MAPS Big Stone Chippewa Lac Qui Parle Pope Stevens Swift Traverse Yellow Medicine WHAT WE DO Waterfowl Production Areas Annual Narrative Report NATURAL HISTORY Bird List PUBLIC USE Visitor Center Regulations How To Find Us STAFF SMALL WETLANDS PROGRAM FRIENDS VOLUNTEERS FAQ LINKS HOME CONTACT US Phone: 320-589-1001 Fax: 320-589-2624 Address: 43875 230th Street Morris, MN 56267

Public Use

Waterfowl Production Areas are open to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife observation, hiking, skiing, and most other non-motorized public uses. A handful of areas are closed to hunting or other uses; these areas are posted with appropriate signs. Many WPAs provide splendid wildlife viewing and plant identification opportunities. Hunting is the most popular public use but people enjoy WPAs for everything from walking on a rare patch of never-plowed prairie to watching utterly charming broods of baby ducks in the spring.

Impacts and Benefits of Waterfowl Production Areas

A recent economic analysis of visitor use and spending showed that non-local visitors to WPAs in the Morris district spend over 7 million dollars per year on their visits, providing a significant boost to the local economy. Most of these visitors are hunters but people also come to observe wildlife or enjoy other outdoor recreation. The full report, Impacts and Benefits of Waterfowl Production Areas (1 MB Adobe pdf file), is available online.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software to read the document above. If you do not have this software, you may obtain a free copy by visiting the Links page.

You can print a free WPA map for any of the eight counties in our district to learn where to find WPAs.

While we welcome and encourage you to use your public land, there are some restrictions in place to protect wildlife and promote appropriate uses. Motorized vehicles, motorized boats, horseback riding, and camping are all prohibited. Contact the Fish and Wildlife Service for more information about what activities you can enjoy on waterfowl production areas.

Top Ten List

Each of our 244 Waterfowl Production Areas offer quality opportunities for outdoor recreation. Here though, is a Top Ten list identifying areas with special qualities.

Activity	Unit Name	County	Township and Section
Scenic Drive	County Rd 12	Big Stone	Big Stone
Birding	Froland (has hiking trail)	Pope	Blue Mounds 2
Canoeing	Stenerson Lake	Pope	Barsness 3
Deer Hunting	Loen	Swift	Camp Lake 18
Duck Hunting	Robinhood	Traverse	Arthur 21
Hiking	Edwards	Stevens	Hodges 9
Pheasant Hunting	Lundgren	Chippewa	Krogero 9
Prairie Chickens	Hastad	Lac Qui Parle	Hantho 5
Prairie Wildflowers	Henry	Big Stone	Otrey 35
Prairie Vista	Dakota	Yellow Medicine	Fortier 4

Last updated: March 27, 2009

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