generated through the Duck Stamp Act, making duck hunters a key partner in preserving critical habitat within the prairie pothole region. Waterfowl Production Areas are upland grasslands and wetlands purchased by the Service to provide nesting habitat for waterfowl. Wetland Management Districts (WMD) are the federal administrative units charged with acquiring, overseeing, and managing WPAs and easements within a specified group of counties.
Detroit Lakes WMD is part of this heritage. Located in northwestern Minnesota, the District includes the counties of Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman and Polk. The headquarters is near Detroit Lakes, which is located in the southern portion of the District. The District is bordered on the west by the flat Red River valley floodplain and on the east by the rolling hardwood forest and lake region. The area's primary economic base is agriculture, with a strong tourism industry centered on area lakes.
The District currently manages 41,615 fee acres on 163 WPAs and 306 easements covering 11,960 acres. In addition, 14 Conservation Easements totaling 1,340 acres are administered by the District, covering restored wetlands and farmed lands on former Farmers Home Administration inventory property.
Managing the District demands long range planning that reflects vision, science, and people. This Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan describes how we intend to improve wildlife habitat, foster waterfowl production, and expand opportunities for compatible recreation, including hunting, wildlife observation, and environmental education.
The management direction identified in this Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan charts a course for the next 15 years. This course is summarized in three broad categories – Wildlife and Habitat, People, and Operations.
Comprehensive Conservation Planning
The Comprehensive Conservation Plan, or CCP, is a guide for management on the Detroit Lakes WMD over the next 15 years. The document provides an outline for how we will accomplish our mission and make our vision become a reality. Several legislative mandates within the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 have guided the development of the Plan. These mandates include:
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The focus of management on the District is to benefit wildlife conservation.
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Wildlife-dependent recreation activities, (hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education, and interpretation) are encouraged when they are compatible with wildlife conservation.
The CCP will benefit management of Detroit Lakes WMD by:
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Providing a clear statement of direction for future management of the District.
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Giving District neighbors, visitors and the general public an understanding of the Service's management actions on and around the District.
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Ensuring that the District's management actions and programs are consistent with the mandates of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
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Ensuring that District management is consistent with other federal, state, and local plans when practicable.
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Establishing that wildlife-dependent recreation uses (compatible uses including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or environmental education and interpretation) are the priority public uses within the Refuge System.
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Providing a basis for the development of budget requests on operation, maintenance, and capital improvement needs.
Download the CCP
Download the entire 
Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment
(17.3 MB Adobe pdf file)
