Wetland Management Districts are only found in the Prairie Pothole Region with the main goal of managing habitat for migrating and breeding waterfowl. The USFWS manages small tracts of lands called Waterfowl Production Areas and Northern Tallgrass Prairie units as well as larger tracts of land called National Wildlife Refuges. The USFWS also helps promote wildlife on private lands through easements or Partners for Fish and Wildlife programs. Instead of having specific staff and offices for each tract of land, of which there are often dozens per county, the USFWS groups areas together usually based by county lines and will manage all resources for that area out of one office. This designated area of managed land is called a wetland management district. For example, the Big Stone Wetland Management District covers two counties in southwest MN (Lincoln and Lyon County). We manage all federal lands, easements and private land projects in both counties out of one office located in Odessa, MN. Currently Big Stone Wetland Management District has 17 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), 2 Northern Tallgrass Prairie Units and 37 Wetland and Habitat Easements.