Pool 11 on Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge/USFWS

Wild & Natural Places

Protecting Midwest Wildlife Refuges

ELPC is stepping up to protect the Midwest’s ecological gems, our National Wildlife & Fish Refuges

National Parks may be our most famous public lands, but there are amazing wild treasures managed by other federal agencies as well. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is an “unparalleled network of public lands and waters” that shelters many of the country’s most iconic and rare species. Out of the 560 refuges nationwide, 53 are right here in the Midwest, but they often face threats from encroaching proposals for highways, pipelines, transmission lines, agriculture, and sprawl.

Map of the United States Great Lakes and Great Plains regions, showing 53 National Wildlife Refuges.

National Wildlife Refuges in the Midwest (click to expand)

Among the most serious problems facing wildlife refuges are “right-of-way projects” such as pipelines, transmission lines, and roads. Most of those are not “compatible” uses within the definition of the statute and USFWS rules, which provide that private economic uses like powerlines and pipelines must “contribute to” the wildlife purposes of refuges to meet the compatibility standard. By their nature, right-of-way projects contribute to habitat fragmentation, reduce habitat quality, degrade habitat quality through the introduction of contaminants, disrupt migration corridors, alter hydrology, facilitate the introduction of alien and invasive species, and disturb wildlife.

Agriculture can also be harmful to wildlife refuges, notably haying and grazing, which are two methods of feeding livestock that disrupt native plants and wildlife ecosystem. In fact, both grazing and haying are among the uses identified by refuge managers as “harmful” uses occurring in our nation’s refuges as part of a survey conducted by the General Accounting Office at the request of Congress.

ELPC is stepping up in multiple states to protect refuges, for the wildlife and communities who depend on them.

What is ELPC Doing?

Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, South Dakota

Brown sign for the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge stands in South Dakota grassy fieldOn the Great Plains of north-central South Dakota, the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 21,498 acres of ecologically rich wetlands, where thousands of waterfowl and other species thrive. When a “compatibility determination” was proposed to grant a blank check for constructing “roads, water or fuel pipelines, power lines, telecommunication lines or towers, or other utilities” through the refuge, we stepped up. ELPC and the National Wildlife Refuge Association filed comments in November 2023 noting that such development is not consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, nor with stated federal policy.

Fortunately, the US Fish & Wildlife Service agreed with our comments that allowing large developments through the refuge violates the law and would be damaging for wildlife and biodiversity. FWS formally withdrew its compatibility determination and will now proceed in a more protective and legal way. That’s a win for South Dakota’s environment!

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota

Blue-winged teal bird flying

Blue-winged teal

The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Ortonville, Minnesota is 11,586 acres of native prairie habitat at the headwaters of the Minnesota River. There are over 250 bird species observed on the refuge, including waterfowl (mallard, blue-winged teal), grassland species (bobolinks), and wetland birds (black tern). In addition to 12 species of reptiles, 8 amphibians, 35 fish, and numerous mammals, Big Stone also fosters three butterfly species of concern: the Dakota skipper, regal fritillary, and poweshiek skipperling. Today, less than 1% of America’s tallgrass prairie remains, so it was concerning to see a draft “compatibility determination” propose grazing and haying without provisions to ensure that the benefits outweigh the ecological costs. ELPC filed comments in July 2024 calling for specific improvements to protect the refuge.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Kansas

Dickscissel bird is native to the rapidly diminishing grasslands & wetlands of the great plains

Dickscissel, a Midwestern prairie bird

The Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Kansas is 22,135 acres of sand dunes, prairie grasses, cottonwood trees, and rare inland marshes. Over 300 species of birds frequent the refuge, including grassland species (dickscissel, grasshopper sparrow), endangered species (whooping cranes), and wintering birds (bald eagles, snow geese), along with six species of turtle, mule and white-tail deer, porcupine, prairie dog, and wild turkey. Considering public lands compose less than 3% of Kansas, and an even smaller percentage are specifically managed for conservation, ecological stewardship is critical. In August 2024, ELPC called for specific limitations & mitigation measures to ensure that grazing, haying, and seed collection do not damage habitat and wildlife at Quivira.

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge, Wisconsin

Whooping Cranes in the marsh in Wisconsin's Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge

Whooping Cranes

In Southwest Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a gem of the Midwest, a key part of the Mississippi Flyway, and the fourth most visited national wildlife refuge in the nation. When the massive Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line was proposed to slice through the refuge, local residents were outraged. Construction of the transmission line through the refuge is unlawful and violates the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, among other statutes. ELPC has been fighting in state and federal court opposing the transmission line on behalf of our clients: the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, and Defenders of Wildlife. Although construction of the line was completed in 2024, the fight continues as the parties await a ruling from the Wisconsin federal district judge on motions for summary judgment. If we prevail, we will seek redress for the construction that we maintain is unlawful.

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