The projects identified in this award will support local economies through hiring specialized and heavy equipment operators to complete the scope of work (e.g. removing sediment with excavators,…

The Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Society, Inc. received a $115,500 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI FWS) Region 3 under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (CFDA 15.631), effective August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2028. Under this agreement, the awardee will deliver habitat restoration and enhancement services on a minimum of 500 acres in Minnesota, primarily focused on wetland and grassland systems. The project scope includes sediment removal from wetland basins using specialized heavy equipment operators (excavators, bulldozers, and backhoes) to restore watershed hydrology and water storage capacity, as well as native seed planting using tractors and broadcast seeders to benefit local wildlife populations.

The restoration activities will directly benefit federal trust resources including migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and pollinators while supporting the program's broader objectives of cost-effective conservation on private lands through voluntary partnerships with landowners. The awardee will work with participating private landowners and equipment contractors, generating local economic activity while delivering improved wildlife habitat, enhanced water quality, and increased habitat connectivity that benefits outdoor enthusiasts and sportsmen. The project aligns with the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program's national priorities by providing on-the-ground habitat restoration across identified priority conservation areas in Minnesota.

The projects identified in this award will support local economies through hiring specialized and heavy equipment operators to complete the scope of work (e.g. removing sediment with excavators, bulldozers, backhoes and other equipment that has washed in from the uplands into wetland basins for the purposes of restoring the hydrology and improve water storage of the watershed use tractors and broadcast seeders to plant seed important to wildlife of the local area). The expected deliverable and outcomes of this specific financial assistance award is to provide improved wildlife habitat for federal trust resources such as migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and pollinators by performing restoration and enhancement activity on a minimum of 500 acres. Intended beneficiaries are: the private landowners participating with USFWS PFW, contractors operating heavy equipment for restoration, local economies, and general public benefiting from the improved water quality, habitat connectivity for wildlife that supports sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts. This project supports the partners for fish and wildlife act (16 U.S.C. 3771-3774) which provides restoration, enhancement, and management of fish and wildlife habitat through the partners for fish and wildlife program, a program that works with voluntary private landowners to conduct cost-effective habitat projects for the benefit of fish and wildlife resources in the united states.