Red Lake Nation Tribal Chairman Bobby Whitefeather will accept the prestigious award, which is presented annually to groups, corporations and individuals for wetland conservation accomplishments.
The Service plans a future presentation to two regional award recipients: Chuck Bauer of Evansville, Indiana, the Regional Individual Winner, and Dr. Roger Strand of New London, Minnesota, the Regional Individual Runner-up.
"The Service is extremely appreciative of the many exemplary contributions the 1995 winners have provided to wetland conservation," acknowledged Bill Hartwig, Regional Director of the Services Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. "These awards not only say thank you to our partners for their unselfish contributions, they enable us to recognize our partners and their significant wetland accomplishments."
The National Wetlands Conservation Award to the Private Sector was established by the Service in 1990 to honor individuals, groups and corporations who have made significant contributions to the restoration, enhancement and protection of wetlands in the United States and within the Services geographic regions. All recipients receive a framed and signed Federal Duck Stamp print and a framed certificate.
The Red Lake Nation was selected the National Group Runner-up because of its commitment to wetland conservation through the Services Partners for Wildlife program, and for its association with the Red Lake Farms/Kiwosay Wildlife Area Project on tribal lands in north central Minnesota.
This project is expected to restore, enhance and conserve more than 7,000 acres of important wetlands and associated uplands adjacent to the Clearwater River. A portion of the Nations wetland activities will occur on the Red Lake Farms, a former wild-rice business purchased from private interests in 1994.
The restoration of the Red Lake Farms will enhance the Clearwater River by reducing water exchange, chemical use and soil erosion that degraded the river during past agricultural practices. Native grass restoration, wetland restoration and enhancement, moist-soil management, dense nesting cover enhancement and management, and the management of wildlife food plots (both wild rice and small grains) will improve the local ecosystem for maximum wildlife diversity. The north and east portions of the Red Lake Farms abut the Nations Kiwosay (Ojibwe for hunting) Wildlife Area. The properties are separated by the Clearwater River. The Kiwosay Wildlife Area was developed by the Service, in cooperation with the Red Lake Nation, in the 1960s, in part, to mitigate for the Corps of Engineers channelization of a portion of the Clearwater River.
When completed, the wildlife area was considered a "jewel" among cooperative Service projects. The wildlife area includes a 4,000-acre, shallow-water impoundment with 21 nesting islands. Water-control structures provide for water-level management, as well as a gravity-flow water supply to 350 acres of wild-rice paddies adjacent to the impoundment.
The Red Lake Farms, Kiwosay Wildlife Area and Good Lake Wildlife Area (1,200-acre shallow-water impoundment) preserve nearly 10,000 acres of wetland habitat that support numerous populations of waterfowl, migratory water birds and native fish and wildlife species, including Federal endangered and threatened species, and Minnesota species of concern.
The Red Lake Nation plans to establish a youth training center on the Red Lake Farms that will include instruction and involvement in natural resource conservation and management. The Red Lake Nation will also utilize President Clintons Americorps Program to provide youth and employment development in natural resources.
Regional Individual Winners:
Bauer will be honored for his involvement and leadership to PRIDE (Patoka River Individuals Defending the Environment). This organization was formed in 1987 to communicate factual data about and to promote the establishment of the 22,000-acre Patoka River National Wetlands Project in southwest Indiana.
This project is associated with one of the largest remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood wetlands in the Midwest. Project objectives are to protect and enhance over 7,000 acres of bottomland forested wetlands, 2,000 acres of emergent scrub/shrub wetlands and 800 acres of open-water wetlands. Additionally, more than 4,000 acres of bottomland soils will be restored to forested wetlands and 1,000 acres will be managed as moist-soil units.
Bauer currently serves as co-chair of the Indiana Steering Committee for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, which is conducting the Southwest Indiana Four Rivers Project. This ambitious project, which involves 12 major partners and has received a grant of $1 million from the North American Wetland Conservation Act, will acquire, restore and enhance more than 3,500 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and associated wetlands near the confluence of the Ohio and Wabash rivers in southwest Indiana. He will receive his award during a meeting of the Steering Committee.
Regional Runner-up Award:
Dr. Strand will receive his award for 15 years of distinguished volunteer contributions to the Service through the Minnesota Waterfowl Association. During this period he has hosted the annual Prairie Pothole Day that has generated at least $145,000 for wetland conservation in Minnesota. In turn, the Association has cost-shared a portion of these funds with the Services Partners For Wildlife and North American Waterfowl Management Plan programs. Dr. Strand receives his award September 7 during Prairie Pothole Day.
Over the last three years, Dr. Strand has voluntarily coordinated a unique cost-share program between the Service and Ducks Unlimited that involves hundreds of individuals and many Minnesota conservation organizations. In this role, he has assisted with the distribution of more than 1,000 artificial floating waterfowl nest structures, and has maintained records relating to the use and success of these structures. His findings have been provided to waterfowl managers, project cooperators, partners and the media.
For more information on the National Wetlands Conservation Award program, the newest recipients and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contact Steve Kufrin, Regional Private Funds Coordinator, at (612) 725-3570.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices 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 fish and 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://midwest.fws.gov
