[Mnbird] Whitewater WMA planning 1/17

[Joel H. Dunnette]

If you bird in the Whitewater valley, here is an opportunity to speak up
for birds in the wildlife management area:

Minnesota DNR is writing a management plan for the Whitewater Wildlife
Management Area and we are seeking your assistance. The current management
plan was written in 1977 and does not address some of the important issues
facing wildlife managers today. Minnesota’s population has grown, the
climate has warmed, invasive species have proliferated, new state and
federal policies have been enacted, and many wildlife and plant populations
have declined. We also have a greater recognition of the uniqueness and
importance of the rare plant communities found on the WMA.



The mission of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is to
work with citizens to conserve and manage the state's natural resources, to
provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial
uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of
life*.* “WMA specific policy states “A state WMA shall be established to
protect those lands/waters which have a high potential for wildlife
production & to develop & manage these lands-waters for the production of
wildlife, public hunting, fishing, & trapping, & for other outdoor
recreational uses…” Public feedback is essential in order to achieve this
direction.



We will be hosting an open house at Whitewater State Park Headquarters on
Tuesday, January 17th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm to take input on the issues that
should be addressed in the new management plan for Whitewater WMA. The plan
will focus on habitat management to benefit wildlife and will not address
hunting seasons or regulations. Whitewater WMA has been designated as an
Important Bird Area by Audubon and is a popular destination for
bird-watchers. We encourage your members to attend and share their
knowledge of the WMA and help us determine how to best manage it In the
future. There will be an opportunity to provide comments at the meeting, by
mail or via the internet. We will also host another meeting later this
spring once a draft plan has been prepared to make sure we have not missed
anything important in the plan.



If you have any questions or comments on the management plan or the open
house, please feel free to contact us. We hope to see you on the 17th.



Donald Nelson, Area Wildlife Manager

507-932-4133 x221 <(507)%20932-4133>

Don.r.nelson at state.mn.us



Christine Johnson, Assistant Wildlife Area Manager

507-932-4133 x223 <(507)%20932-4133>

Christine.priest at state.mn.us





*Donald Nelson*

Area Wildlife Supervisor | Division of Fish and Wildlife

*Minnesota Department of Natural Resources*

15035 Highway 74

Altura, MN 55910

Phone: 507-932-4133 x221 <(507)%20932-4133>

Email: don.r.nelson at state.mn.us

mndnr.gov

-- 
Joel Dunnette

Byron / Rochester MN

507-269-7064
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/pipermail/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net/attachments/20170105/5f73fbf2/attachment.htm>