Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan

Final CCP Released
Highlights From the Plan
The Refuge
For More Information

Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan Released

The Refuge completed its Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) in December 2007. Copies of both the plan and a plan summary were available in January 2008. Both are available in portable document format (pdf) on this page.

The CCP establishes management policies for both refuges and ensures that they fulfill their established purpose and mission.

Highlights From the Plan

The CCP establishes goals and objectives for Refuge management, and it specifies strategies for achieving those objectives. We believe that the CCP outlines an ambitous but achievable future for Rice Lake NWR and Mille Lacs NWR.

However, it is important to note that plans are just that, plans. The CCP was developed to guide management and will be used in strategic planning and prioritizing programs. The CCP does not constitute a commitment for staffing increases or operational and maintenance increases that may be detailed in the plan.

Highlights of the CCP include:

• Water levels on Rice Lake will be manipulated by the existing control structure or by re-establishing the natural outlet to Rice Lake. By allowing the lake to function more as a natural system, we expect the wild rice production to increase in the long-term. In the short-term, this could mean that low water levels in some years may result in poor access for wild rice harvest by American Indian tribe members.
• The Refuge will enhance its forested area while maintaining some grassland for bird species as well as for public viewing.
• More than 5,000 acres of bog will be restored with more dedicated use of prescribed fire to inhibit brush invasion.
• All of the buildings will be removed from Headquarters Ridge. The buidings are below Service standards and need considerable work, which could result in further degradation of cultural resources. Headquarters Ridge has some of the most significant cultural values that are known on the Refuge, and the American Indian community has requested the removal of the buildings. A relocation site is not yet identified.
• Public use on Rice Lake NWR will consist of wildlife-dependent recreation, with more infrastructure added to support interpretation, wildlife observation, and nature photography. The hunting program will be managed to accommodate more hunters while maintaining quality opportunities.
• On Mille Lacs NWR, management will continue to emphasize Common Tern production and deterring gulls from nesting.

The Refuge

Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 to preserve valuable habitat for waterfowl. Located in Northern Minnesota, the Refuge is 18,300 acres in size. The Refuge's shallow, 4,500-acre Rice Lake produces large amounts of wild rice, which is a valuable food source for wildlife.

Rice Lake NWR is home to one of the largest concentrations of migrating Ring-necked Ducks in the country. During fall migration, more than 150,000 ducks can be found on the Refuge.

Comprehensive conservation planning for Rice Lake NWR also included planning for Mille Lacs NWR, the smallest refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge consists of two islands. One of the islands was designated as a national wildlife refuge in 1915 and the second was designated in 1920. Mille Lacs NWR is managed through Rice Lake NWR.

For More Information

For more information on Rice Lake NWR or to request a copy of the CCP, please send us an e-mail, call or write to the Refuge Manager at Rice Lake NWR:

Phone:
218/768-2402
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)

Address:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge
36289 State Highway 65
McGregor, MN 55760

Last updated: August 15, 2008

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