Conservation Programs On the Web

Developed in January 2002 and updated by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), this web page (http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/programsoptions.htm) provides links to more than 40 fact sheets, brochures and booklets describing federal, state, and nonprofit soil, water and wildlife conservation programs, and land preservation programs, that offer financial and/or technical assistance. Programs described on the web site address forestry incentives, prairie remnant protection, rotational grazing and whole farm planning, among many other topics. Those who wish printed copies of the information on this web site, or who have questions, can contact Barbara Weisman at (651) 201-6631or 1-800-967-2474 or email to barbara.weisman@state.mn.us.

2006 Partial List of New RGS Minnesota Habitat Projects:

Biologist Activities

• Distributed two Forest Action Network postings via e-mail to update members and interested parties on issues related to wildlife conservation. 
• Addressed the annual Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Roundtable – a gathering of 200 conservation leaders from across the state. 
• Helped draft Threatened and Endangered Resources insert for the Landowner Manual distributed through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
• Provided technical assistance and imput emphasizing the need to enhance young forest habitats on four habitat management projects on the Chippewa and Superior National Forests. Toured proposed sites with USFS officials.
• Met with the Department of Natural Resources to review habitat management on the Border Lakes Subsection Forest Resource Management project. 
• Provided input at public meetings designed to address Off-Highway Vehicle access on the Chippewa National Forest. 
• Participated in the Sustainable Forestry Incentives Act revision process. 
• Attended the Minnesota Forest Resources Council meeting and was named to the Biomass Harvesting Guidelines Team. 
• Provided input into planned use of dedicated funding should a constitutional amendment dedicating a portion of the state’s sales tax to natural resources pass this legislative session. 
• Met with Potlatch Corporation to amend our grouse and woodcock Memorandum of Understanding, discuss methods for allowing grouse hunting on their leased lands and discuss proposed policy for state forestry incentives on leased lands. 
• Chaired the DNR Budgetary Oversight Committee (BOC) meeting and drafted a BOC ad hoc committee report on the distribution of fish and wildlife expenditures relative to revenues. Drafted a proposal to change to biennial review. Drafted a letter to legislators on BOC legislative recommendations. Met with Natural Resource Committee chairs on the legislative agenda. Attended hearings at the Capital.
• Edited a research paper on grouse cycles co-authored by RGS biologists. Analyzed and drafted comments in review of Dr. R. J. Gutierrez’ performance as UMN Gordy Gullion Endowed Chair
• Analyzed the 800 page Thunderhawk Environmental Impact Statement for expansion of the UPM-Kymmene Blandin Paper Company facility in Grand Rapids, MN. Provided oral and written input.
• Inspected timber management activities on the 760 acre Mary Sandstrom Ruffed Grouse Management Area. Inspected two landowner tracts totaling 320 acres. Provided management advice.
• Manned a booth and presented two seminars at the Million Acres Conference in Duluth, MN. Conference was attended by 770 non-industrial private forest landowners.
• Drafted the biannual LCMR report and reconciled RGS, DNR and LCMR ledgers.
• Participated in the Ruffed Grouse Society Strategic Planning Retreat.
• Participated in development of a University of Minnesota-Extension pilot on-line training module for private forest landowners.
• Wrote one newspaper article and two magazine articles. Took an Associated Press reporter in the field, which led to a widely distributed story.
• Co-wrote a PowerPoint presentation titled, “Biomass Harvesting as a Wildlife Management Tool”. Presented it at the Biomass Harvesting Workshop set up by UMN-Extension.
• Drafted a letter to Itasca County Land Department on their FSC Corrective Action Requests. Attended County Board meeting on CARs. Reviewed ICLD response to CARs and presented findings to Grand Rapids Chamber Forestry Affairs Committee.
• Drafted a letter to MDNR Division of Wildlife and Fisheries on a proposal to require non-toxic shot for small game hunting.
• Taught "Wildlife Aspects of Site-level Timber Harvesting Guidelines" at Vermillion Community College in Ely.
• On-going work on reprinting RGS brochures, purchasing and ATV for the University and coordinating West Nile Virus research with USGS.
• Entered and analyzed data from the 2005 National Grouse and Woodcock Hunt

RGS Provides Transportation for Grouse Research
 
In February 2006, RGS Biologist Rick Horton received a message from Dr. R. J. “Rocky” Gutierrez, Professor and Gordon Gullion Chair in Forest Wildlife Research at the University of Minnesota Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. Rocky had taken on a new graduate student, Lorelle Berkeley, working on grouse research at the Cloquet Forestry Center, and they needed and ATV so she could begin trapping grouse in mid-April. He wanted to know if RGS knew any ATV dealers that would give him a discount on a machine.

Horton called a couple dealerships in the area, but all they could offer was slight rebates. Then it occurred to Horton that he may be able to use funds provided by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) to purchase a machine for the University.  The LCMR Future Resources Fund provides money from the Minnesota Lottery for natural resources projects. The purchase was approved after a few telephone calls. 

Horton then contacted Arctic Cat’s corporate headquarters in Thief River Falls, MN and spoke with Gary Nelson, Promotions Specialist in the Marketing Department. He readily saw the positive relationship between grouse research, sportsmen and Arctic Cat and approved a significant corporate discount for the purchase. He authorized Horton to work with Pokegama Lawn and Sport in Grand Rapids, the local Arctic Cat dealer. The owner and staff were very helpful, and in a matter of days RGS took possession of a 2006 Arctic Cat 400 4x4 Automatic and delivered it to the Cloquet Forestry Center.

Dr. Gutierrez was the first to try out the new machine. He said, “This is just great! We heard the first drumming grouse this week and are ready to get out and begin trapping them”. PhD candidates Guthrie Zimmerman and Lorelle Berkeley were very appreciative.  Berkeley said, “This is awesome! Thank you very much!” We at the Society are just glad we could help.

Management Area Projects:

The first Management Area Project (MAP) inMinnesotawas initiated 19 years ago, in 1987. Since that time the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) has funded 125 MAP projects statewide at a cost of almost three-quarters of a million dollars. These funds have helped enhance ruffed grouse and woodcock habitat on about 139,000 acres in the state. Projects have covered the spectrum from building road accesses to allow cost-effective harvesting of smaller blocks of timber, to constructing drumming logs. The attached map shows the distribution of projects by county. The bulk of the projects are located in counties with substantial quantities of public land, resource managers concerned about grouse habitat and very active RGS chapters.

2005 Projects included:

• Hardwood Marking – Managers marked 230 acres of aspen inclusions within maple/basswood forests on WMAs inAitkinCountyprior to timber sales. Regenerating these inclusions creates islands of great grouse habitat within a sea of older forests.
• Trail mowing – RGS funded the maintenance of 64 miles of walking trails inItascaandSt. LouisCounties. This work improves the hunting opportunities in those areas, but also maintains logging roads for future habitat management efforts.
• MorphMeadows Road– RGS contributed towards a major road improvement project on Morph Meadows WMA in NW Itasca County. A large beaver dam was removed and replaced with culverts and water control structures, providing access to 1,200 acres of habitat.
• WMA Inventory – RGS provided over $10,000 to the DNR to perform forest inventories on WMAs. These will identify aspen stands in need of immediate regeneration before they are lost, as well as identify those that can be maintained a while to provide grouse nesting and winter food resources.

Special Projects:

RGS funds Special Projects that typically involve education projects, surveys or indirect management assistance. Highlights in 2005 include funding youth days, sending children to Upland Bird Camp, funding golden-winged warbler surveys, and funding the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program. Education is critical to achieving the goals of RGS inMinnesota.

Outreach and Advocacy:

RGS biologists are very active in many forest wildlife management issues and educational programs within their regions. For example, the Minnesota Regional Biologist accomplished the following in the period from 2001-2005:

• Resource Agency Advocacy: Attended over 200 meetings with resource managers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, county land management departments and others. Provided analysis and written comments on 52 different land management plans, including MNDNR Subsection Forest Management Plans, USFS Environmental Assessments, USFS Environmental Impact Statements and USFS Forest Plan Revision documents. Appointed to eleven different standing committees, including Senator Coleman’s Sportsmen’s Advisory Committee and Chairman of the MNDNR Budgetary Oversight Committee. Testified 7 times before the state legislature or legislative commissions.
• Outreach: Had over 125 press contacts, including numerous television and radio appearances, press releases, interviews and magazine articles. Maintained an e-mail newsletter group with over 700 members to inform and educate supporters. Spoke to 85 different groups (~2,750 attendees) about forest management, often invited as a keynote speaker. Manned numerous booths at trade shows and events.
• Education: Held 5 forest wildlife management and landowner workshops. Wrote and printed numerous educational brochures and interpretive signs. Organized and taught at 34 different youth events attended by over 2,200 children and 12 different field events attended by 250 adults. Conducted 24 different private landowner consultations covering ~7,500 acres of land.
• Fund-raising: Awarded 9 grants totaling $108,300 for education and habitat efforts. Attended numerous RGS fund-raising events.