Community engagement and collaboration
Making the most of Great American Outdoors Act funding at the McGregor District of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Status
Ongoing

States

Iowa

Ecosystem

River/stream

Subject

Buildings, facilities and structures
Maintenance

The McGregor District of Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge will be home to a new headquarters and maintenance facility at the Luster Heights Unit. This project addresses both deferred maintenance needs for the refuge and visitor access to public lands and waters. This facility will serve as staff office, a visitor contact station and have a multi-purpose space available for educational activities, meetings, trainings and volunteer events. Once complete, the visitor contact station will be open as staffing is available.

The new facilities will be built at the site of the former Luster Heights Prison Camp. This 26-acre site was owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and was purchased by the refuge in March 2020. Funding for this $10,629,000 project has been provided by the Great American Outdoors Act Great American Outdoors Act
This landmark conservation law, enacted in 2020, authorizes the use of up to $1.9 billion a year in energy development revenues for five years for needed maintenance to facilities and infrastructure in our wildlife refuges, national parks, forests, recreation areas and American Indian schools.

Learn more about Great American Outdoors Act and we expect to complete the work by 2026.

What are the tangible outcomes?

This project addresses both deferred maintenance needs for the refuge and visitor access to public lands and waters. This facility will serve as staff office, a visitor contact station and have a multi-purpose space available for educational activities, meetings, trainings and volunteer events. Once complete, the visitor contact station will be open as needed and as staffing is available. While the facilities will be multi-purpose and have a visitor contact station, it’s important to note that this is not a staffed visitor center. A maintenance facility and storage buildings will also be constructed to provide necessary space to secure and maintain valuable equipment that is necessary for refuge staff to meet habitat and public use goals.

The project will involve:

  • Constructing an approximately 6,827 square-foot, one-story multi-purpose building
  • Constructing public trails to connect to the existing state forest trails that surround the new refuge site
  • Widening and paving of an existing single lane gravel road to accommodate two-way traffic
  • Constructing a hard-surfaced parking area and grass overflow area
  • Adding an on-site gravity septic system
  • Constructing a 4,800 square-foot shop and a 5,000 square-foot cold storage building, including a security fence, above ground fuel tanks and other associated infrastructure
  • Restoring the area to native savannah habitat

Site preparation complete

In preparation for this project, we removed the existing prison camp buildings and prepared the site for construction which will take place within the footprint of the former buildings.

“This groundbreaking has been several years in the works, and I’m pleased to see all the hard work of dedicated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintenance workers from across the Midwest Region to get us ready for construction paying off,” says District Manager Kendra Pednault.

“We demolished the former buildings, decommissioned and reshaped the sewage treatment ponds and we also spent the past two and half years working with CTA, the contractor that designed the buildings. It’s a bit surreal to finally see it happening,” continues Pednault.

The McGregor District’s office was originally located on Hwy 18 between Marquette and McGregor, Iowa. Rocks and water from the bluff caused damage and created moisture issues with the building. The shop is still used, but staff were relocated to leased space in Prairie Du Chien in 2018.

What’s next?

footprint of new facility and surrounding land
Image Details
Luster Heights Unit under construction. Photo by USFWS.

On July 2024, we awarded Iowa-based A&J Construction, LLC the contract to construct these new facilities. They will be working with many local contractors including Skyline Construction, Wicks Construction Inc, Valley Crane and Construction, Casper Pluming and 7 Rivers Mechanical to complete the new facilities. Construction began in early August.

The new facility is starting to take shape with the foundation laid and construction continuing. 

Learn more about this and other Great American Outdoors Act projects.

Facilities

Sun setting behind the bluffs on the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge has been a haven for migratory birds, fish, wildlife and people since 1924. The refuge stretches 261 river miles from Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois, and protects more than 240,000 acres of Mississippi River floodplain. The...
National Wildlife Refuge
Winona,MN

Contact

Initiatives

A rising sun shines on a new fishing pier at Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.
The Great American Outdoors Act
This landmark conservation law, enacted in 2020, authorizes the use of up to $1.9 billion a year in energy development revenues for five years for needed maintenance to critical facilities and infrastructure in our wildlife refuges, national parks, forests, recreation areas and American Indian...
Initiative
Director's Priorities
Protecting Wildlife

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.
Program
Washington,DC