Rydell
National Wildlife Refuge
Contacting the Refuge:
Refuge Manager: Dave Bennett
Email: dave_bennett@fws.gov
17788 349th St. SE
Erskine, MN 56535
Phone: (218) 687-2229
Fax: (218) 687-2225
E-Mail: Rydell@fws.gov or MidwestNews@fws.gov
Download Refuge Brochure (664k pdf format)
Refuge Facts
Established: 1992
Acres: 2,120
Refuge Friends group received “Group pf the Year” award from National Friends Association in 2000
Financial Impact of Refuge
Four-person staff
FY 2006 Budget: $412,000
More than 7,800 visitors a year
Natural History
Refuge is a combination of maple/basswood/oak forest, wetlands, tallgrass prairie and bogs
At least 19 old farmsteads make up the refuge lands. Five partial log buildings remain.
600 acres of prairie have been restored
Highlight
Rydell NWR provides an annual deer hunt for people with disabilities which accommodates nearly 20 hunters
Refuge Objectives
Provide nesting, feeding and resting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory woodland and grassland birds
Serve as a regional destination for environmental education opportunities
Provide woodland and prairie habitat for resident wildlife
Provide opportunities for wildlife observation and outdoor recreation
Priorities
Increase administrative capabilities to accommodate the refuge’s rapid growth
Continue to upgrade and improve public use facilities including parking lots, interpretive kiosks and interpretive trails
Repair and upgrade bunkhouse
Public Use Opportunities
Environmental education and interpretation
Hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing
Wildlife observation and photography
Electric golf carts available for the disabled
Seven miles of trails, five of those are blacktop accessible
Visitor center with bookstore
