Minnesota Mixed Bag: CWD hunt runs this weekend, Dec. 15-17

St. Paul — Hunters can harvest deer in a late-season chronic wasting disease management hunt Friday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 17. Deer permit areas open to this CWD management hunt are 342, 605, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648 and 649. The Minnesota DNR added DPA 342 to the hunt after a deer harvested there this fall tested positive for CWD.

The DNR establishes CWD management hunts to assess potential disease spread and to help mitigate the risk of CWD transmission by reducing the number of deer. CWD management hunts take place in areas where CWD-positive deer are consistently detected, or in areas where CWD-positive deer have been recently detected and more information is needed.

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CWD sampling is mandatory for deer harvested in this hunt, and carcass movement restrictions apply in all late-hunt DPAs except 342. Hunters in DPA 342 are not required, but are encouraged, to keep whole carcasses within the DPA until the carcasses are quartered or the meat is de-boned.

Hunters should check the complete information about permits, CWD sampling, land access and other important details on the Minnesota DNR website.

CPL GRANT PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

St. Paul — The Conservation Partners Legacy grant program is now accepting applications for the third round of expedited conservation projects. The second round of ECP grants recently closed.

Approximately $325,000 remains for the third round of ECP funds, which is open until Jan. 16.

The ECP grant cycle funds eligible activities that restore or enhance forests, wetlands, prairies, or habitat for fish, game, and wildlife on public lands and waters in Minnesota. Grant requests may range from $5,000 to $50,000, with a maximum total project cost of $1 million. Nonprofit organizations and government entities are eligible to apply, and a 10% match of non-state funds is required. Apply online at www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/habitat/cpl/index.html. Funding for the CPL program comes from the state’s Outdoor Heritage Fund.

DNR SEEKS INPUT ON KENSINGTON LOOP OHV TRAIL PROPOSALS

St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR invites public review and written comments on a proposal by Douglas County and the Runestone Off-Road ATV Riders Club to obtain grant-in-aid funding for an off-highway vehicle loop trail connecting Holmes City, Kensington Rune Stone Park, and the city of Kensington.

The proposed trail, known as the Kensington Loop Trail, would follow 22.75 miles of county and township gravel roads in Douglas County. The trail would be open to all OHVs, including all-terrain vehicles, off-road vehicles, and off-highway motorcycles. The ROAR Club and Douglas County would maintain the trail.

The DNR will accept written comments until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11. Comments may be submitted via email to karen.cladas@state.mn.us (please put “Kensington Loop” in the email subject line); or via mail to Karen Cladas, OHV acquisitions and development specialist, Parks and Trails Division, Minnesota DNR, 14583 County Highway 19, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501. A map of the proposed trail segments is available on the Kensington Loop OHV Trail proposal webpage. For more information, call Karen Cladas at 218-407-7176.

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN MORRISON COUNTY

St. Paul — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has confirmed emerald ash borer in Morrison County for the first time. There are now 46 counties in the state, including Morrison, with EAB. A suspected EAB infestation was reported at a campground in Genola.

EAB larvae were later found, and samples were collected by MDA staff. Federal identification confirmed the samples as emerald ash borer. MDA staff also surveyed other areas in Morrison County and found EAB near Little Falls.

Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Morrison County, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine of the county. The quarantine limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area.

SPARKS NAMED EDITOR OF QUAIL FOREVER JOURNAL

St. Paul — Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever has announced that Ryan Sparks has been hired as the new editor of the Quail Forever Journal, the signature publication of the nation’s leading quail habitat conservation group.

A longtime outdoor writer and photographer, Sparks will help create both print and digital content celebrating the history of conservation, and the heritage of quail hunting across the country.

In his new role, Sparks will manage the production of Quail Forever’s quarterly magazine, which has a circulation of over 18,000. He will also produce digital content for the organization’s website and social media platforms, and help grow the Quail Forever brand through membership, events, media, marketing, and corporate partnerships.

Sparks currently lives with his wife in southern Minnesota but is building a home on his family’s farm in Nebraska, where he plans to put down permanent roots and improve the farm’s quail habitat.