Hamden Slough NWR Comprehensive Conservation Plan

Comprehensive Conservation Plan Completed
Future Management Direction
The Refuge
For More Information
The Planning Process

Comprehensive Conservation Plan Completed

The Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Hamden Slough NWR was approved on October 9, 2012. The CCP will guide management of Hamden Slough NWR over the next 15 years and will ensure that the Refuge fulfills its established purposes and contributes to the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The complete CCP and a summary can be viewed and downloaded on this website. Paper copies and compact discs are available in limited supply by emailing a request to r3planning@fws.gov or by calling the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District office at (218) 847-4431.

Future Management Direction

The CCP establishes two goals and 22 objectives for meeting those goals. Some of the objectives are departures from previous management. Key changes to Hamden Slough NWR programs that will be implemented over the next 15 years include:

Wetlands

• Work with partners to complete the full restoration of Pierce Lake through land acquisition, easements, and conservation programs.
• In managed wetlands, emulate the natural seasonal and long-term water level variability that historically sustained diverse plant and wildlife communities.
• Restore the natural hydrology of all prairie pothole wetlands.

Tallgrass Prairie

• Increase the diversity of native plants on Refuge prairies.
• Convert all cropland to native prairie; use short-term farming to prepare seedbeds on restoration sites.
• Use an integrated program of fire, grazing, haying, and tree removal to emulate historic disturbance patterns and maximize the wildlife benefits of Refuge habitat.
• Maintain a mix of tall, medium, and short habitat structure to meet the diverse needs of grassland-dependent birds and nesting waterfowl.

Watershed

• Focus Refuge conservation partnership efforts on increasing soil and water retention and restoring natural water flow corridors in the Hamden watershed.

People

• Expand environmental education opportunities in partnership with local schools and community groups.
• Continue the youth waterfowl and muzzleloader deer hunting programs; look for opportunities to improve hunt quality.

The Refuge

Located near Detroit Lakes, MN, the approximately 3,200-acre Hamden Slough NWR has been designated as an Important Bird Area by the Minnesota Audubon Society. The Refuge's wetlands and prairies provide resting, nesting, and feeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities on the Refuge include hiking, environmental education, and wildlife observation and photography.

For More Information

For information on Hamden Slough NWR, please contact the Refuge at:

Telephone:
(218) 847-4431; 1-800-877-8339 (TTY, Federal Relay Service)

Address:
Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge
c/o Detroit Lakes WMD
26624 N. Tower Road
Detroit Lakes, MN  56501

The Planning Process

These are the steps that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service follows in comprehensive conservation planning; the step that Hamden Slough NWR has reached is highlighted:

1. Preplanning: Plan the Plan
2. Initiate Public Involvement and Scoping
3. Review Vision Statement and Goals and Determine Significant Issues
4. Develop and Analyze Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
5. Prepare a Draft CCP and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Document
6. Prepare and Adopt Final CCP
7. Implement Plan, Monitor and Evaluate
8. Review and Revise the Plan