Natural Resources

Fish and Wildlife Management

Statewide Outcome(s):

Fish and Wildlife Management supports the following statewide outcome(s).

A thriving economy that encourages business growth and employment opportunities.

A clean, healthy environment with sustainable uses of natural resources.

The program operates under the principle that economic prosperity depends on a healthy environment and sustainable use of natural resources.

Context:

Fish and wildlife management is the job of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fish and Wildlife Division. Minnesota’s citizens value the state’s rich outdoor heritage and often view their quality of life by the state’s abundance and quality of outdoor experiences and recreation opportunities. The level of support for Minnesota’s outdoor heritage was demonstrated by the 2008 constitutional Legacy Amendment that was supported by 56% of voters. Other amendments have also garnered significant support: a 1988 constitutional amendment establishing the environmental and natural resources trust fund (77 percent voter support) and a 1998 constitutional amendment preserving the right to hunt and fish (75 percent voter support).

The division supports DNR’s three-part mission to support interrelated values of economic development, recreational use, and natural resources protection. The division serves DNR’s mission by managing fish and wildlife populations, conserving aquatic and upland habitats, responding to fish and wildlife disease and habitat challenges, and providing economic benefits at local and statewide levels.

Fishing, hunting, trapping and wildlife watching annually provide:

·         an estimated 38.9 million days of fish and wildlife related outdoor recreation, including 24.4 million fishing days, 6.5 million hunting days, and 8 million wildlife watching (away from home) days, and

·         direct annual expenditures in Minnesota of $4.3 billion.

Funding sources include the game and fish fund (angling and hunting licenses), legacy fund, special revenues, federal grants, natural resource fund, environmental trust fund, and general fund (http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/budget/fy12-13/budget_spent.pdf) see page 14

The 2012 Legislature approved a fee initiative that is forecasted to bring in increased revenue to the game and fish fund enabling the department to continue and, in some cases, accelerate critical hunting and fishing activities.

Strategies:

Fish and wildlife population monitoring and management is necessary for managing healthy and productive fish and wildlife populations that support high quality and abundant fishing, hunting, trapping, and wildlife recreation viewing opportunities. Recreational opportunities and species sustainability are grounded in well-managed fishing and hunting and trapping seasons, which are based on scientific population surveys. Staff have been increasingly involved in monitoring and managing wildlife diseases such as bovine TB, avian influenza, chronic wasting disease and Newcastle disease.

Habitat protection, enhancement, and restoration is necessary for healthy and productive aquatic and terrestrial fish and wildlife populations. Fish and wildlife managers are responsible for conserving and managing habitat on state lands. Typical practices include creating waterfowl impoundments, conducting prescribed burns, restoring and enhancing wetlands, managing timber harvest, conducting wildlife lake assessments, improving fish spawning areas, restoring aquatic plants, removing dams, restoring channels, and reclaiming lakes.

Technical assistance, public participation, planning, and coordination results in citizens who are knowledgeable about the social and ecological value of healthy environments. In turn, citizens become supportive of the conservation of natural resources and ecological systems. DNR provides effective citizen partnerships to manage fish and wildlife resources.

Outreach, recruitment, and retention is necessary for increased multicultural, urban, and youth participation and appreciation of the state’s outdoor heritage as well as retention of current fish and wildlife recreation participants. This work includes implementing mentored hunts, managing the National Archery in the Schools program, providing skills-based training through youth and women’s programs, working directly with the Southeast Asian and other ethnic communities, investing in youth education through the MinnAqua program, and enhancing skills through the Becoming An Outdoors Woman/Family program, and Fishing In the Neighborhood.

Results:

The performance measures in the chart below are a subset of outcomes for the entire program. Program managers implement the strategies and regularly evaluate their success and adapt management practices to achieve the desired results. Key factors that drive outcomes include the following:

•       Loss of habitat as natural lands and waters are converted and developed for other purposes is a continuing challenge. High conservation value habitat such as grasslands, wetlands, and lakeshore are under threat from drainage, pollution, and land conversion. These ecosystems supply wildlife habitat and are critical for water quality, local economies, and recreation.

•       The cumulative effects of stresses — a changing climate, invasive species, disease, pollution, and land conversion — all lead to unprecedented challenges to Minnesota’s wide range of fish and wildlife species and habitats. Events occurring far from Minnesota, such as the 2010 Gulf oil spill, can also impact migratory wildlife species such as loons and waterfowl.

•       Increasing recreational and economic demands on fish and wildlife resources create potential for conflict. Some hunters want motorized access, while others want silence. Different people want land managed for different economic uses.

•       Managing interactions between people and wildlife is a challenge. More people are spending more time in places that bring them into contact—and sometimes conflict—with deer, geese, turkey, bears, and other animals. Wildlife damage to crops and other resources increase with changes in human and wildlife populations and with changes in the quantity and quality of habitat. An increasingly urban population may not be aware of fish and wildlife needs and laws.

•       Retooling management and channeling resources in new ways prepares DNR to respond to rapidly changing trends. The division will take advantage of new opportunities for managing natural lands to sustain wildlife while meeting emerging markets for biomass energy.

Performance Measures Notes:

There are factors outside the control of program managers that influence these measures such as weather, climate, and land use changes. Habitat conservation programs are largely federal Farm Bill programs with contributions from federal and state protection (fee title ownership).

1.     Comparing FY 2005 to FY 2009.

2.     Comparing FY 2007 to FY 2011.

3.     Comparing FY 2005 to FY 2011.

4.     Comparing FY 2007 to FY 2012.

5.     Comparing FY 2010 to FY 2012.

More information: Strategic Conservation Agenda: Performance and Accountability Report (http://www.mndnr.gov/conservation_agenda/performance)