Minnesota

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is located in the east central region of the state, approximately 50 miles northwest of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and 30 miles southeast of St. Cloud. The refuge protects 30,665 acres of habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness now contains a total of 809,772 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of Minnesota.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, this process began in 1964 when 886,673 acres were designated by Public Law 88-577.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is located within the urban and suburban areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It is a green belt of large marsh areas bordered by office buildings, highways, residential areas, and grain terminals. The refuge is comprised of eight linear units totaling approximately 12,500 acres, spanning 34 miles of the Minnesota River.

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge covers 42,724 acres and lies in the glacial lake country of northwestern Minnesota in Becker County, 18 miles northeast of Detroit Lakes. It was established in 1938 as a refuge breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Refuge topography consists of rolling forested hills interspersed with lakes, rivers, marshes, bogs and shrub swamps. The token of the refuge is the tamarac tree. This unusual tree is a deciduous conifer, turning a brilliant gold before losing its needles each fall.

The 18,064-acre Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 and is located in the scenic forest and bog area of northern Minnesota. Visitors can enjoy a range of habitats, including lake, river, bog and hardwood forest.

From Roswell, 14 miles west on US 70/380, 7 miles south on project access road.

The Agassiz Wilderness now contains a total of 4,000 acres and is managed by the Fish & Wildlife Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Minnesota. In 1976 the Agassiz Wilderness became part of the now over 108 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This System of wild lands contributes significantly to the ecological, economic, and social health of our country.

Located in northern Minnesota, lies the Chippewa National Forest. The Forest boundary encompasses about 1.6 million acres, of which about 665,000 acres are managed by the USDA Forest Service. Aspen, birch, pines, balsam fir, and maples blanket the rolling uplands of the forest. In between, water is abundant, with over 700 lakes, 920 miles of rivers and streams, and 150,000 acres of wetlands. The forest landscape is a reminder of the glaciers that blanketed northern Minnesota some 10,000 years ago.

Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1915 and is known as the smallest refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The refuge is comprised of two small islands (0.57 acres total) over a mile from shore on Lake Mille Lacs in north-central Minnesota. The islands are boulder and gravel outcrops important for colonial nesting birds, including common terns, ring-billed and herring gulls, and double-crested cormorants.

The refuge is managed by staff at the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

http://www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/directions.htm