Total area of proposed critical habitat between Dakota skipper and Poweshiek skipperling - Photo Credit: USFWS

Twin Cities Field Office biologists identify and propose critical habitat for two butterfly species across six states. There are 51 proposed critical habitat units for Dakota skipper in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota and 61 proposed units for Poweshiek skipperling in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. Details were released in the Federal Register on October 24, 2013.

Known skipper sites were ranked and prioritized using the Service skipper geodatabase and critical habitat unit boundaries were mapped and defined as either occupied or unoccupied. Units incorporate unplowed high quality prairies with grassland-dominated areas for dispersal within a 1 km radius.