Habitat restoration and population recovery efforts are used to manage and protect compromised species such as the lake sturgeon, once threatened with extinction in 19 of the 20 states in its range, and to protect key refuge habitat through numerous management practices that incorporate carefully planned disturbances such as selective tree removal, prescribed fire and invasive species control. In addition, biological monitoring is utilized to maintain current data pertaining to size and quality of rare habitat communities, particularly wet meadow ecosystems.

The overall goal in resource management is to achieve the preservation of species and their genetic variability through the creation of quality habitats, appropriate for the soil and hydrological conditions present within the refuge landscape.