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2008 Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Waterfowl Identification Guide Comprehensive Conservation Plan Phone: 218-8474431 |
National Wildlife Refuge System
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as we know it today has evolved and changed with the country's use of natural resources and the growing respect for the environment. Today the Service is the primary Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Specific responsibilities include enforcing Federal wildlife laws, managing migratory bird populations, restoring nationally significant fisheries, administering the Endangered Species Act, and restoring wildlife habitat such as wetlands. The Service also manages the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The National Wildlife Refuge System
The National Wildlife Refuge System is a significant focus of the Service. Founded in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt with the designation of Pelican Island as a refuge for brown pelicans; the National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's largest collection of lands specifically managed for fish and wildlife. The System is a diverse network of more than 500 national wildlife refuges encompassing more than 92 million acres of public land and water. Most of the land - 86 percent - is in Alaska, with approximately 15 million acres spread across the lower 48 states and several island territories. Refuges provide habitat for more than 5,000 species of birds, mammals, fish, and insects.
Like Pelican Island, many early national wildlife refuges were created for herons, egrets, and other water birds. Others were set aside for large mammals like elk and bison. By far the most refuges have been created to protect migratory waterfowl. This is a result of the United States' responsibilities under international treaties for migratory bird conservation as well as other legislation, such as the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929. A map of the National Wildlife Refuge System shows refuges dotting the four major flyways that waterfowl follow from their northern nesting grounds to southern wintering areas.
National wildlife refuges also play a vital role in preserving endangered and threatened species. Among the refuges that are well known for providing habitat for endangered species are Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, the winter home of the whooping crane; the Florida Panther Refuge, which protects one of the nation's most endangered mammals; and the Hawaiian Islands Refuge, home of the Laysan duck, Hawaiian monk seal and many other unique species.
Refuges also provide unique opportunities for people. When compatible with wildlife and habitat needs, refuges can be used for wildlife-dependent activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and environmental interpretation. Many refuges have visitor centers, wildlife trails, automobile tours, and environmental education programs. Nationwide, more than 33 million people visited national wildlife refuges in 1999.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 established many mandates aimed at making the management of national wildlife refuges more cohesive. The preparation of Comprehensive Conservation Plans is one of those mandates. The legislation requires the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and purposes of the individual refuges are carried out. It also requires the Secretary to maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the Refuge System.
Minnesota Wetland Management Districts Vision Statement
The Districts will emphasize waterfowl production and ensure the preservation of habitat for migratory birds, threatened and endangered native species, and resident wildlife. The Districts will provide opportunities for the public to hunt, fish, observe and photograph wildlife, and increase public understanding and appreciation of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem.
Legal and Policy Guidance
Waterfowl Production Areas within the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District are acquired under the establishing authority of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Duck Stamp Act) as amended (16 U.S.C. 718-718h). "The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to utilize funds made available under subsection (b) of this section for the purposes of such subsection, and such other funds as may be appropriated for the purposes of such subsection, or of this subsection, to acquire, or defray the expense incident to the acquisition by gift, devise, lease, purchase or exchange of, small wetland and pothole areas, interests therein, and rights of way to provide access thereto. Such small areas, to be designated as "Waterfowl Production Areas" may be acquired without regard to the limitations and requirements of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, but all the provisions of such Act which govern the administration and protection of lands acquired thereunder, except the inviolate sanctuary provisions of such Act, shall be applicable to areas acquired pursuant to this subsection."
In addition to the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District's establishing authority legislation and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, several Federal laws, executive orders, and regulations govern its administration.
Existing Partnerships: The Ecosystem Approach
The Service initiated its Ecosystem Approach in March of 1994. The primary goal of the Ecosystem Approach is conserving natural biological diversity and ecosystem integrity while supporting a sustainable level of human use. Nationally, the Service divided the country into 53 ecosystems based upon watersheds. Ecosystem teams, which include project leaders within each of the ecosystem boundaries, are the primary forum through which the Service implements the Ecosystem Approach.
The Service has set new standards for teamwork, creativity, flexibility, and communication between and among our operational units and with all partners within the ecosystem. The Service participates in public and private partnerships at many levels. Since many of the species under our care do not respect state and national borders, we also have a role within the larger ecosystem of the Western Hemisphere via such treaties as the Migratory Bird Treaty with our neighbors in Mexico and Canada.
In Minnesota, Wetland Management Districts fall within three organized ecosystem efforts, namely the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Habitat Protection Area, the Mississippi Headwaters/Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem, and the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The District programs are consistent with the goals and objectives of these major projects as well as the plan objectives for the Partners in Flight, and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan.
Migratory Bird Conservation Initiatives
Over the last decade, bird conservation planning has become increasingly exciting as it has evolved from a largely local, site-based focus to a more regional, landscape-oriented perspective. Significant challenges include locating areas of high-quality habitat for the conservation of particular guilds and priority bird species, making sure no species are inadvertently left out of the regional planning process, avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort, and identifying unique landscape and habitat elements of particular tracts targeted for protection, management and restoration.
Several migratory bird conservation initiatives have emerged to help guide the planning and implementation process. Collectively, they comprise a tremendous resource as refuges engage in comprehensive conservation planning and its translation into effective on-the-ground management.
Signed in 1986, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) outlines a broad framework for waterfowl management strategies and conservation efforts in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The goal of the NAWMP is to restore waterfowl populations to historic levels. The NAWMP is designed to reach its objectives through key joint venture areas, species joint ventures, and state implementation plans within these joint ventures.
The Districts are in the Upper Prairie Pothole Joint Venture. One of 12 habitat-based joint ventures, this Joint Venture encompasses the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, portions of Minnesota and Iowa, and three Canadian provinces. The goal of this Joint Venture is to increase populations of waterfowl through habitat conservation projects that improve natural diversity across the U.S. Prairie Pothole landscape.
Formed in 1990, Partners in Flight (PIF) is concerned with most landbirds and other species requiring terrestrial habitats. Partners in Flight has developed Bird Conservation Plans for numerous Physiographic Areas across the U. S. These plans include priority species lists, associated habitats, and management strategies.
The U. S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan are plans that address the concerns for shorebird and waterbirds. These larger scale plans identify priority species and conservation strategies.
In a continental effort, the Partners in Flight, North American Waterfowl Management, U. S. Shorebird Conservation, and the North American Waterbird Conservation plans are being integrated under the umbrella of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI). The goal of NABCI is to facilitate the delivery of the full spectrum of bird conservation through regionally-based, biologically-driven, landscape-oriented partnerships. The NABCI strives to integrate the conservation objectives for all birds in order to optimize the effectiveness of management strategies. NABCI uses Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) as its planning units. Bird Conservation Areas are becoming increasingly common as the unit of choice for regional bird conservation efforts; The Districts lie within Prairie Potholes (BCR 11) and the Boreal Hardwood Transition (BCR 23).
Each of the four bird conservation initiatives has a process for designating conservation priority species, modeled to a large extent on the PIF method of calculating scores based on independent assessments of global relative abundance, breeding and wintering distribution, vulnerability to threats, area importance (at a particular scale, e.g. PA or BCR), and population trend. These scores are often used by agencies in developing lists of bird species of concern; e.g., the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service based its assessments for its 2002 list of nongame Birds of Conservation Concern primarily on the PIF, shorebird, and waterbird status assessment scores.
Working With Partners
The Wetland Management Districts are composed of small parcels of land throughout western Minnesota. The effectiveness of this habitat for wildlife is enhanced when located near other protected areas. Land in programs such as The Nature Conservancy, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and set-asides such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) can add to "effective habitat size."
The Districts cannot solve the problems posed by habitat fragmentation and contamination on its own and will work to increase "effective habitat size" by combining efforts with many partners, such as The Nature Conservancy, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, as well as in programs such as CRP and RIM.
