“We extended our enrollment period to coincide with the deadline for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up,” said Marybeth Block, Walk-In Access coordinator. “The programs work well together for landowners and for wildlife.”

The Walk-In Access program pays landowners in 35 western Minnesota counties to allow public hunting on their private land. The program targets privately owned parcels of 40 acres or more, which are enrolled in a conservation program such as CRP or Reinvest In Minnesota. River bottoms, wetlands and other high quality habitat can also be considered for the program.

“The Walk-In Access program guarantees extra revenue on land that is difficult or impossible to farm,” Block said. “It rewards landowners who are willing to let the public hunt on their high quality habitat.”

Landowners can contact their local soil and water conservation district office for program details and enrollments. The program goal is to enroll 25,000 acres for 2013. 

Walk-In Access land is open for public hunting only, from Sept. 1 to May 31 each year. No target practice, trapping, dog training, camping, horseback riding or fires are allowed. Enrolled acres are for walk-in traffic only; no vehicles are allowed on conservation land.

Locations of parcels enrolled for 2013 will be on the DNR website in August. More information on the program can be found at www.mndnr.gov/walkin.

The proposal, submitted by Upper Mississippi Development LLC, would use about 200,000 square feet in nine historic buildings on the Upper Post to house the Upper Mississippi Academy, a new prekindergarten-12th grade charter school that includes in its curriculum a focus on environmental education.

Their plan was one of five ideas submitted to the DNR this spring in response to a request for proposals for restoring and reusing 28 historic buildings that were part of a military facility that has sat mostly vacant for the past 40 years. The DNR is working with several partner agencies that have formed a joint powers board, including the National Park Service, Hennepin County, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minnesota Historical Society. The coalition is seeking diverse uses at the Upper Post that enhance the DNR mission of connecting people to the outdoors, helping people learn more about the environment, learning more about history and cultural traditions, and promoting active healthy lifestyles. 

Proposals also were submitted by AirSpace Minnesota, the American Indian Community Development Corporation, Legacy Management and Development and Global Athlete Village. Projects were evaluated based on their consistency with strategic plans for the DNR and the Upper Post; the qualifications, experience and financial capacity of the proposer; the soundness of plans for implementation and for long-term management of historic properties; and financial attractiveness to the state. While the Upper Mississippi Academy is the only project moving ahead at this time, the DNR may continue discussions with several other proposers regarding potential reuse of other parts of the Upper Post.

The DNR will now begin negotiations with Upper Mississippi Development on a lease and design plans. Because the site is part of the Fort Snelling National Historic Landmark, the National Park Service must approve the design. Because the project would rely on a long-term lease of state property, it will need to be approved by the Executive Council, which consists of Minnesota’s governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor and secretary of state.

Blanding’s turtles have a domed, dark upper shell with many scattered yellow flecks. The bottom of the shell is yellow with black splotches. Perhaps most distinctive is their bright yellow chin and throat.

The distribution of Blanding’s turtles is shrinking and remaining populations are fragmented. Because of this, since 1984 they have been classified as a threatened species in Minnesota and are considered a Minnesota Species in Greatest Conservation Need.

“Citizen reports are important because Blanding’s turtles are difficult to survey,” according to Laurinda Brown, DNR nongame wildlife specialist. “There could be populations that we don’t know about.”

Blanding’s turtles have been studied in southwestern Minnesota since the mid-1990s. Brown is part of a research team that has been studying the Blanding’s turtle population in Martin County since 2007. She said that although these turtles can live to be 80 years old, they have been hit hard by the loss of wetland and upland habitat through the years, drastically limiting their ability to reproduce. Road mortality is another significant risk. Even small changes in their environment or the loss of a few individuals can have a big effect on the population.

“Late May through June is prime time to spot Blanding’s turtles as females leave the protection of wetlands to nest on dry, sunny hillsides,” Brown said. “Sightings could occur in a variety of locations such as crop fields, yards or on roadways.”

If a person spots a Blanding’s turtle, they should not disturb it, but record the location and time it was seen and take a photo if possible. Information should email Brown. She can also be reached at 507-359-6039. Timely reports help the nongame wildlife program to follow up on sightings.

Brown said that the health of Blanding’s turtles is directly related to the health of a watershed. Efforts to improve watersheds through integrated, cooperative conservation practices will positively impact water quality as well as habitat for numerous wildlife species, including the Blanding’s turtle.

For more information on Blanding’s turtles, visit the DNR Rare Species Guide.

Because DNR fisheries biologists believe the fish could not have gotten past the dams at Coon Rapids, St. Cloud and Sartell, it likely escaped via flood waters from a private pond, or was released intentionally.

Possession of grass carp is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. It is legal for reporting purposes to possess specimens, as the angler did.

There are state regulations in place to prevent the importation of these species and transfers between lakes. As a result, the DNR has not seen a lot of invasive fish spread though overland transfer compared to other animals and plants.

“Minnesota has strong laws against introducing exotic species into our public waters because it’s a serious matter,” said Steve Hirsch, director of the DNR’s Ecological and Waters Division.  “Invasive species like this can pose a significant threat to our native fisheries, recreational opportunities, and ecosystems.”

While the problems caused by bighead and silver carp are raised more frequently, grass carp is another species that can cause environmental harm. They are voracious consumers of aquatic vegetation, can grow to 70 pounds, and can cause water quality problems. Brought to the U.S. from Russia and China in the 1960s to control unwanted vegetation in reservoirs and aquaculture farms, they escaped and are now reproducing in some southern states.

Grass carp previously have been found in southeastern Minnesota, but they are not known to reproduce in Minnesota. A preliminary examination of the 36-inch female grass carp arrowed near Sartell, however, found what appeared to be viable eggs.

Because the gray cranes are difficult to see, researchers will use the DNR aviation program helicopter, which allows them to fly at a low level. Flights, which will consist of four-kilometer-square plots, should be completed within one or two weeks.

The survey, funded jointly by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the DNR, will continue for two years.

Read more about sandhill cranes.

The sandhill crane hunting zone can be found in the waterfowl hunting regulations.

The restrictions took effect at 8 a.m., Monday, May 13, for Cook, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis counties.

Here are the counties now under burning restrictions: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Roseau, Sherburne, Stearns, St. Louis, Todd, Wadena, Washington, Wright  and the part of Polk County that is south and east of County Road 6 from the Manhomen County line to state Highway 92 east to the Clearwater County line.

Minnesota has had numerous wildfires so far this spring, but most have been small.

While debris burning will be curtailed, the use of campfires, if smaller than 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet in height, are allowed.

Fire conditions may change quickly. If conditions warrant, DNR foresters may restrict local burning on short notice. Check fire conditions and find maps.

Data suggests forest tent caterpillar populations and the associated defoliation of trees could be building towards a 2014 or 2015 peak.

The forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria, is a native defoliator of a wide variety of hardwood trees and shrubs. Its range in North America extends from coast to coast and from the tree line in Canada to the southern states.

“These insects feed primarily on the leaves of aspen, birch, oak and basswood trees,” said Jana Albers, DNR forest health specialist in Grand Rapids. “The only hardwood not regularly fed upon is red maple.”

Defoliation normally begins in mid-May in central Minnesota and late-May in northern areas and is usually completed by mid- to late-June. The heavy snowfall and late arrival of spring may delay the egg hatch, but will have little impact on the survival of eggs laid last year.

Defoliation has little long-term impact on healthy trees, but can result in temporarily slowed growth. However, if trees are under stress from prolonged drought or have root system damage, secondary infestations by other pests can further weaken or kill those trees – particularly oaks and birches.

Outbreaks can result in dramatic swaths of defoliation in areas with abundant aspen, birch, oak or basswood stands. They occur at intervals of 10 to 16 years and last three to five years. They begin over large areas simultaneously, often occurring in Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Locally, outbreaks normally last two to three years. Widespread outbreaks peaked in Minnesota in 1922, 1937, 1952, 1967, 1978, 1989 and 2001.

Since it is a native insect, lack of food supply, as well as native parasites and predators ultimately push an outbreak to a crashing halt, Albers said. After a few years of population buildup, the large numbers of caterpillars need more foliage than is available. Up to 95 percent will die from starvation. A native, parasitic fly kills most of the remaining pupae in their cocoons, ending the outbreak.

Dealing with forest tent caterpillars can be frustrating.

“While the caterpillars don’t cause a health risk to humans, the presence of hundreds (or thousands) of them can be a real headache,” Albers said. “The effects of defoliation on shade trees, ornamental plantings and gardens can also be of concern to homeowners.” The DNR website offers tips for managing the nuisance of large numbers of forest tent caterpillars.

Although homeowners may want to use insecticides to protect trees and preserve their appearance, the DNR encourages people to first consider the type of insecticide and its effectiveness, and discourages the use of treatments that may pose any environmental concerns. Insecticides containing Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki can be effective against forest tent caterpillar defoliation when applied while the caterpillars are small. The DNR strongly recommends it over other insecticides because of its environmental and human safety.

More information about the biology and management of forest tent caterpillars can be found on the DNR website. The DNR also provides technical advice on this website to homeowners and land owners interested in treating their vegetation.

Each year at this time, many female turtles move from lakes, ponds, wetlands, rivers and streams to nesting areas, where they deposit their eggs in self-excavated nests. 
 
Unfortunately, many nesting areas are separated from the turtles’ wintering areas by roads they cross as they make their way to nests. 

“Many turtles and other species are killed on Minnesota roads each year, especially during the nesting season,” said Carol Hall, DNR herpetolo
gist.

People can help reduce turtle road death in these ways:

• Allow unassisted road crossings. When turtles can safely cross roads unaided due to a lack of oncoming traffic, allow them to do so. Observe from a distance and avoid rapid movements. Doing otherwise may cause turtles to change direction, stop, or seek shelter within their shells. 
• Avoid excessive handling. Excessive handling can disrupt normal behavior. Prolonged examination of turtles should be limited to only one or two turtles of each species.
• Maintain travel direction.  Always move turtles in the same direction they were traveling when encountered. Turtles should always be moved across roadways in as direct a line as possible.

People who see a turtle or other animal on the road, should slow down, and safely drive around it. Many people want to help turtles cross the road but the best approach is to let the turtle cross on its own. There are nine turtle species in the state, some of which are protected. 

Find more information on Minnesota turtles.

Planned improvements include ramp renovations, new storm water retention ponds, better drainage, an expanded paved parking lot with accessible parking, a portable toilet and facilities for preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.

“This access will be expanded to make it much more functional, to serve as an overflow lot when other nearby sites become full and also as a sheltered access from high winds,” said Tony Walzer, acquisition and development specialist for the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division. “The upgrades will greatly improve the parking and launching facilities for many years to come.”

For alternative places to fish, the DNR suggests Walker City Park and Erickson’s Landing, both off Highway 371. Additional nearby access sites can be located on the Cass County public water access map at a local DNR office or online. Information is also available by calling the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157, toll-free at 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Judith Schultz of Verndale, Stuart Anderson of Deer River, and Stanley Heldt of Mayer have donated thousands of hours and taught thousands of students hunting ethics, wildlife conservation, survival and firearms safety.

“These individuals’ commitment to the future of Minnesota’s outdoor recreation heritage serves as example to the more than 4,700 dedicated volunteer DNR safety education instructors throughout the state,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR hunter education program coordinator. “Minnesota’s hunters and motorized recreation enthusiasts owe them a debt of gratitude.”

The agency presented an engraved watch to each instructor to commemorate 50 years of service.

Schultz, Anderson, and Heldt join 611 firearms safety, snowmobile safety, turkey clinic, bow hunter, and advanced hunter education instructors recognized this year for five, 10, 20, 30, and 40 years of service totaling 7,135 years of instruction. DNR’s safety programs train 23,000 students annually.

“Volunteer instructors are the heart and soul of the hunter education program in Minnesota,” Hammer said. “The service of these dedicated men and women has made a significant difference in ensuring safe, ethical, and responsible behavior while enjoying Minnesota’s outdoors. No one knows how many injuries have been prevented and lives saved because of their efforts.”

DNR is always looking for experienced people who want to pass on the tradition of outdoors safety and responsibility to the next generation. People interested in joining the DNR in this volunteer activity, should call 800-366-8917, ext. 2504 or visit the DNR website .