About Us

The prairies of northwest North Dakota support an abundance of wildlife, and the Crosby Wetland Management District plays a key role in conserving these habitats. Established in 1962 to protect waterfowl breeding and nesting areas, the District lies within the Prairie Pothole Region—often called the “Duck Factory of North America”—where grasslands and numerous small wetlands create highly productive conditions for waterfowl. Despite widespread land conversion, roughly 50 percent of North America’s breeding waterfowl still originate from this region. Portions of the District also provide critical habitat for the threatened piping plover.

The Crosby Wetland Management District includes Divide, Williams, and Burke Counties and spans three physiographic areas: the drift plain of large, shallow potholes; the Altamont Moraine Complex (Missouri Coteau); and the gently sloping Coteau region leading toward the Missouri River. Within the District are Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge, 99 Waterfowl Production Areas, and numerous wetland and grassland conservation easements. These diverse landscapes support a wide range of wildlife, including ducks, geese, marsh and water birds, shorebirds, songbirds, raptors, and mammals. 

Our Mission

Each unit within the National Wildlife Refuge System is established to meet a specific statutory purpose focused on conserving native species and the habitats on which they depend. All activities on these lands are evaluated to ensure they support that purpose.

Wetland management districts conserve a network of public and private wetland and upland habitats across North Dakota. These landscapes maintain the integrity of vital resting and breeding grounds for North America’s migratory waterfowl and benefit ducks, other migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and resident wildlife.

Stewardship of this growing conservation network depends on adequate funding, dedicated personnel, and strong partnerships. Communities and visitors recognize the ecological, cultural, and recreational value of grasslands and marshes, which remain essential components of a diverse and healthy prairie ecosystem. Through these efforts, current and future generations can enjoy wildlife-dependent recreation, while partners—especially waterfowl hunters—continue to support and strengthen the District’s conservation mission.

Our History

Long before European settlement, Native American communities lived across what is now northwest North Dakota. The area was dominated by mixed-grass prairie, with shrubs such as western snowberry, rose, and buffaloberry, and groves of aspen, willow, and occasional cottonwood along wetland edges.

Homesteading in the late 1800s and early 1900s brought widespread farming and livestock production. Economic hardship during the Great Depression forced many families to sell land and livestock, but prosperity in the early 1940s led to a boom in small‑grain farming. Even today, native prairie continues to be converted to cropland.

In the 1940s, Fred Staunton, Refuge Manager at Waubay National Wildlife Refuge, documented sharp declines in waterfowl populations—largely attributed to extensive wetland drainage. His observations helped inspire the Small Wetlands Program, formally created on August 1, 1958, through amendments to the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act. This allowed Federal Duck Stamp revenues to be used for permanent protection of critical migratory bird habitat through fee-title acquisition and conservation easements.

These efforts ultimately led to the establishment of the Crosby Wetland Management District in 1962.