The open house is set for 5-9 p.m., with a formal presentation on the planning process at 7 p.m. Citizens may stop by any time during the open house to submit comments to refuge staff. The CCP will set wildlife, habitat, and public use priorities and guide management decisions on the Refuge for the next 15 years. The open house will give interested members of the public, tribes, agencies, neighbors, public interest groups, and local governments an opportunity to participate in this Refuge planning process from the very beginning. The Service is interested in obtaining the publics ideas on management of the refuge so they can be addressed in the planning process.
"We want to hear the publics ideas on management of Agassiz refuge," said Margaret Anderson, refuge manager. "I hope everyone who is interested will attend and share their perspectives. This open house provides a forum for public involvement in planning for future management of the Refuge. Its an opportunity to identify areas of improvement, issues, or express support of on-going management. These comments will form the basis for management alternatives to be evaluated in the planning process." Anderson said.
The 7 p.m., presentation on the planning and environmental compliance processes will be given by a representative of the Mangi Environmental Group, a consulting firm that is assisting the Service in preparing the CCP and its associated Environmental Assessment (EA). Immediately after the presentation, attendees will be given the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas on Refuge management. In addition, comment forms will be made available so that written comments can be submitted at the meeting or mailed in to the Refuge later.
All aspects of the Refuge will be addressed by the CCP, including important fish and wildlife habitats, public use and facilities potential, and existing habitat management. By law, six wildlife-dependent recreational uses receive a priority on National Wildlife Refuges: fishing, hunting, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation.
Agassiz NWR, originally called Mud Lake Refuge, was established by Executive Order No. 7583 in 1937. Established primarily for migratory birds, it is the northernmost refuge in the Mississippi River flyway. The 61,500 acre refuge offers a haven for many wildlife species including 280 species of birds (half of them nesting on the Refuge), 49 species of mammals, 12 species of amphibians and 9 species of reptiles. Because of this rich diversity of wildlife and easy viewing opportunities, Agassiz has been listed as one of the top 100 places to view wildlife in the lower 48 states. Agassiz supports a resident moose herd and until recently was the only national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states to support a resident wolf population. A 4,000-acre designated wilderness area wilderness area
Wilderness areas are places untamed by humans. The Wilderness Act of 1964 allows Congress to designate wilderness areas for protection to ensure that America's pristine wild lands will not disappear. Wilderness areas can be part of national wildlife refuges, national parks, national forests or public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Learn more about wilderness area contains the northwestern most stand of black spruce/tamarac bog habitat in Minnesota.
If someone cannot attend the open house and would like to submit written comments, they can be sent to Margaret Anderson, Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, 22996 290th St. NE, Middle River, MN 56737-9754. Comments may also be sent through the Services Planning website at Margaret_Anderson@fws.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses nearly 540 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, visit our website at http://midwest.fws.gov
