Habitat management, Harvest management
Co-stewardship with White Earth Nation at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
Status
Ongoing

States

Minnesota

Ecosystem

Wetland

Subject

American Indians
Wildlife refuges

Building on our shared conservation partnership

We developed a memorandum of agreement with the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, also referred to as White Earth Nation, that supports our long-standing conservation partnership. Band members have harvested resources in the area that is now the refuge since time immemorial. Certain activities such as wild rice harvest and furbearer trapping were guaranteed to the Tribe through an agreement with the Department of the Interior in 1935.

The memorandum of agreement does not transfer any refuge lands or change public access to the refuge. Instead, the agreement focuses on how we collaborate and coordinate with White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe to permit ongoing Tribal citizen harvest activities and Natural Resources Department scientific activities on the refuge. Additionally, we developed a co-stewardship agreement with the Tribe to increase coordination and collaboration on the refuge.

Wild rice at Mitchell Bridge, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

Goals

Staff from Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and White Earth Nation have worked together for decades on common natural resource goals. Following a recent request from White Earth Nation to transfer lands of the refuge to Tribal ownership, there was discussion regarding how we could work together more effectively. This memorandum of agreement alleviates the administrative burden of multiple permits for traditional Tribal activities. Additionally, the agreement focuses on increasing communication and collaboration on resource management, planning and research.

Objectives

We eliminated the need for White Earth Nation members to get harvest permits from both the Natural Resource Department of White Earth Nation and Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. The process is now streamlined so members need a single permit issued by White Earth Nation. The agreement also ensures coordination and information-sharing between both organizations. Continuing commitments regarding more frequent face-to-face meetings, annual reports and a future co-stewardship agreement were also made.

Timeline

Mallard Access at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

Discussions regarding the memorandum of agreement began in early September of 2023. After many drafts and much discussion, a final version was completed in early May of 2024. Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge and White Earth Nation Reservation Business Council signed the document on June 4, 2024.

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 to serve as a breeding ground and sanctuary for migratory birds and wildlife. Today, the refuge encompasses nearly 43,000 acres in the glacial lake country of northwestern Minnesota. This is a location where eastern deciduous hardwoods, northern coniferous forests and western tallgrass prairies converge to create a rich assemblage of both plants and animals. It is estimated that more than 50,000 visitors come to the refuge each year to recreate and experience the lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife each year. Approximately half of the refuge is located within the boundaries of the White Earth Reservation. 

We are proud of the long and productive history with our conservation partners in the Natural Resource Department of White Earth Nation and look forward to future collaborations.

Library

Memorandum of Agreement between The White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

The area currently known as the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order 7902 on May 31, 1938. The purpose of this Memorandum of Agreement is to clarify specific aspects of the government-to-government relationship between the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa...

Co-stewardship agreement with White Earth Nation and Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

This agreement focuses on how White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge will work together on planning actions, natural resources management and volunteer opportunities, as well as opportunities to work collaboratively on natural resources...

Facilities

Red and orange trees line a pond in fall.
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge was established as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The abundance of lakes, rivers and marshes along with the diverse landscape of dense forest to open meadows attracts a plethora of wildlife.

Contact

Programs

A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.

Species