Pheasants Forever, Partners Expand Western Minnesota Habitat Complex
Pheasants Forever and dedicated partners recently completed the acquisition and restoration of 160 acres in western Minnesota as an addition to the Gruhl Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Now open to public hunting, the addition to Gruhl WMA features 11 wetlands and more than 100 acres of restored grasslands that are home to pheasants, waterfowl, and the region’s iconic greater prairie chicken.
“This project is a true gem. For this property to be permanently protected and opened to the public in some of the best remaining quality habitat for prairie chickens is incredibly exciting,” explained Brian Winter, president of the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society. “We’re thrilled to be one of the partners in a group of collaborators to help protect critical habitat for this treasured bird. This project is proof that Pheasants Forever is truly who they say they are – The Habitat Organization – whose projects and influence go well beyond the bird that their logo represents.”
Comprised of lowland brush, prairie and shallow wetlands, the northern reaches of Gruhl WMA were formerly marginal cropland acres containing drained wetlands that have been restored by Pheasants Forever’s restoration specialist team. This project is located within the Agassiz Beach Ridges Prairie Corridor as defined by the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan and is contributing to the conservation of core grassland/wetland landscapes in the state’s western region.
The Gruhl WMA addition is located 4.5 miles northwest of Hawley, Minnesota, or two miles north of Hwy 10 on 190th Street North. This project was made possible by contributions from the following partners:
- Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund
- North American Wetlands Conservation Act
- Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society
- Clay County Pheasants Forever
- Michael & Dianne Fillmore
- SCHEELS
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Gruhl WMA is a permanent habitat protection project contributing to the goals of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Call of the Uplands national campaign – a recently announced monumental initiative to save America’s uplands and cultivate the next generation of conservationists and hunters.