Today, less than one percent of the northern tallgrass prairie, which once blanketed the upper Midwest, still remains. Once stretching from horizon to horizon, this native prairie now exists only in scattered patches tucked away in pasture corners or atop rock-strewn rises. These parcels--forgotten, neglected or accidental survivors--are the tracts that Ron Cole, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manager, wants to protect before they disappear forever. His ultimate goal: to protect up to 77,000 acres of native tallgrass prairie in Minnesota and Iowa, half through protective easements and half through outright purchase from willing sellers. On Aug.10, hell purchase his first tract of land for the new Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, a 360-acre tract near Luverne, Minn. It will be the first step in an effort which may take decades to reach fruition.
"Were going to celebrate," Cole said. "This is a very important first step for the new refuge. Its taken several years of hard work by refuge staff, our Service realty folks, our local Friends of Prairie group, The Nature Conservancy, and the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation, to make this first acquisition for the refuge a reality."
The public celebration of the new Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR will kick-off at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug.10, on the site of the new prairie tract near Luverne, Minn. Transportation to the site will be provided by the Luverne Chamber of Commerce -- buses will depart from Luverne High School shortly before 4:00 p.m. Following the dedication, participants are invited to a reception at the Brandenburg Gallery in Luverne, followed by dinner and a slide show of prairie images presented by internationally-renowned photographer Jim Brandenburg. Contact the Chamber for more information at 507/283-4061.
Cole notes the National Wildlife Refuge System will be celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2003 and sees the establishment of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie refuge as a timely, and fitting, gesture.
"A hundred years ago, the prairie took care of us; this rich soil has fed generations of Americans." he said. "Now its time for us to take care of the prairie, at least a small part of whats left."
NOTE TO EDITORS: ADVANCE MEDIA TOURS AVAILABLE
Ron Cole and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff will be available to provide advance media tours of the new prairie site as well as tours of nearby established prairie tracts. In addition to midday tours in conjunction with the dedication event, sunset tours on Aug. 9 and sunrise tours on Aug.10 are both available by advance arrangement. To arrange a tour, reporters and/or photographers should contact Dan Sobieck or Chuck Traxler at 612/713-5360.
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 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 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 programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our website at http://midwest.fws.gov
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