The Refuge is headquartered in Bloomington, Minn., and consists of eight units along a 34 mile stretch of the Minnesota River from historic Fort Snelling to the City of Jordan. The Refuge, which is managed by the Service, is also responsible for a 14-county region known as the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District. The District currently consists of more than 5,000 acres of waterfowl production areas and conservation easements. The combined draft Refuge and District CCP provides a vision for the desired future condition of fish, wildlife and plant habitats. The plan also provides neighbors, nearby community residents, and visitors with the basis for understanding management actions. The CCP, when finalized, will serve as a foundation for budget requests for operations, maintenance, and visitor facilities.
The public is invited to review the Draft plan and submit written comments that will be incorporated or addressed in the final CCP which is expected to be available later this year. Written comments on the Draft CCP and attached Draft Environmental Assessment will be accepted through July 1, 2002. Please address written comments to: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, 3815 East 80th Street, Bloomington, MN 55425-1600. Comments can also be sent through the Service=s website for Planning at http://midwest.fws.gov/planning/mnvtop.htm .
Interested individuals or organizations are encouraged to provide comments on any aspect of the plan. In addition, the public is requested to inform the Service about archeological sites, buildings and structures, historic places, cemeteries, and traditional use sites that could influence decisions about management of the Refuge and District.
Many CCP planning participants and others have encouraged the Service to consider establishing new units of the Refuge upstream from the city of Jordan to New Ulm, Minnesota. New units, created through the purchase of land or conservation easements from willing sellers, or through voluntary landowner efforts, would contribute to the ongoing cooperative work of local communities and state agencies to restore and protect the tremendous natural resource values of the Minnesota River Valley. The river and its riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian habitat is important to federal trust species such as waterfowl, migratory songbirds and endangered plants. In addition to increased wildlife- dependent recreation, such as hunting, wildlife viewing and environmental educational, protection of this river stretch will contribute toward improved water quality.
A portion of the $26 million received by the Refuge as compensation for damages caused by the proposed expansion of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport could be used to purchase land. The Service has not mapped the actual boundaries of new units and is seeking public input through the Draft CCP. The plan contains a description of the types of habitat that would be valuable for wildlife and a general map of areas identified so far through the planning process.
The entire plan is available on the Internet at http://midwest.fws.gov/planning/Mnvtop.htm . Copies of the plan can be viewed at 21 community libraries located along the Minnesota River from Eagan to New Ulm, Minn. Summaries of the Draft CCP and paper copies of the entire plan are also available in a limited supply. To request a copy of the plan or a summary, call the Refuge at 952-854-5900. You can also e-mail your request to richard_d_schultz@fws.gov .
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.
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