Effort to Boost Wisconsin’s Prairie Chicken Population Now Complete
Final Birds Captured at Minnesota’s Glacial Ridge Project
MADISON, WI — October 5, 2009 — Minnesota and Wisconsin may be rivals on the football field but the two states have been working together for years to save an iconic species of America’s grasslands. An effort to relocate prairie chickens from Minnesota to Wisconsin – where the birds are at risk – is now complete, The Nature Conservancy announced today.
More than 100 greater prairie chickens have been captured in western Minnesota and relocated to Buena Vista Marsh in central Wisconsin, including 5 birds that were released late last week.
Wisconsin’s prairie chicken population is in danger of collapsing due to declining genetic variability caused by loss of grassland habitat.
Most of the birds relocated to Buena Vista Marsh have come from The Nature Conservancy’s 24,000-acre Glacial Ridge Project in northwestern Minnesota.
Glacial Ridge is the nation’s largest prairie-wetland restoration project and as a result of efforts by the Conservancy and its partners the area’s prairie chicken population is thriving.
“We’re thrilled the Conservancy has been able to help Wisconsin’s prairie chicken population,” said Mary Jean Huston, director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin. “Wisconsin is one of only two states located east of the Mississippi River that still has prairie chickens in the wild.
“These birds from Minnesota were critically needed, but we must also restore and conserve Wisconsin’s best grasslands if we don’t want to lose this incredible bird and true symbol of the prairie.”
Peggy Ladner, director of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, said she’s pleased that Glacial Ridge’s success is benefitting Wisconsin.
“Grasslands are the most endangered and least protected habitat in the United States,” said Ladner.
“Our success in restoring Glacial Ridge has allowed for some prairie chickens to be shared with Wisconsin,” Ladner added. “While this is great news, it remains the case that prairie chickens are classified as a species of special concern in Minnesota. That’s largely because we have less than one percent of our original native prairie left in Minnesota and we’re still losing ground every day.
“We must take additional steps throughout the United States to conserve our grasslands. Prairies are great not only for grassland birds like prairie chickens and other wildlife but they are also incredibly valuable natural resources for people to enjoy. They provide great outdoor recreation opportunities and have the additional benefits of storing floodwater, sequestering carbon and keeping our water clean.”
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources approved a permit authorizing up to 40 prairie chickens to be relocated to Wisconsin each year since 2006.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provided most of the funding for the prairie chicken transfers. The Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society and the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union also contributed to the effort.
The effort to capture prairie chickens at Glacial Ridge was led by Nate Emery, a graduate student at the University of North Dakota. The University of Minnesota’s Northwest Research and Outreach Center coordinated the work.
The Conservancy’s partners in restoring Glacial Ridge include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Resources Conservation Service.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. In Wisconsin, the Conservancy has helped conserve more than 140,000 acres since 1960. The Conservancy has more than 21,000 members in Wisconsin and offices in Madison, Baraboo, East Troy, Minocqua and Sturgeon Bay. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
|
Join The Nature Conservancy on
Facebook
Flickr
Twitter