The site was developed as a cooperative venture between the 1854 Authority, Superior National Forest, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and St. Louis County.
An ardent supporter of cooperative natural resources management, Zakovec was the former Director of the 1854 Authority. She died on May 31, 1991.
Zakovec, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, formerly served as Deputy Administrator for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, was a two-term President of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, and was instrumental in developing the "Circle of Flight" wetland waterfowl initiative and its Congressional support.
"Circle of Flight" has since emerged as a national model for tribal wetland and waterfowl enhancement and is complementary to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Management Area, in her name, will be the first project completed through the "Circle of Flight" initiative.
The Fish and Wildlife Service worked closely with Patricia Zakovec and this past spring, recognized and honored her contributions through the agencys Silver Eagle Award. This prestigious Service award is presented to individuals outside the Fish and Wildlife Service who have made significant contributions to benefit our wild resources.
"We recognize Patricia Zakovec as a dynamic professional whose personal inner strength is the cornerstone of lasting partnerships and whose tireless commitment is the keystone of achievement. Through this recognition, we are honoring a woman of vision; a woman who knew the value of unity. She brought people together from diverse points of view to share common ground. This Wetland Management Area has been completed through the spirit of cooperation and partnership that exemplified her life," said Jim Gritman, Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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
