review and approvals
TRANSCRIPT
REVIEW AND APPROVALS
SHERBURNE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Zimmerman, Minnesota
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Fiscal Year 1999
Project Leader Date
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Table of Contents
Monitoring and Studies . 1a. Surveys and Censuses 1 b. Studies and Investigations .
Habitat Restoration .
Introduction Highlights
Climate Data
2a. Wetland restoration: On-Refuge . 2b. Upland restoration: On-Refuge. 2c. Wetland restoration: Off-Refuge 2d. Upland restoration: Off-Refuge
Habitat Management. 3a. Manage water levels 3b. Manage moist soil units . 3c. Graze/mow/hay 3d. Farming 3e. Forest cutting . 3f. Prescribed burning 3g. Control pest plants
Fish and Wildlife Management 4a. Bird banding . 4b. Disease monitoring and treatment . 4c. Reintroductions . 4d. Provide nest structures . 4e. Predator and exotic control
Coordination Activities Sa. Interagency coordination Sb. Tribal coordination . Sc. Private land activities Sd. Oil and gas activities. Se. Cooperative/Friends Organizations
Resource Protection . 6a. Law enforcement. 6b. Wildfire preparedness.
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6c. Manage permits and economic uses 6d. Contaminant investigation and cleanup 6e. Manage water rights 6f. Manage cultural resources. 6g. Federal Facility Compliance Act . 6h. Land acquisition 6i. Wilderness and natural areas 6j. Threats and conflicts
Alaska Only .
Public Education and Recreation . Sa. Provide visitor services . 8b. Outreach
Planning and Administration . 9a. Comprehensive management planning 9b. General administration 9c. Safety
Appendix Credits
Nothing to Report Nothing to Report Nothing to Report
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INTRODUCTION
The scattered, gnarled oaks posed as sentinels as the wagon moved ever onward. Deer, rabbit, grouse and squirrels were commonplace while the more secretive wolves, foxes and badgers lurked in the distance and countless wild flowers filled the air with savory odors. Myriads of waterfowl swarmed about the marshes while beaver busily constructed dams to create new wetlands. At long last, a place to settle was selected. The year was 1857 and the European pioneers were not aware that man had begun inhabiting the area at least 5,000 years earlier.
Geologic processes had been shaping the landscape for eons. A glacier had deposited sandy outwash over the area about 12,000 years earlier which would eventually develop into soil. Mixed with the outwash were large ice blocks of various sizes and shapes which, when melted, would form the numerous wetlands, many of which exist today. The sandy soils had poor water-holding capabilities. During wet periods vegetation grew profusely yet when rain failed to fall for an extended period of time, the soils and vegetation would quickly dry and fires would rampage over the countryside consuming virtually everything in the way. As a result, a unique biotic community evolved which would eventually become known as oak savanna.
An oak savanna contains portions of the woodland plant community and the prairie plant community. Only the highly fire-tolerant plants survived in abundance. Those plants which were not very fire-tolerant were held in check awaiting the wet years to prosper.
After the arrival of the pioneers in 1857, settlement progressed rapidly. Within 50 years most of the land was under private ownership with agriculture the primary industry. Fields were cleared and the sod was broken. In an attempt to gain inore farm land, an extensive network of drainage ditches was constructed beginning in the early 1900's. Some of the wetland drainage did create additional farm land but much of it merely reduced the wildlife values ofthe wetland. Fire suppression allowed forest lands to develop and the oak savanna which had developed over thousands of years almost vanished over a period ofless than 100 years.
Local sportsmen recognized the decline in wildlife populations and in the late 1930's began to promote restoration and development of the area for wildlife through the Minnesota Department of Conservation. Studies were conducted to determine the feasibility of establishing a wildlife refuge. The Minnesota Department of Conservation recognized that the financial demands of establishing a refuge of some 48 square miles were too great for them to undertake and requested assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. After several years of negotiations with local, state and federal governmental agencies, approval for establishment of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge was granted. On May 18, 1965, Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge was established under the authority of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It's legislative purpose as stated at the hearing before the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission is " .. for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purposes, for migratory birds".
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Sherburne's major objectives as derived from its legislative purpose are:
To enhance waterfowl production and maintenance. To restore and maintain native vegetation and wildlife. To provide and enhance habitat for wildlife diversity. To provide the public with wildlife-oriented opportunities in interpretation, recreation, and outdoor classrooms when compatible with the resource and other Refuge objectives.
Land acquisition began shortly thereafter. Nearly 300 landowners were involved. By 1975, land acquisition for the Refuge was essentially complete but some land exchanges to resolve inholding did occur thereafter. Funds for the land acquisition came from proceeds of duck stamp sales. Also during this period, a master plan for management of the Refuge was developed. In essence, the goal of the master plan was to return the landscape to a condition similar to that which existed at the time of settlement by Europeans.
When land acquisition was completed, development of the Refuge could move forward. Farm buildings were sold and moved. Foundations were buried and basements were filled. Farm fields were seeded to grasses (native prairie grasses when funds were available) and wetland restoration was begun. When permanent vegetation had been established in the fields to stabilize the soil, removal of pines, which were not native to the area, was begun (pine trees had been planted following the dust bowl era of the 1930's to retard soil erosion). Fire, a primary factor in development and maintenance of oak savanna, could be used to restore oak savanna once the pine trees were removed. Wetland restoration took a major step forward in 1978 when the Bicentennial Land Heritage Program, originated by President Ford and perpetuated by President Carter, provided funding for development of refuges throughout the United States. Under this program, which ended in 1981, over 6,000 acres of wetlands were restored or created on Sherburne Refuge. Development to accommodate public use was also undertaken.
Today, Sherburne Refuge provides a place for the ever expanding human population to observe and enjoy nature. The Old Schoolhouse, which was constructed very early in this century, is used by many ofthe local schools as a center for environmental education. Two trails are available for hiking or cross country skiing, depending upon the season. An auto tour route provides visitors with an opportunity to observe and interpret habitat management practices and view wildlife. The goal of returning the combination of wetlands, and grasslands, and oak savanna to pre-settlement conditions has not yet been reached, but the process has begun .
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HIGHLIGHTS
0 Six Bald Eagles were produced to flight.
0 Greater Sandhill Cranes peaked at 922 and remained on the area until December 16, both new records.
0 A new method was used to add forbs to the diversity of the prairie openings.
0 The first water control structure in a County Ditch in Isanti County was county board sanctioned and a 71 acre wetland was restored (Shugren).
0 Twenty-six wetlands totaling 165 acres were restored on private lands.
0 Seventy acres were seeded to a native forb - grass mix on the Larry Brambrink farm. This completes a quarter section of wetland-upland restoration with a permanent Land Trust easement.
0 An Outdoor Study Area was completed on Cambridge Public School property. This adds to sites already established at Foley, Elk River, Zimmerman, Rogers and Otsego.
0 Red pines were clearcut from the County Road 9 ROW and the Mahnomen Trailhead areas. This continues the native vegetation program initiated during the 1960's when the refuge was established.
0 Prescribed burning totaled 2,997 acres.
0 Nine wildfires totaling 12 acres were suppressed.
0 Monitoring plots were completed, they now total 102 in Sherburne NWR.
0 A new environmental education curriculum was developed under contract.
0 Twenty citations were written by officers to curb illegal uses.
0 Ten vehicle accidents occurred, all on County Highway ROW's through the refuge.
0 A new deck/accessible trail was added at the tour route entrance by volunteers.
0 Visitation totaled 102,000 .
0 Five Special Events attracted 3,692 visitors.
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Volunteers contributed 8,662 hours.
Tim Loose transferred to the McGregor District of UMFWR.
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CLIMATE DATA
November and early December were perhaps one of the nicest late fall seasons with record setting warmth. September through November became the 9th warmest fall on record, and the warmest since 1963, recording 48.6 degrees average temperature which is 3.4 degrees above normal. Many bird species were late in their migratory behaviors. Despite some cold temperatures in early November, the record warmth later that month and in early December caused some plants to bud.
The mild December (more than seven degrees above normal), the near normal January, and our mild February resulted in an average winter temperature of six degrees above normal. The 1998-99 seasonal snowfall, fueled mainly by the 18.4 inches in January, was only 25.1 inches, more than eight inches below normal. St. Cloud has not recorded a low temperature colder than -25 since December 26, 1996 .
The spring came early with pussy willows blooming in February the pasque flowers on April 16. This was followed by a rollercoaster summer including some record lows being registered in June and record heat indices in July.
The average temperature was 44.6°F. Overall, this was 36.5°F above normal. Precipitation total was 27.81 inches, a 0.38 departure from normal. The table on the following page provides a summary of the fiscal year's temperature and precipitation on a monthly basis.
Monthly highlights
On November 9-10, the strongest storm ever to hit Minnesota arrived, setting record low barometric pressures. Many wind speeds around the state exceeded 60 mph. Wet snow also accompanied the storm. Over three inches fell in St. Cloud, most of which was melted by rain. Nov 26-29 brought the warmest Thanksgiving weekend on record with two record highs broken: 57° on Nov 27th and 59° on Nov 29th.
This was followed by record highs of 61° on December 1 and 3 to start the 15th warmest December in the 118 years of Saint Cloud records. The first 15 days of the month had an average high of 46.5 degrees and an average low of 22.3 degrees, yielding an average temperature which was almost six degrees warmer than the warmest December of all time. This was followed by a late month cold spell, averaging almost six degrees below normal for the last 16 days. December continued the trend for below normal snowfall. Only 2.8 inches were recorded at the St. Cloud airport in December, about a quarter of the normal total. This was the lowest December snowfall since 1981 (when no measurable snow was recorded).
However, the mild start to winter which lasted until mid December, was offset by a very wintry late December and January. Temperatures returned to normal and 18.4 inches of snow was recorded for the month of January, making the grand total of22.6 for the season. There were 12 days with measurable snowfall.
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Table I. Monthly precipitation and temperatures at Sherburne NWR*
PRECIPITATION (inches) TEMPERATURE (°F)
MONTH DEVIATION DEVIATION TOTAL FROM MAX. MIN. AVE. FROM
NORMAL NORMAL
October 1998 1.89 -0.32 71 25 49.0
November 1998 1.54 0.27 59 14 34.0
December 1998 0.89 0.06 61 -19 20.9
January 1999 0.66 -0.08 37 -25 8.4
February 1999 0.04 -0.59 43 -2 25.0
March 1999 0.94 -0.47 71 2 31.5
April1999 2.05 -0.30 73 25 45.4
May 1999 4.68 1.52 88 33 58.2
June 1999 4.00 -0.60 91 39 65.6
July 1999 3.86 0.75 98 50 72.5
August 1999 4.65 0.69 91 46 67.3
September 1999 2.61 -0.55 89 28 57.1
Totals 27.81 0.38 98.0 -25.0 44.6 . Data obtamed from weather station at St. Cloud, MN, located 11 rmles west of Sherburne NWR.
February was another mild one. Temperatures averaged more than 10.5 degrees above normal, placing it as the 7th warmest in the 119 years on record. This certainly makes the past two Februaries the warmest consecutive Februaries on record. February had only one day of zero degrees or colder (on the 41h) and was nearly snowless. Saint Cloud Airport received 0.5 inch of snow during February, tied for the 4th lowest total on record with 1964 and making this the 7th driest February on record and the driest since 1964. Most of the snow cover was gone by mid-February.
March came in with a change when it snowed for 24 hours straight on March 8-9, for a total accumulation of9.8 inches in St. Cloud. Warm, dry, and windy would characterize the month ofMarch. Temperatures in St. Cloud averaged 3.9 degrees above normal. Winds averaged well above normal as well, with wind gusts over 40 mph on more than one day. The monthly precipitation total was close to normal, but the month was perceived as a dry one because measurable precipitation was recorded on only 5 or 6 days, and relative humidity on most days was very low. Rapid loss of snow cover and melting lake ice occurred during the second half of the month .
3.10
4.30
6.80
0.30
10.70
3.90
1.90
2.30
0.80
2.40
0.20
-0.20
36.50
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The absence of snow cover, combined with longer days, above normal temperatures, and March rains helped to drive the frost out of the ground early. Some soils were frost-free by April 151
• With only 0.3 inches of precipitation for the month, the yearly total remained an inch shy of historical normals. The mean temperature for the month of April was 1.9 degrees above the historical average.
The first half of May was one of the cloudiest ever. The St Paul Climatological Observatory on the University ofMinnesota campus reported that the average daily solar radiation from the 1st through the 17th was the lowest ever, dating back to 1963. The clouds also brought rain and the four inches of rain received during the first two weeks of May created flooding conditions. The St. Francis River came out of its banks and St. Francis Pool was filled to its maximum level (one foot below its spillway elevation). Precipitation totals for the month exceeded historical "normals" by 1.56 inche.s.
June brought cool, cloudy weather around the state. A number of locations reported the coolest daytime maximum temperatures ever for June 1. In St Cloud the high of 4 7 degrees tied with 1945 for this honor. Some rather wild swings in temperature during the month seemed to balance out with the average temperatures just 0.8° above normal. There were some sultry evening dewpoints in the 70s and some brisk early morning dewpoints in the 40s. Some record and near record low temperatures were also reported on the mornings ofthe 14th- 16th .
Weather was favorable to conduct April burns this year (April, AR).
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A sampling ofthe most uncomfortable Julys since 1945 (based on dewpoints and heat index values) shows July of 1999 to be the fourth most uncomfortable. Hot and humid weather began over the July 4th holiday weekend and returned throughout the month. This month ended much as it started with July 29th and 30th becoming two of the most humid days in Minnesota history. The dewpoint in the Twin Cities on July 29 was 81°, breaking the record of 80° set on July 22.
August and September were close to normal temperatures and precipitation, without many highlights. A lowering of the water level in several Refuge wetlands was observed during these months .
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MONITORING AND STUDIES
1 a. Surveys and Censuses
Endangered and/or Threatened Species
a. Bald .eagle (Threatened)
The 1999 field season began with six active bald eagle nests with advent of a new territory and nest on Durgin Pool (found in July, built in a dead snag). This is the first increase since 1994 when five territories became active. The St. Francis, Carpenter, Stickney, Bergerson/Schoolhouse, and Brande Road nests rounded out the active territories. Three of these pairs successfully fledged eaglets, for a total production of 6 (Carpenter pair fledged 3, Stickney fledged 2, and Brande Road fledged 1). The Brande Road pair successfully hatched and fledged one eaglet. The new nest between Schoolhouse and Bergerson Pools (built in 1998 after the other blew down) was active, but the pair stopped attending the nest late in incubation. The St. Francis Pool pair also stopped attending their nest late ir. incubation. This nest, then blew down on 6/6/99. A new nest was confirmed on the south end of this pool on 10/18/99. Unfortunately, the new Durgin nest, which was also lost this season when the tree burned through during a prescribed bum on 4/26/99, and one eaglet was found dead. This pair began construction of a new nest on the west end of the pool soon after this event and a new nest was visible on 5/10/99.
b. Timber wolf (Threatened)
No sightings ofwolves were recorded this year, despite the observance ofwolfsign. Wolfhowling surveys were conducted on June 8, 17, and 24, July 29, September 23 and 28, and October 7. Voice howls were used to elicit responses. One wolf response was recorded on June 171
h from the Brande Road in the direction ofBuck Lake area. Responses from coyotes were heard on every survey except October 7th.
c. Peregrine falcon
Sightings of peregrine falcons during the season are relatively common as they use the Refuge for a feeding area. Two breeding pairs are located within 10 miles of the Refuge on the stacks ofSherco Power Plant in Becker (about 8 miles southwest) and Monticello nuclear power plant(about 10 miles south). Last fiscal year (August 25, 1998) the Fish and Wildlife Service announced their proposal to remove this bird from the endangered species list and on August 25, 1999 the fmal rule was issued .
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Waterfowl
Waterfowl were surveyed weekly during spring and fall migration and bi-weekly between migration times on a predetermined census route.
Fall 1998 started unseasonably warm across the state. September was the warmest in this area since 1948. The mild conditions continued through most of October. This coupled with below normal precipitation since August, caused many wetlands to go dry and wetland impoundments to be below proposed levels. Although moist soil plant development had been good through the season, the unavailability of water in the fall rendered the majority of it inaccessible to the fall migrants. At the beginning of November the weather changed dramatically with a cold front moving in, freezing the shallow wetlands and forming an ice skim on the larger water bodies. The northern birds reacted to this as they came in and left quickly. Ring-necked ducks and northern mallards arrived in force the week of October 26'\ peaking on October 30 at 5,200 and 18,5000 birds, respectively. Scaup arrived the weekend of October 31 and all left by November 5. Gadwall and wigeon had come down earlier, peaking at 2,500 birds on Sept. 25, and 470 birds on Oct. 2, respectively. The peak fall number of waterfowl utilizing the Refuge was 35,130 birds on October 30. Warm weather after this quick freeze reopened some areas and as late as December 10, there were 1,100 Canada geese still using Pool2.
The spring migration started early. Weekly waterfowl counts were begun when the majority of the Refuge pools were open, on March 31. However, many waterfowl had already arrived. First arrivals for Canada geese was February 3, hooded merganset:s on 2/26, wood ducks were first seen on 3/12, blue-winged teal on 3/17, gadwall on 3/20, and common mergansers on 3/25. Throughout the migration, a good variety ofbirds used the Refuge and fed on the food that was left over from last year•s·production on our moist soil units. The peak spring waterfowl migration (27 ,950 birds) was recorded on 3/31. A breeding population of2,740 Canada geese was reached on 4/9, wood ducks (1,525 birds) on 4/16, mallards (1,930 birds) on 4/23, and blue-winged teal (1,265 birds) on 4/30.
Waterfowl production was almost double that of 1998. Canada goose production was estimated at 3,830 compared to 1,939 in 1998. Mallard production was estimated at 1 ,210 compared to 665 in 1998, and blue-winged teal production was estimated at 790 compared to 490 birds in 1998. Additionally, this years production for wood duck was estimated at 1,270 and ring-necked ducks at 150. The first goose brood was observed on St. Francis Pool on April 28.
Overall, precipitation was at normal levels through out the field season with above normal temperatures. The late summer and fall were dry, however, and many wetlands that had not yet recovered from 1998's hot dry field season began to dry up once again .
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Trumpeter swans continue to utilize the pools as a loafing site and a migration stopover. No production has occurred since the first pair reproduced in 1997 and the pen, a Hennepin Park neck banded bird, was discovered dead in Sibley County in February 1998. The long-time Sherburne pair (MNDNR bird- orange patagial tag 16 and his mate) appeared on the refuge in late summer and were seen frequently throughout the fall. Since 1996, this pair has spent their breeding seasons about 2 miles southwest of the Refuge and returned in the fall to feed and loaf.
Marsh and Water Birds
A trumpeter swan killed in a power line collision near Monticello was put to good use at Headquarters (September, NH) .
Marsh and water birds were surveyed at the same time as the waterfowl. In addition, a Secretive Marshbird Survey was conducted as a Study (see section lb.).
Sandhill crane fall migration numbers set a new all-time record. The peak number of cranes using St. Francis Pool as an evening roost was 922 continuing the upward trend. The last cranes were seen leaving the refuge on 12/16. This is the latest date of cranes on record, surpassing the old record of 11/25/94. The annual spring unison call count was conducted on 4/22, in cooperation with Dr. Grewe and students from St. Cloud State University, along with volunteers, including Erik Eckl from the Washington Office External Affairs and Dan Sobieck from Region 3 External Affairs, and Andrea Lee Lambrecht, staff writer for the St. Cloud Times. Based on this count, about 30 breeding
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pairs of sandhill cranes resided on Sherburne. The first cranes were observed on 3/19 on Pool 2. The first crane chick was observed on 6/1 north of the headquarters building.
Common loon pairs were observed on Johnson Slough, Durgin, St. Francis, Nelson and Schoolhouse Pools, and Orrock Lake. Nests were located on Stickney Pool and Johnson Slough. Young were observed on Bergerson, Schoolhouse, and Nelson Pools.
White pelicans arrived in late August, stayed only briefly, and never really built up numbers as they have in the past.
Shorebirds. gulls. terns. and Allied Species
Several species of shorebirds enjoyed the low spring water level on Upper Roadside Pool, including white-rumped, pectoral, solitary, semi-palmated, and least sandpipers, semipalmated plovers, dunlin, and lesser yellow legs. This pool was a virtual spring mudflat from the natural drawdown which occurred in the fall of 1998 due to lack of precipitation. Stickney hosted some spring shorebird use, including a rare stilt sandpiper in mid-May in its southwest bay. The water level on Deer Pool was drawn down to attract fall migrating shorebirds. Although it received little concentrated use there was a good variety of shorebirds present, including greater and lesser yellowlegs, solitary and least sandpipers, and semi-palmated plovers. Fall levels on St. Francis Pool proved attractive to shorebirds and use by long-billed dowitchers and dunlin were reported in addition to the "usual" shorebird component (above).
Black terns nested on many pools. Breeding was confirmed on Josephine and Muskrat Pools with the observation of adults carrying food to nests, and on Durgin and Nelson Pools by the presence of immature birds. Observation of small groups of black terns were also noted throughout the breeding season on Big Bluestem, Bergerson, Schoolhouse and Deer Pools, Johnson Slough and Buck and Orrock Lakes .
Other Migratory Birds
Sherburne's 1Oth Annual Breeding Bird Sur\rey (BBS) route was conducted this year by Robert Janssen and Jay Hamernick, on 6/30, following the national protocol established for this survey by the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
Resident Wildlife
a. Mammals
A deer spotlight survey was begun in the fall of 1997. This survey was conducted to obtain better information about current reproductive rates and age structure which will be used to verify estimates used in a deer population and harvest model developed by the
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Minnesota Department of Natural Resource (MNDNR) for use in setting harvest regulations. The west transect is approximately 22.8 vehicle/survey miles; the east transect is approximately 32.7 vehicle miles with 20.8 survey miles. In early August the spotlight survey was conducted three times. The following tables provide a summary of the results of the spotlight survey.
Table II. Deer Spotlight Survey Results, Fawn:Doe Ratio
Survey Date West Route East Route
Fawns Does Fawns Does
August 8, 1999 10 9 7 11
August 9, 1999 4 2 6 8
August 10, 1999 3 4 8 9
Total 17 15 21 28
The fawn:doe ratio obtained was .88:1 (38:43). The old MNDNR computer model was using a reproductive parameter of 1.11: 1.
Table III. Deer Spotlight Survey Results, Fawn:Doe Ratio
Survey Year West Route East Route
Fawns Does Fawns Does
1999 17 15 21 28
1998 22 22 48 46
1997 57 42 57 68
· The fawn:doe ratios obtained from our deer spotlight surveys from 1997 to 1999 were 1.04:1 (114:110), 1.03:1 (79:68), and .88:1 (38:43) respectively.
b. Reptiles and Amphibians
The frog and toad calling survey route established in 1996 was run for a fourth year. The dates of this survey, coinciding with minimum water temperatures of approximately 50°F, 60°F and 70°F, were April28, June 8, and July 6, respectively. A total of eight species were positively identified: wood frog, western chorus frog, spring peeper, northern leopard frog, American toad, gray treefrog, Cope's gray treefrog, and green frog .
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Biologist Holler with two young volunteers on the buggy, frog and toad survey (Volunteer photo).
c. Birds
Resident birds on the refuge and its surroundings have been monitored annually by the Christmas Bird Count since 1970 with the exception of 1985. The 1998 Christmas Bird Count was conducted on December 19. On this day, 12 observers in seven parties recorded 2,440 individual birds (up from 1,481 in December 1997) from 33 different species. This number of individuals is near the record of2,470 set in 1992. The Canada goose was the bird seen in greatest abundance with 542 individuals recorded. This was followed by the American crow and tree sparrow, each with 344 individuals, then blackcapped chickadee with 239, and house sparrow with 210 individuals recorded to round out the top five. Highlights of the survey included observations of a golden eagle on the tour route, and a total of 10 bald eagles, five trumpeter swans, three gadwall and 60 wild turkeys across the survey area. The large number of birds recorded was due to the mild weather and presence of open water.
Wild turkeys are a resident bird resulting from the success ofMNDNR's reintroduction efforts on private lands. Gobbles are now recorded as a part of the spring crane pair count. This year six tom turkeys and one hen were heard or seen during the crane survey conducted on April 22. Other sightings are becoming more common including at least one sighting during every spring weekly waterfowl survey .
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Cooperative surveys
Cooperative programs once again helped the staff complete several wildlife surveys this year. Dr. Alfred Grewe, Dr. Bill Faber and their graduate students and wildlife classes at. St. Cloud State University cooperated with the Refuge to provide many hours of volunteer service on cooperative surveys. The particular surveys are: the predator scent post survey, deer registration station, waterfowl bag checks at the boat landing on the waterfowl opener, waterfowl migration counts, and the spring sandhill crane unison pair survey. Several other individual volunteers and students from Princeton and Elk River High Schools also assisted with the long-term monitoring ofherptiles, waterfowl hunting bag checks, deer registration, breeding bird survey, purple loosestrife biological control rearing, tamarack tree planting, and the waterfowl and water bird surveys.
Additionally, Sherburne staff and volunteers participated in cooperative surveys off refuge in support of the Division ofMigratory Birds. These activities included the mourning dove survey, woodcock route, ground-truthing the May aerial waterfowl pair counts (Buffalo Route), and the mid-winter waterfowl survey.
1 b. Studies and Investigations
Bur Oak Reintroduction
Monitoring of the 1997 bur oak reintroduction site south of the Community Prairie continued. After each growing season the trees are measured for height and stem diameter at the root collar. In addition, 50 plant shelters are removed annually. The information gained from this study will allow us to understand the optimal growth conditions for oak establishment.
Secretive Marsh Bird Survey
With aid of a challenge grant, this study evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of a marsh bird survey. An outside contractor was hired to perform and evaluate the survey and provide recommendations for an annual survey of this type.
There were a total of 38 locations that were divided into six routes. Each location was sampled, using the Fish and Wildlife service's preliminary national protocol for conducting this survey, six times through the breeding season (between May 19 and June 24) to determine peak response times for each species. Five secretive wetland birds were chosen for monitoring: least bittern, American bittern, Virginia rail, sora, and pied-billed grebe. The survey combined passive listening and call playback to detect target species .
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During the six-week census a total of one American bittern, nine least bitterns, 55 Virginia rails, 62 pied-billed grebes, and 228 soras were recorded. The peak week for majority of species was during the third week of the census (early June).
Recommendations from the field season included: (1) consolidation ofthe original six routes down to four by increasing the number of locations that will be done on a given day; (2) based on the peak times for all five marsh bird species recorded during the census the best weeks to run an annual survey would be the fourth week in May, first week in June, and the last week in June; (3) watch a few locations that may need to be moved or dropped for future surveys and one for future vigilance for the rare American bittern; and (4) an analysis of the habitats at the observation locations may help to reveal more about the presence or absence of species, and may be helpful to undertake in the future.
Bull snake UROP Grant from University of Minnesota - Crookston
University ofMinnesota undergraduate Aaron Neumann conducted a study evaluating the effectiveness of different methods for sampling bullsnakes (Pituophis catenfer sayi). This study was funded through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at the University of Minnesota Unfortunately, only one snake cooperated with the researcher, rendering the study results inconclusive .
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Wetland Restoration activities continued in Isanti County - here a ditch is plugged on the Gordon Fredeen farm ...
. ... and finished! (AR)
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Another wetland restored on the Craig Coleman farm near Dalbo ....
. ... ready for wildlife! (AR)
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HABITAT RESTORATION
2a. Wetland restoration: On-Refuge
After a spring application of RoundUp, 8,000 tamarack trees were planted by machine and hand on 10 acres of Bohm. In the fall, additional areas were prepared to receive another 10,000 plants next spring. Survival plots were established within the planting to monitor its success.
2b. Upland Restoration: On-refuge
Volunteers processed forb seed which was hand picked throughout the year. Thousands of dollars worth were then reseeded (September, NH).
One hundred sixty acres were interseeded with a Truax drill post burn east ofPool3 between County Road 9 and the middle hunter access road. Ten pounds pure live seed was drilled using mostly Big Stone NWR harvested mix (80% big bluestem, 10% little bluestem and 5% Indiangrass) with a sprinkling of the following over the top of the seeder box when filling: Kaste mix (grass and forb mixture straight combined from native, native prairie), Prairie Restoration Inc. short-dry mix (little bluestem, side-oats gramma and others) and Sand Prairie Farms (Canada wildrye and little bluestem). This mixture has a minimum often native grass species and 50 forb species that are native to
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this area. The seedings get better year by year, especially if burned and the species sort themselves out over the area depending upon slope, elevation and annual weather fluctuations. The light seeding rate is aimed to give the forbs a better chance at competing with the grasses.
A serpentine strip north of Schoolhouse Pool was kept disced all summer and then handseeded to forbs during the fall. This is an effort to diversify the forb species in an area that was seeded to mostly grasses. The strip was weaved thru the field using the higher ground in hopes of future wind dispersal. The area was 20 feet wide and one mile long.
Sherburne staff and volunteers reintroduced the extirpated prickly pear cactus ( Opuntia fragilis)onto the refuge by transplanting 50 plants from the adjacent Sand Dunes State Forest on 7/30. A protocol was established to monitor the success of reintroduction and health of these plants. Results showed that the plants are thriving and blooming .
2c. Wetland Restoration: Off-Refuge
A seven acre wetland was restored by an earthen ditch plug on MNDNR Trails and Waterways property along the Rum River south of Cambridge. MNDNR Wildlife will seed the adjacent ten acre field to native grasses and forbs. It is in the river bottom and will be heavily used by wood ducks.
Eleven basins totaling 30 acres were restored in Isanti County on private lands using station equipment and personnel with a tile break and ten ditch plugs. These were mostly lined up by USDA District Conservationist Gary Larson. A large restoration was completed on the Shugren property west of Cambridge. This wetland was drained by a county ditch and involved five landowners. After securing landowner signatures and the county board's approval, a half-round riser was installed by a contractor using funding from USFWS, Ducks Unlimited, MNDNR and the landowner. The wetland is now full and floods the entire 71 acre basin.
Five dikes were installed on the Bjerke property in Pine County via contractor to flood 30 acres and five plugs on three private farms in Kanabec County were installed to restore 20 acres of marsh. Three more ditch plugs were installed in Benton County to restore seven acres.
Since 1998 the Refuge has been part of a cooperative effort by the MNDNR - Fisheries Division and Eagle Lake Association to reestablish hardstem bulrush on Eagle Lake. Both years, the Refuge has provided 100 bulrush plants from the south side of Long Pool to allow a comparison between transplants and nursery stock for restoration of lake sites. The transplants appear to be superior to any nursery stock available. An upland planting of native grasses and forbs to restore a portion of the Public Access on Eagle Lake will also be undertaken in conjunction with this project.
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Allan Rife showing a tile that was plugged on private land to restore a wetland (August, BE).
2d. Upland Restoration: Off-Refuge
Seventy acres were seeded to mostly Big Stone harvest mix (see 2b) on the Larry Brambrink farm near the St. Cloud Airport. This completes the habitat restoration on his quarter section farm with 51 acres of restored wetlands surrounded by native grasslands with a perpetual easement (Land Trust) on the entire farm .
In addition, the native grass-forb mix was seeded on small tracts totaling 30 acres: Goodall (Anoka), Ahlman, Wilson (Sherburne), Banik (Benton) and Cambridge Public School Study Area (Isanti).
With the Cambridge School site completed, we now have established Outdoor Study Sites of native restorations at the following area schools: Foley, Elk River, Zimmerman, Cambridge, Rogers and Otsego. The key to the success of these sites is an ambitious teacher at the site with leadership abilities. Non-use of the sites by teachers and abuse by lawn maintenance personnel are the main obstacles to overcome .
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HABITAT MANAGEMENT
3a. Manage Water Levels
Due to inadequate snowmelt and spring runoff, supplemental water was needed to reflood pools in the impoundment system in the spring and summer. An average amount of rainfall through most of the growing season contributed to an increase in water levels in the pools that were reflooding. Due to a lack of precipitation in late fall most of the elevations decreased slightly.
St. Francis Pool was open by late March. In mid-April the water level of this pool peaked at 992.76 within a foot and a half of the maximum elevation. Mid-April through late August water was diverted through structure 2A to reflood pools in the impoundment system, especially those pools located on the south loop of th~ Wildlife Drive. After receiving a significant rainfall in mid-May, surface elevations rose to within a few inches of the maximum elevation permissible. One radial gate was opened two feet for several days to bring the water level down to an acceptable elevation of993.06. During the summer water levels remained near the proposed elevations. In September, St. Francis Pool was used as a water source to reflood Long Pool. The actual elevations for the remainder of the field season remained well above the proposed surface elevations.
Due to spring flooding, Long Pool peaked at an elevation of959.16 in mid-April. This level was within a foot of its maximum elevation. Water surface elevations were held near the maximum level until a prescribed bum was performed on 4/13 on the east side of the pool. Higher water levels provided a more secure fire break in the northeast comer of the bum unit. Drawdown which was scheduled to begin after the prescribed bum commenced on 4/14. This spring event was undertaken to provide moist soil plant food for fall migrating waterfowl. It was completed by 6/15, a month later than scheduled. The pool remained in drawdown until early September. Water levels were gradually raised throughout September to provide adequate water for waterfowl migration.
Both Upper and Lower Roadside Pools were drawdown in the spring to provide moist soil plant food for fall migrating waterfowl. Drawdown for Lower Roadside Pool began in early April and was completed by 7/1. Upper Roadside Pool's drawdown began in mid-April. Water levels in this pool fell below the elevation of general pool bottom by 6/1. With the exception of a little water flowing in the ditch, this pool was dewatered by mid-June. Starting in late August both pools were gradually reflooded with water from · Carpenter Pool. Proposed fall elevations for both pools were not closely adhered to. Upper Roadside's flooded moist soil plants attracted 1,000 mallards for over a month.
Big Bluestem Pool was filled to a maximum elevation of968.21 from spring runoff. This surface elevation was well below the target level of969.5. Water levels fell slightly below 968.21 during the summer. In mid-August water levels rose due to supplemental
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water being added to this pool from Stickney (via Teal and Little Bluestem Pools). Both Teal and Little Bluestem Pools were filled to their target levels before water movement occurred in the impoundment system. Other pools needing to reach their target levels in the impoundment system included West Carpenter, Durgin, and Stickney. Water diverted from St. Francis Pool through structures 2A and 2B was used to fill these pools during the spring. West Carpenter and Stickney needed to be filled to a level near their maximum permissable elevation before water would flow through the impoundment system. Big Bluestem Pool reached its proposed elevation of969.50 by mid-September. Water levels were kept high for the remainder of the season in order for this pool to be used as a water source for Bohm Pool in the spring of 2000.
Deer Pool was drawn down in mid-summer to provide a food source for fall migrating shorebirds. In late August over half of the pool had exposed mudflats at an elevation of 976.00. This pool remained in drawdown for the rest of the field season .
Bohm Pool remained in drawdown to create a stable water regime for a tamarack swamp restorarion. In late May approximately 10,000 tamarack trees were planted on the southeast side of the pool. Water levels were raised to an elevation of960.00 after the trees were planted to provide a water source for the seedlings. This target level is 1.5 feet below the elevation of general pool bottom, 961.5. In mid-July the pool was nearly dewatered to facilitate the preparation for another 10 acre tamarack restoration on the northeast side of the pool in the spring of 2000.
It was estimated that 90% ofBuck Lake, 10% ofOrrock Lake, 50% of Josephine Pool, and 60% and 100% ofUpper and Lower Roadside Pools, respectively, were covered with wild rice. The Mille Lacs Band of Objibwe was given a Special Use Permit to harvest wild rice on Buck Lake for wildlife restoration efforts. Buck Lake is within the Ceded Territory of the Treaty of 1837. 100 pounds of rice were harvested .
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3e. Forest Cutting
Removal of conifer plantations was continued. Two timber sales were conducted resulting in the removal of the Norway pine plantation at the head ofthe Malmomen Trail along County Road 9 near the west side kiosk and around the Old School House . Both conifers and oak were removed within
J •
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• Timber Sale Areas
. Open Water
N
A Figure 1. FY99 Timber Sales
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100 feet of the east boundary, south of County Road 9 to the river, for the establishment of a new fire break. Revenue from these sales totaled $4, 17 5. Areas cut are shown in red on the above map. Below are photos of the Malmomen Trail before and after exotic conifer removal. The parking lot for the trail is in the middle-center of the right photo looking west. A prescribe bum is planned for spring, 2000 (GS) .
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3f. Prescribed Burning
Four management units were burned, plus an eleven acre warm season grass seed production area. Refuge personnel also responded to nine wildfires on or near the Refuge.
Wildfires and prescribed bums are summarized in the following two tables. As the second table shows, all prescribed burning during the period occurred during the spring.
Type Number Acres
Rx 5 2997.0
WF 9 12.6
Table IV A. Fire Totals
Type Fire Number Acres Name Date
Rx 3980 646.3 UNIT 22 April 13, 1999
Rx 3171 11.4 SHOP April 9, 1999
Rx 3982 773.5 UNIT9 April 26, 1999
Rx 3118 457.1 UNIT7 April 23, 1999
Rx 3981 1108.7 UNIT II ·April 26, 1999
WF 3275 Spot FOX ROAD March 23, 1999
WF 3441 Spot DAN I Nov. 15, 1999
WF 3274 Spot STORLEY Feb.23, 1999
WF 3109 0.3 BRIDGE Feb.23, 1999
WF 3110 Spot ANTHILL Feb.23, 1999
WF 3170 9.6 BUCK LAKE April 9, 1999
WF 3216 Spot BRAD Feb.23, 1999
WF 3464 2.7 BECKERFD Nov. 28, 1999
WF 3442 Spot CTY47 Nov. 6, 1999
Table IVB. Fire data for Fiscal Year 1999
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Prescribed Bums and Widfires in FY 1999
N ... ckt ...... ~~s /\/St. fiWIICIS alhr"er
llnsc,..a.ns _ ....,. .. s
- Waler aer.,.L•••
2 Miles ~liiiiiiiiiiiiii • 1
..
Figure2
Fire effects have been monitored since 1992 using the NPS Fire Monitoring Handbook (FMH) protocols. Of the 102 FMH plots established, 47 are in grasslands, 28 are in oak savanna and 27 are in red oak forest. Establishment of five additional grassland plots at Sherburne completed the system in fiscal year 1999 .
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Fire effects have been monitored since 1992 using the NPS Fire Monitoring Handbook (FMH) protocols. Of the 102 FMH plots established, 47 are in grasslands, 28 are in oak savanna and 27 are in red oak forest . Establishment of five additional grassland plots at Sherburne completed the system in fiscal year 1999.
Andy Porupsky
Wes Belanger
Interns Sarah Smith and Jacob Ryan
Twelve interns from the University ofMinnesota worked with the Refuge's fire program. Students participated as prescribed crew members on burns, with two (yves and Andy) also participating in the monitoring program through the summer (Summer, GS) .
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Lori Wolf, St. Cloud Private Lands Office, assisting on a prescribe bum of the oak savannah unit (September, NH) .
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A new fire break was added to the east side between County Road 9 and St. Francis River and the Storley Access Road was rebuilt to improve access and to provide a safe fire break. Private contractor John Herbst improved the fire break on the east side of Long Pool.
The Storley access was rebuilt to provide all-weather access and a safe fire break. See photo below (July, AR) .
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3g. Control Pest Plants
Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
This marked the fourth year leaf-eating beetles Galerucella calmariensis and G. pusilla were raised for the control of purple loosestrife. The adult overwintering Galerucella sp. beetles at our rearing site were unable to be collected due to poor survival. Therefore, in cooperation with the MNDNR, breeding individuals were collected from one of their field insectaries located approximately 75 miles south near the town of Dundas, MN in Rice County on June 2. Three thousand beetles were collected for our insectary and another 200 for Morris Wetland Management District's rearing efforts. We released 750 beetles in each 12'x 12' cage, increasing the number of beetles per cage from 1998. Egg masses and larvae were observed on June 7. The F1 generation beetles were observed on July 9, and collecting began two days later. Our collecting peaked at approximately 9,500 beetles on July 9. The total number ofbeetles that we collected was approximately 58,800. We released 38,000 beetles on eight different sites: Battle Brook Creek, Buck Lake, two Type 2/3 wetlands, Long Pool, Blue Hill Pool, Bergerson Pool, and Josephine Pool. We also received 2,000 beetles from the Mille Lacs County Weed Inspector which were released on Muskrat Pool. Of the sites, only four were new release sites. The other sites had beetles released in different areas of the pool last year. Minnesota Valley NWR and Upper Mississippi National Fish and Wildlife Refuge-La Crosse District received 5,920 and 6,380 beetles, respectively. This year we also released 3,400 beetles on two private land sites. We are attempting to overwinter the remaining 4,100 beetles in one of our rearing cages.
We have consistently produced less F1 generation beetles than would be expected due to the number of breeding individuals collected from the Circle Lake field site. During our collecting efforts at Circle Lake, we observed many egg masses on the loosestrife plants. We concluded that the beetles had already laid a significant number of eggs. This may be the best explanation why we are not receiving the number ofF1 generation beetles as expected.
The four Hylobius sites were monitored again this year following the national protocol. We did not observe any weevils during monitoring due to the fact that they are nocturnal. It will take several years to determine if the weevils are having any affect on the purple loosestrife.
For the second year we provided purple loosestrife plants to the Mille Lacs County weed inspector for their loosestrife biological control program, which involves 4H families as rearing facilities. An added bonus this year was the receipt of approximately 2,000 leafeating adult beetles .
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.' SPRING FALL
TRANSECTS eggs larvae adults feeding damage Fl
Ql Q2 Q3 QJ Q2 Q3 QJ Q2 Q3 Ql Q2 Q3
Muskrat Pool y y y y L L L y
Long Pool East
Long Pool West
Josephine Pool East y y L L L
Josephine Pool West y y y L L L
Battle Brook Creek East y y y y L L L y
Battle Brook Creek West y y y L L L
Table V. Summary of Galeruceda sites.
The remaining field release sites are monitored using photopoints and a digital camera. The photos were taken this year during the period 8110/99 to 8/11/99, coinciding with peak flowering.
The refuge was searched for new infestations and potential future release sites (Durgin, Carpenter, and St. Francis Pools). Infestations were observed at two locations on the south side of St. Francis Pool. These plants (over 50) were hand pulled. A plant growing on the west side of Carpenter Pool could not be reached due to its location on an unstable floating mat. Other areas of the refuge that were searched included the Mahnomen Trail Type 2/3 wetlands, Orrock Lake (SE-SW), South Josephine (SE-SW), Nelson Pool (N), three Type 6 wetlands--- [(N ofRiver, W ofCty Rd 5), (N ofCty Rd 9, near the office), and (N of St. Francis Pool diversion 2B, W of dike)], Durgin Pool outlet (W ofCty Rd 5), Bohm Pool (E), East Bergerson Pool (N) and vicinity. In addition to St. Francis Pool, plants were hand pulled at the following sites: three Type 6 wetlands (60 plants) and Bohm Pool (1 plant).
Buckthorn (Rhamnus sps.)
Reconnaissance for the invasive buckthorn species was undertaken during the fall after a hard frost when the buckthorn was easily identified by its residual green leaves. It appears that the unburned portions were problem areas for these species. It was decided to treat this species in November .
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feeding damage
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Biological Control ofLeafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)
Monitoring continued this year at the Refuge's insectory for biological control agents for leafy spurge on June 10,24 and July 13. Several individuals of all flea beetles (Aphthona nigriscutis, Aphthonaflava, Aphthona lacertosa, Aphthona czwalinae, and Aphthona cyparissiae) were recovered at release sites B, C, and D .. Results at these release sites are showing a dissipation of spurge surrounding the stake. Release site A has very little spurge left within the 20 foot radius monitoring plot. Here, monitoring yielded only one individual on the second sampling date. It is reasonable to assume these beetles have moved to a portion of the insectory where spurge is abundant.
Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa)
Spotted knapweed was observed on the Refuge for the third consecutive year. Several individual plants were located along the west side of the Wildlife Drive's North Loop about 1/4 mile south of Stickney Pool's water control structure where about 20-25 individual plants were hand pulled. No knapweed was found along the south loop of the Wildlife Drive where they had been pulled in 1997. However, two new sites were discovered this year. Additional plants were found in the parking lot on County Road 3 at the Brande Bridge where 25-30 plants were hand pulled, and along the south side of the outlet ditch from Orrock Lake where about 10 plants were hand pulled ..
IPM Tour
The Refuge's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program was featured in a talk given to the interagency IPM Task Force when they met at the Regional Office on January 25. The first Weed IPM Newsletter featured an article on the program·. This was followed up by a tour given for this same group highlighting the IPM program on September 21 .
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FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
4.b. Disease monitoring and treatment
A trumpeter swan was found dead on the north end ofNelson Pool on May 10. An x-ray revealed it had ingested lead shot. This swan had been observed for about two weeks prior to this on Bergerson and Nelson Pools.
4.e. Animal Control
As in the past, nuisance beaver obstructing the use of water control structures and water management delivery systems were removed by a trapper under a Special Use Permit. A total of 31 beaver were removed from the traditional problem areas as well as new areas. This is consistent with the 29 trapped in 1998, but more than double the 14 removed in 1997. Beaver were removed from the following areas: Orrock Lake outlet (n=6), Schoolhouse Pool (n=5), Diversion from St. Francis Pool to Carpenter (n=8), Josephine Pool (n=2), Iron Pool (n=2), Little Bluestem Pool (n=1), Stickney Pool (n=5), and the diversion from Stickney to Teal Pool (n=2). Two traditional problem spots, Muskrat Pool and Buck Lake outlet had no problems during this fiscal year. One river otter was taken incidentally to this program.
Furbearer harvest was allowed for raccoon, mink, and muskrat in accordance with state regulations during the mink and muskrat season. This season ran from October 31 to February 28. After the first round of the competitive bidding process was complete, those trappers attending the bidding/trapper information meeting were allowed to bid on up to two additional units for a minimum of $100. For the first time a review of pa8t felony convictions and natural resource related citations was used to determine each individual's eligibility for trapping. Each trapper and designated helper were required to submit a summary of any such violations for the last ten years. An independent review of each trapper's record was also conducted. Generally, those trappers or helpers possessing felony convictions were excluded from the trapping program. Those trappers and/or helpers with misdemeanor wildlife offenses or violations of the Refuge's Conditions for Wetland Trapping are subject to the following:
In general, after the first offense, a trapper will be suspended from trapping for a period of three (3) years from the trapping season of violation and after a second offense, a trapper will be suspended from trapping for a period of ten (1 0) years. A third offense will render the trapper ineligible for any further consideration as a participant.
Four trappers purchased a total of7 units for $951.00. The table below summarizes the trapping statistics for the 1998 season with 1997 statistics included for comparison .
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Table VI. Trapping Units Sold and Furbearer Harvest, 1997* and 1998**.
HARVEST UNIT ACCEPTED
BID MINK MUSKRAT
1998 1997 1998 1997
1 $100.00 9 9 5 3
2 UNSOLD --- 9 --- 27
3 $260.00 12 8 14 11
4 $115.00 5 3 17 9
5 $115.00 3 4 9 8
6 UNSOLD --- --- --- ---
7 UNSOLD --- 2 --- 3
8 $125.00 9 13 44 5
9 CLOSED --- --- --- ---10 UNSOLD --- 3 --- 7
11 UNSOLD --- 12 --- 4
12 UNSOLD --- 4 --- 3
13 $111.00 --- 6 --- 12
14 $125.00 12 2 22 1
TOTALS: $951.00 50 75 111 93
•• Season dates: November 1, 1997- February 28, 1998 Season dates October 31,1998- February 28,1999
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RACCOON
1998 1997
12 15
--- 22
8 4
6 5
4 3
--- ---
--- 14
8 25
--- ---
--- 9
--- 9
--- 13
--- 14
9 5
47 138
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COORDINATION ACTIVITIES
5a. Interagency Coordination
Coordination with Sherburne County personnel regarding County Road 1 rebuilding and right-of-way maintenance took major portions oftime. Deliberations with the Isanti County Board were successful in allowing USFWS to restore the Shugren wetland of 71 acres by placing the first structure on a county ditch in Isanti County.
The Refuge is at the heart of a Blandings Turtle Priority Area established in Sherburne County by the MN DNR in April. Prior to its establishment, a meeting was held with interested parties to discuss the Priority Area designation and current knowledge regarding this turtle's distribution and ecology. The purpose of the area is to help guide environmental impact analysis for projects proposed in Sherburne County .
Chuck Kartack, Park Manager at Wild River State Park explains forb collecting and seeding on his area to the staff (August, NH).
Many staff members toured the Wild River State Park which has similar forb - native grass objectives. The staff is encouraged to participate in this annual trek to an area with similar goals .
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On September 23 a tour of the Refuge and its management programs was presented by the staff to the attendees ofthe National Migratory Bird Coordination Meeting. The meeting was being hosted by Region 3 in the Twin Cities and brought together the staffs of the Division of Migratory Birds from across the country.
Sb. Tribal Coordination
The Mille Lacs Band ofOjibwe (Garrison) harvested 100 pounds of wild rice from Buck Lake {Treaty Area) for use in their wetland restorations on Trust Lands.
Several special use permits were issued free of charge to pick plants (mostly prairie sage).
A divided U.S. Supreme Court ended years of court disputes by clearing the way for the Mille Lacs Band to fish and hunt on public land free from state regulation. Now the Band reports harvest (especially Mille Lacs Lake walleye) to the MNDNR which is then deducted from the sportfishing allowable take. The anterless deer quota on the refuge is handled this way also.
Sc. Private Land Activities
Contacts were down somewhat due to a staff vacancy. However, numerous calls resulted in 30 landowner contacts for habitat restoration activities.
Se. Cooperative/Friends Organizations
A donation policy that assures donations to the Friends of Sherburne will be used as intended and in a timely manner was approved by the board. The policy also states that the Friends will not alter their mission or existing policies to accept a donation. A final vote on the policy will be made by the membership at the annual meeting in January 2000.
The environmental education curriculum development project funded through the National Wildlife Refuge Support Group Grant Program made great progress this year in spite of a major set back. Jim Olson, local Princeton teacher, resigned as writer for the project in mid-January. At this time three local teachers were contracted to each work on a portion of the guide and assist with a teacher workshop. Mike Niziolek (Elk River) was selected for the high school level, Marv Ziner (Elk River) for the middle school level, and Linda Cooper (St. Cloud) for the elementary level. Due to this change in direction, the project could not be completed by June 30, 1999 as stated in the grant. A request was made to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to extend the completion date to June 30, 2000 and permission was received. The first draft of the curriculum, titled "Exploring the Oak Savanna at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge", was completed in late August
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and teacher workshops were conducted. During the year, a $500 donation from the Elk River Lions was received to support the matching funds needed for this project.
A trumpeter swan exhibit was completed by Asproth's Taxidermy in September and installed in the reception area at Refuge headquarters by Refuge volunteers. The exhibit was funded by a Challenge Cost-Share Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with matching funds donated to the Friends of Sherburne by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Princeton Middle School, Fingerhut, Crystal Cabinet, AI & Edna Holler, First National Bank-Elk River, and Mike Williams.
A seminar on fund raising was presented on April 7 to board members by Jon Ridge, Executive Director for American Youth Hostel.
The Friends continue to support the Refuge through annually co-sponsoring five special events. These events include the Refuge Open House in October, the Wildlife Film Festival in January/February, Winter Fun Day in February, Spring Clean-up in April, and Migratory Bird Day in May. The Friends also assisted the Refuge with the Sherburne County Historical Society Backyard Tour in August and with two off-refuge events: Princeton Youth Fair in February and the Arbor Celebration in May.
At the end oftheir fiscal year, the Friends had 187 members and a total worth of$5,447 .
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RESOURCE PROTECTION
6a. Law Enforcement
Law enforcement demands continue to rise with the public use and urbanization of the area. Trying to be proactive and get the rules and regulations out to people (leaflets and signs) and make as many contacts in the field as possible to answer questions and concerns seems to be helping. Ofpcers worked high use periods by being visible and making contacts. Both Spring and Fall weekend days were scheduled amongst the entire staff.
-Motor vehicle trespass (5) -Fishing without a license (2) -Failure to remove portable tree stand at end of day (1) -Failure to wear blaze orange in deer gun season (2) -Use permanent tree stand (1) -Hunt in closed area (2) -Unplugged gun for waterfowl hunting (1) -Overlimit of ducks ( 1) -Lead shot (1) -Abandoned vehicle (3) -Hunting license not in possession (1)
Figure 3. Citations Issued in FY99
Vandalism and littering continue to be a persisting problem. Some of the more serious littering violations continue to be appliances, mattresses, tires, and building demolition materiaL The most serious incident involved the dumping of five one-gallon containers of paint thinner (toluene) and three cans of drain cleaner. Both are used in the making of methamphetamine. The county informed us that they fmd some every week throughout the county. Vandalism was randomly committed with signs and gates being the most common victim. The biggest instance was a parking area totally destroyed by pulling out all posts at once that were connected with a cable taking two days and two people to repair. Still the amount was low compared to visitor numbers and it is clearly the most difficult violation to work.
There were also ten vehicle accidents. The most common was people running off the intersection of County 5 and 9. Speed bumps were added to most intersections by Sherburne County crews this year.
6b. Wildfire Preparedness
Refuge staff responded to nine small fires that occurred on or near the Refuge. They totalled 12.6 acres. A detailed list and map of all fires can be found in section 3f .
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6f. Manage Cultural Resources
The Sherburne County Highway Department hired UW - LaCrosse researachers to conduct archeological surveys along County Road 1 prior to rebuilding. The survey resulted in modification of the plan to include mostly overlay as opposed to dig and fill.
A group of hunters informed the Refuge staff about the presence of some older looking bones on a sand bar in the St. Francis River several hundred yards south of the structure for Long Pool. A search of this area by staff revealed several vertebrae, ribs, and teeth as well as other bone fragments. These bones, including a diagnostic vertebrae, were confirmed by Dr. Stanley Lewis of St. Cloud State University to be from bison ofthe era 7,000 to 10,000 years ago (Bison bison or Bison occidentalis). The Regional Office cultural resources specialist and two contracted archeologists returned to the site with staff on May 3 and collected additional artifacts. The total assemblage of artifacts contained the remains of at least three individual bison, fish and turtle bones and fragments, and a partial spear point.
Further study of these artifacts by the contractor supports human occupation and interpretation of this as a kill site from the pre-Middle Holocene (some 8- 10,000 years ago). In addition to the partial spear point, cut marks and spiral fracturing of the bone, indicated butchering of the animals .
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PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RECREATION
8a. Provide Visitor Services
Facilities
An accessible boardwalk/observation deck was installed near the entrance to the wildlife drive. This project was made possible through a Challenge Cost-Share Grant with matching funds provided through in-kind service by 28 members of the U.S. West Telephone Pioneers and volunteers. The boardwalk/ramp elevates the visitor above the adjacent wetlands providing an excellent view of the bald eagle nest on Stickney Pool. A split-rail fence and parking bumpers were installed in the parking area near the observation deck in July. Sherburne County Highways and Erickson Asphalt both donated labor and equipment to the project.
This energetic group of "Pioneers" erected a new deck at the tour route entrance during Spring Clean-up Day (April, NH).
The hardwood floor in the Old School House was refinished by LaBelle Refinishing, St. Cloud, with cost-reduction coming through the donated services of volunteer Jason
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LaBelle, owner of the refinishing company. The floor was sanded down to bare wood before an industrial strength polyurethane finish was applied. It looks beautiful and is holding up well under visitor use.
New entrance signs were installed at secondary entrance points on County roads 4, 15, and 11. New "Welcome to your Refuge System" signs displaying the blue goose were installed near the information kiosks at the three major entrance points to the Refuge on County roads 9 and 5.
Exhibits
A trumpeter swan exhibit was completed by Asproth's Taxidermy in late September and placed in the reception area headquarters. The exhibit was funded through a Challenge Cost-Share Grant with matching funds donated to the Friends of Sherburne by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Fingerhut, Princeton Middle School, Crystal Cabinet, First National Bank-Elk River, AI & Edna Holler, and Mike Williams.
Visitation
Visitation totalled 141,574 visitors- an 8% increase from the nearly 87,000 visitors in the previous year. The increase may be attributed to dry weather, the Wildlife Drive being open through December and to the increase in new housing developments in the local area.
FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99
Total Visitation 62,842 87,276 90,731 86,881 102,261
Wildlife Drive 30,699 19,706 16,699 18,000 20,654
Foot Trails 18,078 12,452 17,871 15,000 18,659
Table VII. Sherburne NWR Visitation.
Special Events
Five special events co-sponsored by the Refuge and the Friends of Sherburne continue to provide an excellent avenue for public outreach .
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FY97 FY98 FY99
Open House 570 350 600
Wildlife Film Festival 102 228 111
Winter Fun Day 550 700 800
Spring Clean-up Day 250 200 300
Migratory Bird Day 60 54 35
TOTAL 1,532 1,532 1,846
Table VIII. Special Events on Sherburne NWR.
Interpretation
Volunteer wildlife interpreters were the primary leaders for interpretive programs provided for the visiting public during the year. A total of 4,705 visitors participated in programs which included 1) contact by roving interpreters stationed on the wildlife drive during spring and summer, 2) guided bird hikes in April, June and September, 3) birding tours at Migratory Bird Day in May, 4) guided birding tours and interpreted hay rides at the Open House in October, and 5) interpreted sleigh rides at the Winter Fun Day in February.
Environmental Education
The first draft of a 125-page environmental education curricu~um titled "Exploring the Oak Savanna at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge" was completed. The project was funded through a grant received by the Friends of Sherburne through the National Wildlife Refuge Support Group Grant Program. The Public Use Specialist coordinated the overall project working with four local teachers who were contracted by the Friends to write the activities. Volunteers donated over 100 hours oftime doing the layout, typing and assembly of the 25 notebooks produced as first draft copies. The final product will be printed after receiving editorial feedback from teachers who used the activities with their students following attendance at a teacher workshop on the curriculum.
The first teacher workshops highlighting the new educator's guide, "Exploring the Oak Savanna" were held at the Old School House in August. Eight teachers participated in the K - 51h grade level workshop on August 24 and eight participated in 6th - 12th grade workshop held on August 25. Mike Niziolek, Marv Ziner and Linda Cooper, the teachers hired by the Friends of Sherburne to write the curriculum activities, were the primary workshop leaders. The two workshops were co-sponsored by the Refuge and the Friends of Sherburne .
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The annual Sherburne County Environmental Education Days were held September 20 -23 with Sherburne NWR and Sand Dunes State Forest as joint host sites. Over 800 fifth grade students from Elk River, Zimmerman, Rogers, and Foley participated. The Refuge was responsible for programs on Wildlife Management - the Bald Eagle, and Friendly Fire. This was the first year that volunteer wildlife interpreters assisted Refuge staff in presenting the programs .
Roger Gale, fourth grade instructor at North Elementary in Princeton works with his students to test the new EE curriculum (September, NH).
FY97 FY98 FY99
Staff/volunteer-led on-site 1,238 2,002 1,539
Teacher-led on-site 1,450 3,517 1,331
Teacher workshop participants 0 0 16
Table IX. Environmental Education Days Attendances, Sherburne NWR.
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Volunteer Program
During the year, 742 volunteers donated a total of 8,662 hours of service. Volunteers were actively involved in supporting a wide variety of public use and biological programs. Their activities included litter pick-up, trail maintenance, roving interpreters on the wildlife drive, prairie seed collection, wildlife surveys and more .
Volunteer roving interpreter showing the bald eagles on the tour route to a visitor (October, NH).
FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99
Total number of volunteers 338 500 503 745
Total volunteer hours 5,237 6,652 8,866 8,662
Table X. Volunteer Activities on Sherburne NWR.
Gordon South, Green Thumb Maintenance Assistant, left on October 27 to take a new Green Thumb position with the Mille Lacs County Historical Society. South began his tenure at Sherburne in October 1995. During his three years at the Refuge he logged over 3,500 hours keeping the public use facilities in good shape and sharing his artistic talents .
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Hunting
Details of the 1998 deer season are included in Table 11 giving a 10-year history of the firearms harvest on Sherburne. The harvest of 291 animals is the highest in recent history, i.e., since 1985 when there were two shotgun seasons one for either sex and one for bucks only.
Looking at the state summary, the harvest equates to 6.06 deer harvested per sq. mi. (3.6 antlerless per sq. mi. and 2.46 antlered per sq. mi.). Statewide, this is second only to kill block 287 which recorded a harvest of7.43 deer per sq. mi. (4.54 antlerless per sq.mi.). The mild winter of 1997/98 and the low number of antlerless tags issued in 1997 compared to 1998 certainly contributed to this .
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Large buck taken on the last day of the firearms season by a persistent hunter. Photo taken by his house by a family member after the hunt.
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Table XI. Ten-year History ofFirearms Deer Harvest at Sherburne NWR, 1986-1998*
# OF ANTLERLESS ADULT FAWN ADULT FAWN YEAR PERMITS MALE MALE FEMALE FEMALE TOTAL
1998 400 118 45 89 39 291
1997 128 92 17 40 14 163
1996 200 68 23 30 11 132
1995 275 85 21 86 28 220
1994 350 63 25 72 22 182
1993 250 73 16 51 20 160
1992 150 96 16 42 13 167
1991 150 100 11 45 13 169
1990 150 82 14 40 19 155
1989 150 86 10 47 4 147 ------------f.----- ----~----~---- ------
5-year average 85.2 26.2 63.4 22.8
10-year average 86.3 19.8 54.2 18.3
• Compiled from MNDNR records of registered animals
Sherburne staff along with volunteers staffed two Deer Registration Stations (one at the Old Schoolhouse and one at Orrock Total Mart) on the weekends during the fall deer firearms hunting season for a fourth year. Biological data collected at these stations will be used to help reconstruct the population on the Refuge and refine the State's deer population model for Sherburne. A total of 56 deer were examined at the Refuge and 194 at Orrock. 134 of these deer were harvested on the Refuge. The oldest and largest deer harvested from the Refuge was a 10 Yz year old female that weighed 224 pounds. Archery harvest of white-tailed deer on the Refuge has fluctuated somewhat, but remained fairly stable since 1991. In 1998, the harvest took a dip to 13 deer being registered as harvested by archery.
Table XII. Summary of Archery Harvest•
Year 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991
Total Deer Harvested 13 21 17 10 11 16 13 22
• Compiled from MNDNR records of registered animals
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197.6
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Four blinds for physically challenged hunters were available by reservation during waterfowl and firearms deer seasons. In 1994 two permanent blinds were constructed by volunteers and the Minnesota Deer Hunter's Association for physically challenged hunters. Capable Partners assisted with the design and locations. Donations for the materials were received from the National Rifle Association, American Legion and FWS matching funds. The third and fourth blinds were constructed in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Princeton Ducks Unlimited also helped with the construction and location of blinds. Three out of the four blinds are used by physically challenged waterfowl hunters. The blinds are laid out along a dike in an area set aside for physically challenged hunters.
Waterfowl Hunting
A total of 1,425 hunters participated in waterfowl hunting on the Refuge during FY99. Long Pool continues to be the most heavily hunted location on opening weekend. On opening day, October 3, 66 hunters, 34% of the total on the Refuge, were at Long Pool at sunnse.
Fishing
A total of2,095 anglers participated in fishing on the Refuge during FY99. Fishing is permitted in the St. Francis River only with access at six locations where County roads cross the River.
8b. Outreach
Group Presentations Snowmobiling Symposium/Wildlife Science Center (12), St. Cloud Sierra Club (15), Hinckley Elementary School Story Night (75), St. Cloud Downtown Rotary (56) .
Educational Trunks
Prairie Trunk: 4th grade classes at North Elementary-Princeton (150)
Exhibits
Princeton Youth Fair (145), Arbor Celebration at the Kelley Farm (200), National Night Out/St. Cloud Housing Coalition (70), Zimmerman Community Picnic (200) .
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PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION
9b. General Administration
Personnel
From left: Haugen, Blair, Ehlers, Rife, Patten, Stark, Beam, Hanson, Zodrow, Swanson, Davis and Holler.
1. Ronald Beam, Maintenance Worker, WG-4749-7, PFT, EOD 3/25/91. 2. Charlie Blair, Refuge Manager, GS-485-13, PFT, EOD 12/23/94. 3. Nanci Davis, Administrative Technician, GS-303-7, PFT, EOD 5/30/93. 4. Brad Ehlers, Refuge Operations Specialist, GS-485-11 , PFT, EOD 4/20/92. 5. Catherine Hanson, Biological Science Technician, GS-404-6, Seasonal, EOD 3/29/95 . 6. Nancy Haugen, Park Ranger (Public Use Specialist), GS-025-9, PFT, EOD 10/29/95 . 7. Jeanne Holler, Wildlife Biologist, GS-486-11, PFT, EOD 6/26/94. 8. Timothy Loose, Refuge Operations Specialist, GS-485-9, PFT, EOD 9/20/92. 9. Randall Patten, Maintenance Worker, WG-4749-7, EOD 3/25/91. 10. Allan Rife, Maintenance Mechanic, WG-4749-9, PFT, EOD 6/19/88. 11 . Dan Stark, Biological Science Technician, GS-404-6, Seasonal, EOD 7/1 9/98 12. Gary Swanson, Fire Management Officer, GS-401-11, PFT, EOD 1127/91. 13. Sally Zodrow, Biological Science Technician, GS-404-6, PFT, EOD 6/8/97
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Tim Loose transferred to Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, McGregor District in May.
Interns Sarah Inouye and Katie Kramer completed many projects in all programs during the summer. They were hired under the SCEP program.
Funding
Table XIII . Sherburne NWR Funding.
PROGRAM FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99
Operations/ $321,900 $432,842 $452,667 $455,722 $483,196 Maintenance
Private Lands $22,500 $15,000 $30,000 $22,000 $62,000
Farm Bill $16,500 $15,500 $10,000
MMS $81,000 $38,500 $37,250 $21,000 $55,000
Fire $151,300 $132,340 $136,985 $155,116 $158,685 Management
Volunteer $5,200 $5,500 $5,700 $6,100 $5,500
Law $1,000 $1,000 Enforcement
Vision $11,000
Realty $10,000
Non-Game $4,500 $1,000 $2,700 Neotropical
Birds
Challenge Cost $30,600 $16,500 Share
Total $608,400 $642,682 $680,802 $700,588 $780,881
Funding was received to construct a new pole bam for equipment storage under MMS. This was the first new building constructed on the refuge since it's inception in 1965 .
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Maintenance crew preparing the site for the new pole barn to save costs (June, AR) .
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The pole barn framed up by contractor Lumber One of Cold Spring (September, AR).
9c. Safety
All staff participated in monthly safety meetings. Topics included: first aid kit refresher, fire refresher, power tooVshop safety, CPR refresher, First Aid, defensive driving refresher, outdoor safety and survival tips, riding lawn mower safety, and ATV safety.
The annual station safety inspection was completed in September and the station Safety Committee assigned the responsibility of correcting problems that were found.
The station safety officer/committee chair transferred to the Upper Mississippi River NW &FR in April. Holler and Haugen then became co-chairs of the safety committee.
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CREDITS
The entire staff contributed to the compilation of this Annual Report.
Beam: 2c
Blair: RCAR
Davis: 9b, wordprocessing, editing, and assembly
Ehlers: Highlights, 2b & d, Sa-c, 6f, editing
Holler: Climate, 1 a & b, 4e
Haugen: 5e, 8a & b, 9c
Patten: 6a
Swanson: 3e & f, 6b
Zodrow: 3a & g
The Introduction was eloquently written by retired Wildlife Biologist Rich Joarnt.