Were extremely pleased to have Rod join our regional staff to work on this project, said Service Regional Director Bill Hartwig. With his real estate expertise and experience as DNR Commissioner, Rod brings unique qualifications to this position. Weve long recognized the value of waterfowl production areas as wildlife habitat, but we also know there are social and economic considerations which go along with the establishment of these areas. Rods work will identify these aspects and quantify their importance. These results will help both the Service and state in the establishment and management of these areas for the benefit of state residents.
The acquisition of private lands for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife is sometimes a concern of local governments. This stems from a perception that such acquisitions result in economic and social losses to local communities. Sando will explore the validity of this perception and identify methods to address and overcome these issues.
In his role as project leader, Sando will gather information about the public land acquisition process from a broad spectrum of the public; including sportsmen, conservation organizations, resource specialists, economists, and public officials. Much of his work will be conducted at the local government level to identify the issues they face when working with state and federal agencies on these acquisition projects.
In addition to the federal WPA program, the results of the study will also benefit wildlife land acquisition projects undertaken by the State of Minnesota. While the local benefits of public wildlife land are similar regardless of which government entity holds title, so too are the challenges in acquiring and managing that land.
Following the assignment, Sando is expected to return to the DNR.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/


