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WATERFOWL
PRODUCTION AREAS |
|
 Waterfowl
Production Areas (WPAs) are properties that have been purchased with
money from the sale of Duck Stamps. Established to protect and restore
waterfowl habitat, these small but important parts of the National
Wildlife Refuge System play a critical role providing much needed habitat
for wildlife. Nearly 95 percent of the WPAs in the United States are
located in the prairie pothole region.
WPAs in the Long Lake WMD consist of approximately 34 percent wetlands, 35 percent native grass, 14 percent tame grass, 12 percent DNC, four percent cropland, and one percent woodlands. |
|
| Wetlands, the second largest habitat component of WPAs, occupy 34 percent of the total acreage. Spring 2001 wetland levels were full. This is due in part to above normal snowfall received during the last two months of 2000. Also, 83 percent of the precipitation received during 2001 happened during the first six months of the year. The late summer and fall were exceptionally dry and mild. By freeze up many of the smaller wetlands were dry; however, some of the larger wetlands were still at there highest levels in recent history. At the time of this writing in mid-February, 2002 below average snowfall is pointing to the lowest springtime wetland levels in the last several years. | |
 Forest
or woodland occupies less than 1 percent of the total WPA acreage.
Most woodlands exist as shelterbelts or tree rows that were planted
prior to FWS purchase or occur as individual trees volunteering along
wetland margins or in moist low areas. Excluding riparian areas where
historically trees occupied the corridors along rivers and streams
trees land management practices discourage development of trees on
the prairie landscape. Recent policies and ecosystem management philosophies
provide direction to manage, protect, and restore the natural prairie
landscape which excludes development of tree plantings and invasion
of competitive nonnative trees on the prairie landscape. |
|
 Approximately
4 percent of the WPA acreage is classified as cropland in any given
year. In reality, cropland rotates in and out of cover or is established
for a somewhat longer period to provide consistent winter food for
resident wildlife on larger areas. Except for a small amount of force
account farming on the WPAs, all work is done by cooperators. General
direction of management is to re-establish native grass on prior farmed
and tamegrass which will reduce and eventually eliminate cropland fields
on WPAs. |
|
 Native
grasslands dominate the habitat acreage on WPAs, occupying approximately
35 percent of the overall acreage. Staff manage this habitat type with
prescribed burning, grazing, and haying. Tame grasslands occupy 26
percent of the total WPA acreage. Personnel manage these areas with
haying, burning, grazing, farming and re-seeding. Annually, approximately
300 acres of tamegrass are targeted for re-establishment of mixed-grass
natives, until all  tamegrass
has been converted. These seedings will be on both WPA’s and
refuges in the Long Lake WMD.In 2001 three WPA’s had fields seeded
to grasses. The WPAs included: Rath - 90 acres; Nelson - 21 acres;
and Bechold - 16 acres. All of the fields were formerly cropped fields.
All fields were seeded at a rate of 8 pounds/acre PLS. The mixture
consisted of 2 pounds western wheatgrass, 1.8 pounds green needlegrass,
0.6 pounds blue grama, 0.6 pounds side oats, 1 pound big bluestem,
0.8 pounds switchgrass, and 1 pound little bluestem. All seeding
was “no tilled” into a prior years small grain crop. A
Truax drill was used. The fields had a chemical application of 1 qt./AC
Round-Up, three to five days prior to seeding. Ammonium Sulfate was
added to the tank mix at 1 - 2 %.After seeding, the fields were mowed to reduce weed competition. The biggest problem weed after seeding seemed to be pigeon grass. The North Dakota Natural Resource Ecologist identified a site on Kleppe/Lang WPA as habitat for Loesel's twayblade orchid (Liparis loeselii). The Loesel’s twayblade orchid is listed as “Imperiled” in North Dakota by the the North Dakota Natural Heritage Program. This area is one of four ND sites and will be protected. In 1997 staff discussed management for this plant with the ecologist. Areas with this plant are not adversely affected by management activities, and potentially benefit from haying and grazing. |
|
 White-tailed
deer are abundant and occupy nearly all of the WPA units distributed
across the three county District. The nesting cover provided as seeded
DNC and native undisturbed grasslands for waterfowl and upland nesting
birds also provides excellent habitat for white-tailed deer. Habitat
enhancement through edge “affect” is provided by surrounding
private lands managed for annual production of crops and livestock
and by occasional habitat management treatments including prescribed
burning, grazing, and haying.
The Missouri River breaks characteristic of the west edge of the WMD in Burleigh and Emmons Counties provides habitat for small herds of mule deer. Occasionally, pronghorn are observed in the western most reaches of the WMD along the breaks and mixed grass prairie areas adjacent to the Missouri River. |
|
Coyote
and red fox are locally abundant across the WMD with inverse population  relationships.
Mange appears to be a temporary widespread issue reducing populations
of the canids in localized areas across the WMD.
Porcupine
are commonly observed despite a general lack of woodland
habitat in this prairie environment. Raccoon, skunk, mink,
weasel, badger, and beaver are also abundant. Ring-necked pheasant
are abundant and have a wide distribution on lands in the western
part of the WMD referred to as the Missouri Slope. Their populations
extend to the Missouri Coteau during periods of mild winters, but
populations often become localized due to the extended periods
of harsh winter weather generally experienced there. Sharp-tailed grouse populations are distributed across the WMD with population levels generally determined by the quantity and quality of native grasslands and inter-mingled tamegrass areas. Gray partridge populations fluctuate widely during the climatic periods which range from drought to deluge and appear to respond favorably to drier periods and negatively to wet periods. |
|
Please direct questions and comments to: Long Lake
National Wildlife Refuge |
|
