Rice County WMA Enhancements

The Rice County WMA enhancement proposal will enhance 30 acres of permanently protected upland cover on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). Scattered tree removal will significantly enhance the grassland complex and maximize production of pheasant, waterfowl, and other wildlife. The negatives associated with tree encroachment in grasslands are well documented contributing to higher levels of depredation and avoidance by area-sensitive grassland birds. Seeding identified areas and increasing diversity levels will also help pollinator and grassland bird usability. In addition high quality diverse stands are known to be more resilient to encroaching non-native species. These grasslands are now required to function at a higher level than when first developed. To do this we need to periodically enhance these WMAs above and beyond normal management. By enhancing these grasslands we will maximize past investments in habitat protection and create a robust structure of productive and more resilient habitat for waterfowl and other grassland dependent species.