Minnesota Mixed Bag: DNR invites people to share pheasant, turkey observations

St. Paul — Minnesotans are encouraged to report observations of ring-necked pheasants and wild turkeys in a citizen science effort by the Minnesota DNR.

People may report any pheasant and turkeys they see in the wild now through Sunday, Aug. 31. Information from the reports will help the DNR monitor pheasant and turkey population trends, evaluate conservation efforts, and make decisions about harvest regulations.

Using a mobile device or desktop computer, people may enter information on the DNR website.

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Public Invited to BWCAW Recreation Fee Increase Proposal Open Houses

Duluth, Minn. — The Superior National Forest is proposing increases to recreation fees at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to increase education and maintenance, and to enhance the visitor experience. On June 16, the Superior National Forest shared the BWCAW Recreation Fee proposal for public review and comments through Sept. 2.

The public is invited to an in-person open house July 14 from 4-6 p.m. at the Kawishiwi District Office in Ely and another in-person open house on July 22 from 4-6 p.m. at the Gunflint District Office in Grand Marais.

Additionally, a virtual open house will take place July 15 from 4-6 p.m. via MS Teams. Check the Superior National Forest’s website for links and location details: www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior

Cattail Removal to Continue in Voyageurs National Park

International Falls, Minn. — From July through October 2025, Voyageurs National Park staff and contractors will resume work removing areas of invasive, hybrid cattails in wetlands within the park.

The work includes grinding up mats of floating cattails with a specialized cutting machine and removing the debris using a harvesting barge. The removed plant debris will be deposited on shore, where it will be spread out and left to decay naturally. Some areas of treated wetlands will also be re-seeded with a native aquatic plant mix.

Hybrid cattails have invaded approximately 500 acres of wetlands in Voyageurs, outcompeting important native and diverse plant communities. This long-term project will improve habitat for wildlife, provide enhanced opportunities for fishing, and help restore wetlands to more ecologically diverse, natural states.

More information on the project can be found here. Initial efforts will focus on treating problematic floating mats in the Irwin Bay on Kabetogama Lake. Once completed, the work will shift to areas in Black Bay Narrows and Cranberry Bay on Rainy Lake.

Removal operations will occur only during daylight hours.

Treatment areas will be blocked off with containment booms to avoid floating debris from spreading to other portions of the lakes during contract work. Park visitors are reminded to avoid entering recently treated wetlands by boat or other watercraft to avoid getting stuck or damaging motors. Follow-up removals will be repeated this summer as necessary to remove any remaining debris.

Federal Launches Personal Defense Deals Rebate Program

Anoka, Minn. — Federal Ammunition has announced a new rebate program for customers purchasing select Federal Premium Personal Defense handgun ammunition. The Personal Defense Deals rebate runs July 1 through July 31, giving customers the chance to earn up to $200 back. Rebate submissions must be received by Aug. 31

To qualify, customers must purchase at least two boxes of eligible Federal Premium Personal Defense handgun ammunition and will receive a rebate of 20% of the purchase price, with a maximum rebate of $200 per person or household.

Qualifying handgun products are limited to HST, Hydra-Shok, Hydra-Shok Deep, Practice & Defend, HST Micro, and Hydra-Shok Low Recoil.

For complete rebate details, visit here.

DNR Expands Library Pass Program to Increase Park Access

St. Paul — In partnership with more than 200 libraries and bookmobiles across the state, the Minnesota DNR is expanding the popular library park pass program, which provides access to state parks and recreation areas at no cost to library patrons.

Piloted in 2018 and launched statewide in 2021, the program offers seven-day state park passes that can be checked out from participating public libraries.

The program has expanded from about 100 participating libraries to more than 200 libraries and bookmobiles. All 87 counties in Minnesota have at least one participating library. The number of available passes has also grown from 175 to 450. Usage of the library passes increased almost two-fold in the first three years of the program, with 1,960 pass checkouts in the first year (July 2021-June 2022) to 3,812 checkouts in the third year of the program (July 2023-June 2024).

The cost of the passes available through this program is covered by the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund, while partnering libraries facilitate the checkout process. To see a list of participating libraries, visit www.mndnr.gov/librarypass.

Library park passes cover only the vehicle entrance fee. If participants would like to camp, they will need to make and pay for camping reservations, either online at mndnr.gov/reservations or by phone at 866-857-2757.