Minnesota DNR seeks public input for updates to Lac qui Parle WMA master plan
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to share their ideas about future management at the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area. The Lac qui Parle WMA master plan was last updated in 1997, and it is important for this update to reflect current public values and attitudes about how the land should be managed.
Lac qui Parle WMA’s 33,500 acres comprise the largest contiguous block of public land in west-central Minnesota and include a state game refuge, a wildlife sanctuary, a waterfowl feeding and resting area, a duck sanctuary and a controlled hunting zone. The WMA is popular destination for anglers, hunters, trappers, and bird and wildlife watchers alike.
The WMA was instrumental in the restoration of Canada geese back to Minnesota. In 2012, the National Audubon Society named the Lac qui Parle WMA and surrounding landscape as one of Minnesota’s Globally Significant Important Birds Areas.
The updated master plan will be used to guide management of the Lac qui Parle WMA’s prairies and grasslands, wetlands, lakes, brushlands, shrubs and forests. It will include management goals, objectives and strategies for the WMA throughout the next 10 years.
An online questionnaire is available on the Engage with DNR website (engage.dnr.state.mn.us/
The DNR will also host an online open house about the update from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, that will include a brief informational overview on Lac qui Parle WMA and the planning process, time for questions and answers, and an opportunity for participants to offer input.
