About Us
Established in 1961, the Arrowwood District manages both Service-owned waterfowl production areas and wetland and grassland easements on private lands in Foster and Eddy counties. The District includes 28 waterfowl production areas totaling 6,162 acres, which provide waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) with the wetland and grassland areas they need in the spring and summer for nesting and feeding. These waterfowl production areas also create opportunities for visitors to enjoy hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and photography.
Our Mission
Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established to serve a statutory purpose that targets the conservation of native species dependent on its lands and waters. All activities on those acres are reviewed for compatibility with this statutory purpose.
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
What We Do
Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives the management of all the lands and waters that are part of it, from the purposes for which a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered, to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees manage Refuge System lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native species.
On Service-owned properties across the District, management is focused on wetland habitat preservation and improvement, waterfowl production, maintaining habitat for migratory birds, and providing winter habitat for resident wildlife.
The District also protects small wetlands and native grasslands by purchasing conservation easements from private landowners. District staff work with private landowners to assist with developing and restoring wildlife habitat. As part of this type of work, technical and cost-share assistance for agricultural and wildlife projects such as grazing systems, wetland restoration and creation, no-till planting, and grass seeding is available to private landowners.
Management and Conservation
Refuges use a host of scientifically sound management tools to address conservation challenges. These tools are all aimed at ensuring a balanced conservation approach to benefit both wildlife and people.
North Dakota has over 285,000 acres of habitat conserved as waterfowl production areas. These wetland and grassland habitats are managed through livestock grazing, haying, and prescribed burning. These tools improve and maintain grasslands for waterfowl and other nesting birds, helping to sustain North America's waterfowl populations.
Prescribed burning and grazing are preferred tools for enhancing native grasses. When timed properly, both of these techniques can improve vigor and change the species composition of native grasses. Haying and raking can also improve the native and tame grasses. Haying and grazing activities are accomplished by private landowners who have special use permits.
On occasion, private landowners enter into cooperative farming agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under these agreements, old stands of planted grasslands are broken out and farmed for successive years and then seeded back to tame or native grass species.
Invasive weed management techniques include chemical application, mowing, sheep grazing, and biological controls such as flea beetles on leafy spurge.
Grassland Easements
In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow, glacially formed wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for...
Wetland Easements
In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for globally...
Law Enforcement
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement officers have a wide variety of duties and responsibilities. Officers help visitors understand and obey wildlife protection laws. They work closely with state and local government offices to enforce Federal, State, and Refuge hunting regulations that protect migratory birds and other game species from illegal take and preserve legitimate hunting opportunities. Other law enforcement duties include patrolling closed areas or wilderness areas, maintaining good relationships with neighboring landowners, maintaining refuge boundaries, and participating in public events.
Laws and Regulations
Management actions on national wildlife refuges are bound by many mandates, including laws and executive orders.
Other locations in our complex
Arrowwood Wetland Management District is part of the Eastern North Dakota Complex. A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wetland management districts, or other refuge conservation areas that are primarily managed from a central office location. Districts and refuges are grouped into a complex structure because they occur in a similar ecological region, such as a watershed or specific habitat type, and have a related purpose and management needs. Typically, a project leader or complex manager oversees the general management of all refuges within the complex, and refuge managers are responsible for operations at specific refuges or wetland management districts. Support staff may include administrative personnel, law enforcement, refuge managers, biological staff, and fire staff that are centrally located and support all stations within the complex.
