Sand Lake Wetland Management District in Columbia, SD, is offering, to all eligible applicants, haying opportunities on Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge and 13 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) in the following seven counties of north-eastern South Dakota: Brown (2 units), Edmunds (2 units), Faulk (1 unit), McPherson (4 units), Spink (4 units), and Refuge (4 units). Haying will be used to manage grassland habitat and improve conditions for nesting waterfowl. Haying units range in size from approximately 10 acres to 75 acres, and agreements last from one to three years.
To be considered, submit a bid by Friday, July 24, 2026. Completed bid forms must be mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered to Sand Lake WMD, 39650 Sand Lake Drive, Columbia, SD 57433.
Cooperators will be selected through an open and competitive process. Applications will be scored and ranked using objective criteria described in the application form. Applicants will be notified of results by July 28, 2026.
For more information about opportunities on Sand Lake National Refuge, Faulk County, and Spink County, contact Sydney Hanna at (701) 403-6728 or sydney_hanna@fws.gov.
For more information about opportunities in Edmunds County and Brown County, contact Noah Hazzard at (701) 403-6326 or noah_hazard@fws.gov.
For more information about opportunities in McPherson County, contact Nate Williams at (605) 546-8913 or nathan_williams@fws.gov.
