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.
- **Since 2010 MDHA has been awarded 99 Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grants funded by the Outdoor Heritage Fund for over 6.3 million dollars’ worth of habitat projects across Minnesota.
- **MDHA has completed 5 Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOHC) grants for over 10.8 million dollars. These projects enabled MDHA to secure 3,880 acres of land for public use and nearly 21,000 acres of habitat restored and enhanced.
- Chapters have provided contributions to CPL grant habitat and acquisition projects, deer research, partner organization projects and local habitat projects.
- Annually MDHA and the State Habitat Committee host the State Habitat Banquet fundraiser with proceeds dedicated to habitat and habitat education. This banquet is held in February in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Please check MDHA’s Event Calendar for the date.
- MDHA’S Hides for Habitat (HFH) program, turns donated hides into habitat dollars.
- Chapters hold banquets, raffles and other event fundraisers.
- Donations received from members, sponsors and partner organizations.
How are these funds managed?
MDHA’s State Habitat Committee (SHC) is funded by proceeds raised at the Annual State Habitat Banquet and from proceeds raised from the Hides for Habitat program (Chapters retain 85% and SHC receives 15% after expenses). The committee members review and vote on providing matching dollars for submitted habitat projects.
The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Hides for Habitat program is a recycling program to turn your donated deer hides into dollars to be used for habitat. Since 1985 hunters have donated over 1 million hides raising over $5.8 million dollars through the Hides for Habitat program.
MDHA’s conservation efforts are possible due to the hard work and dedication of chapter volunteers, members and deer hunters who support programs and events that raise funds .
What are some of the habitat projects MDHA and Chapters have funded? **Since 2010 MDHA has been awarded 100 Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grants funded by the Outdoor Heritage Fund for over 6.9 million dollars’ worth of habitat projects across Minnesota.
Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
460 Peterson Rd
Grand Rapids, Minnesota 55744
