Wilkin County

This listing is produced by the Minnesota State Lottery from information provided by project managers and the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.  While we attempt to provide the most current information, specific project locations and allocations do change. Information on projects for the current biennium, in particular, should be regarded as preliminary.

Restorable Wetlands Inventory – 2009
Minnesota’s wetlands provide crucial habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, assist in flood control, and help maintain water quality.  But the state has lost half the wetlands that existed before European settlement.  Ducks Unlimited will use this appropriation to identify and map drained wetlands that can be restored.  Mapping will take place in 170 townships in Clay, Mahnomen, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Norman, Renville, Sibley, Wilkin, and Wright counties.

Restoring RIM Match – 2003-05 biennium. Prairie once covered more than 18 million acres in Minnesota. With less than 1/10th of 1 percent of our native prairies remaining, these prairie parcels are often the last refuge for rare animals and plants including many of Minnesota’s less common birds.

The Department of Natural Resources’ Nongame Wildlife Program matched Trust Fund dollars as part of this project to help fund a survey and assessment of prairie birds inhabiting 18 Scientific and Natural Areas on prairie tracts in northwest Minnesota and an additional seven sites on lands with Prairie Bank easements. Surveys were completed in Clay, Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Ottertail, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens and Wilkin counties.

A total of 111 rare species documentation reports were filled out and submitted for inclusion in the Natural Heritage Program database. This project was the most comprehensive effort to date to survey birds on Scientific and Natural Areas, and it was the first effort to survey birds on prairie bank sites. The project provided not only rare species sightings, but also underscored the value of these sites as habitats for wildlife, specifically birds.

Local Grants Initiative Program: Outdoor Recreation Grants – 2001-03 biennium. Money from the Trust Fund as well as the Minnesota Future Resources Fund was allocated during the biennium for this project administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. As a result, grants were provided for more than 130 different local environmental initiatives under several different categories, each with their own requirements: the Natural and Scenic Area grants program, Regional Park grants, Local Park grants, Conservation Partner grants and Environmental Partnership grants. In Wilkin County, the Trust Fund portion of the allocation was used for a grant to help Rothsay purchase 15 acres of prairie land on the west side of the city.

Mussel Resource Survey - 1999-01 biennium. During the first two years of this project (this biennium), biologists and other staff from the Department of Natural Resources sampled 886 sites in 32 Minnesota rivers, 64 tributaries and 12 lakes including two sites on the Bois de Sioux River in Wilkin County during September of 2000. According to the website for this project, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nhnrp/mussel_survey/index.html, freshwater mussels, commonly called clams, occur throughout the world but reach their greatest diversity in North America where about 300 species are found. Unfortunately, within the last 100 years mussel communities have declined in abundance and diversity due to dam construction, stream channelization, water pollution and sedimentation, over harvesting and the recent introduction of the exotic Zebra mussel. In response, groups such as the American Fisheries Society and The Nature Conservancy have identified mussels as the most imperiled group of animals in North America. The primary goal of this project is to build the information base necessary to sustain freshwater mussels in Minnesota. Building this base of information is expected to take about six years to complete.

Native Prairie Prescribed Burns - 1999-01 biennium. Periodic fire is an essential to the health of the prairie ecosystem but deliberately-set and controlled burns interact far better with civilization than random wildfires.  On average, 6,000 of the 48,000 acres of prairie habitat in northwest Minnesota’s Glacial Lake Agassiz Beach Ridges landscape are burned annually. While this is a significant amount, it is still about 9,000 acres per year short of what is needed for a healthy prairie habitat. This cooperative project between the Department of Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy accelerated the prescribed fire program in select areas of the state. In the Glacial Lake Agassiz Beach Ridges area, 74 burns on nearly 15,000 acres were conducted as part of this project. In Wilkin County, targeted areas included parts of the Rothsay and Atherton Wildlife Management Areas near Rothsay and Lawndale.

Prairie Heritage Fund - 1997-99 biennium and 1999-01 biennium. Twenty-nine parcels of land totaling 3,683 acres were purchased in 14 counties, donated to the State of Minnesota and designated as wildlife management areas as a result of this project coordinated by Pheasants Forever. Money from the Trust Fund was matched and extended for these prairie and wetland purchases by contributions from local Pheasants Forever chapters and other groups and individuals. These new parcels fit into an existing network of close to 1,300 wildlife management areas maintained by the Department of Natural Resources and are open to public hunting and other recreational pursuits.

In Wilkin County, Trust Fund money was used to help purchase 101 acres of land northwest of Rothsay to expand the Rothsay Wildlife Management Area. If you would like additional information about wildlife management areas, please contact the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.

Prairie-Grassland Landscapes - 1997-99 biennium.  Landowners in northwestern Minnesota’s Glacial Lake Agassiz Interbeach Area are struggling to strike a balance between earning a living from the land and conserving prairies and grasslands for future generations. The Department of Natural Resources is working with local landowners and organizations to create grassland-landscaping projects that will preserve and protect the prairies.

Red River Valley Planning and Management - 1997-99 biennium. The Pollution Control Agency is working with an array of political jurisdictions and governments to determine ways of managing the land and water in the Red River Valley in northwestern Minnesota. The project includes a U.S. Geological Survey study of causes of sediment in streams and rivers which will lead to methods of protecting water quality from the effects of erosion.

County Geologic Atlases, Assessments and Groundwater Sensitivity Mapping - 1993-95 biennium.  The Minnesota Geological Survey is studying the geology and groundwater in southern Minnesota.  Maps will be produced and used for planning and environmental protection. The Department of Natural Resources is also producing maps of areas with the potential for groundwater pollution from materials like farm chemicals.  These maps can be used for land-use planning, regulation and management.  In Wilkin County, this grant is being used for an expanded regional hydro geologic assessment.

RIM Wildlife Habitat Stewardship - 1993-95 biennium.  About 29,000 acres of state land is being developed and improved to protect wildlife and native plants.  The Department of Natural Resources is restoring prairies, brush land, forests and non-game habitat while planting and managing native vegetation to enhance hunting, observing nature and education.  In Wilkin County, this grant was used for grassland development.

County Geologic Atlas and Groundwater Sensitivity Mapping - 1991-93 biennium.  This project resulted in expanded production of county geologic atlases and creation of a new Atlas Service Office.  In Wilkin County, the project resulted in expanded regional groundwater sensitivity mapping.  Lead agency:  Minnesota Geological Survey.

09/25/09 - TM