Kelly Turgeon is president of the North Red River Chapter of Minnesota Deer Hunter's Association (MDHA) and leads roughly 225 members. When the opportunity came for North Red River MDHA to become involved in Adopt-a-WMA (wildlife management area), they saw the opportunity to help foster improved access and wildlife habitat projects for the benefit of wildlife
The Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant Program funds conservation projects that restore, enhance, or protect forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife in Minnesota. Funding for the CPL grant program is from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, created by the people of Minnesota.
The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association is committed to building habitat benefiting deer and deer hunters in Minnesota. We have participated in 87 Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grant projects since 2010 with over $5.5 million worth of habitat projects accomplished or in progress across the State of Minnesota. As part of that total, in 2018 MDHA applied and was fully funded for 6 new grant projects totaling over $253 thousand.
In the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 the MDHA completed Phase I of the Minnesota Moose Habitat Collaborative which was funded for $960,000. In Fiscal Year 2018-2019 the MDHA completed Phase II of the Minnesota Moose Habitat Collaborative funded for $2,000,000. In Fiscal Year 2018-2019 the MDHA was awarded $1,938,000 for Phase III of the Minnesota Moose Habitat Collaborative. The three grants are for habitat enhancement in Northeast Minnesota
During Fiscal Year 2016-17 the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $3,570,000 to enable the MDHA to close on the largest acquisition in our history with $3,209,542.50 spent on acquiring 2,280 acres of Forest Habitat in Cass and Hubbard Counties with LSOHC Grant Funds with partners The Conservation Fund (TCF) and Ruffed Grouse Society. As the primary landowner, Potlatch Corporation, began divesting forest lands in Minnesota, MDHA made it a priority to prevent thousands of acres from being turned into row-crop agriculture and remain open for public use in perpetuity. The acquired 2,280 acres were donated to Crow Wing and Hubbard Counties. Restoration work was done on Hubbard County parcel during the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year.
In Fiscal Year 2017-2018, the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $2,400,000 to enable the MDHA in cooperation with The Conservation Fund and St. Louis County to acquire lands from Potlatch Corporation to be donated to St. Louis County for wildlife habitat purposes. Targeted parcels were those that are vital to maintaining large, un-fragmented blocks of forest that deliver the greatest habitat benefits. Thousands of acres of forest land in this area have been sold, causing fragmentation and degradation of forest wildlife habitat. To date 1,600 acres have been donated to St. Louis County.
Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council was established by the legislature with the responsibility of providing annual funding recommendations to the legislature from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which was created by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to “…restore, protect, and enhance Minnesota’s wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife…”
The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) has been awarded 4 LSOHC grants for $10,868,000 since 2011. These grant projects include acquisition and enhancement projects with budgets of $400,000 and larger. The larger budget and scope of this level of grant requires much planning and preparation to obtain funding as well as carry out the scope of the grant project to its completion. MDHA thanks the many partners such as Ruffed Grouse Society, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, USFS, as well as various tribal entities and county land departments, who have collaborated in time, money, and efforts to assist MDHA in making these projects possible. This great level of planning and collaboration allow us to continue our mission of building habitat benefiting deer and other wildlife across the state of Minnesota.
460 Peterson Rd
Grand Rapids, Minnesota 55744
