A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge supporters to commemorate a special Prairie Day celebration at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) near Odessa, Minn. The day will actually mark several special occasions. Communities from the area will help Big Stone NWR celebrate a quarter-century of restoring native prairie and conserving wetlands near the headwaters of the Minnesota River. It will also be a day to celebrate the beauty of the Minnesota River, which carves its way through native prairie at the heart of the refuge. But the highlight of the day will be celebrating the return of the Plains Bison to Big Stone NWR.
Up to 30 of these animals, owned by a private bison rancher, will be released onto the refuge in a 130-acre area of restored native prairie. Like the rest of western Minnesota and Iowa, the area was once native tallgrass prairie. After European settlement, it was plowed and farmed for over a century. Coming full circle, the restored prairie will now be the summer and fall home for these giant prairie icons, which can weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
Centuries ago, the sound of distant thunder under clear blue prairie skies meant one thing--the herd was on the move. Those herds were bison, once numbering 60 million animals across North America. But bison have been absent from the native tallgrass prairie of western Minnesota for nearly 150 years.
The prairie and the bison evolved together over tens of thousands of years, explained Big Stone NWR Manager Ron Cole. It was a mutually-beneficial relationship--most prairie plants actually benefit from the bisons grazing habits, and the bison thrive on the rich, nutritious forage. Putting these animals back on our restored prairie areas is actually one of the most natural things we can do.
Once the animals are in place, Big Stone NWR will be the only national wildlife refuge in Minnesota, and one of only two in the Midwest, hosting bison. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released a herd at Blue Mounds State Park attracting many visitors to that area two hours to the south. Cole and his staff have constructed a 130-acre enclosure along the refuges Wildlife Drive to contain the animals. Given the location, public viewing opportunities should be excellent.
We invite the public to come out and see the bison in their natural setting, he said, although cautioning that the best viewing is done from a distance. These are still wild animals, animals which deserve our respect as well as our admiration.
All events on the refuge are free and open to the public. In addition to the planned bison release, the event will feature music, a bison barbecue, wagon rides through the prairie, a wildflower field trip and private vendors representing the emerging agricultural industry of native prairie restoration. For directions to Big Stone NWR, call (320) 273-2191.
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 Services manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System of more than 520 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 homepage at: http://midwest.fws.gov.
