April 21, 2025



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*Minnesota DNR News
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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*

April 21, 2025




*For more information:* <[email protected]>

Contact the DNR Information Center
by email  <[email protected]>or call 888-646-6367.





In This Issue

* DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac [ #link_1491411839600 ]
* Minnesota DNR volunteers celebrated during National Volunteer Week [ #link_1491411977526 ]
* Minnesota DNR announces opening of new public water access on St. Croix River [ #link_1491412003165 ]

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DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

"A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife and habitat management."

*Pheasants Forever, Minnesota DNR join forces to get new hunters into fields and forests*

With spring turkey season underway, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Pheasants Forever are inviting Minnesota hunters to take the Hunter Mentor Pledge and take someone turkey hunting who has never hunted or hasn’t hunted for a few years.

After submitting a short recap of their hunt together, Minnesota hunters and those they mentor will have the chance to win a custom, limited-edition prize from Pheasants Forever. 

The program is open to all spring wild turkey and light goose hunters. Experienced hunters can invite a new hunter of any age if the new hunter has the proper license/tag necessary and either the mentee hunter’s safety or apprentice hunter validation.

Participation is simple: hunters visit the Pheasants Forever website and take the pledge [ [link removed] ] (pheasantsforever.org/mndnr). After taking the pledge, hunters are asked to bring a novice or returning hunter on a hunt during the season and snap a picture or short video during the hunting trip. The last step is to submit contact information, a hunt recap and a photo or video on the submission page to be entered for prize giveaways. All online entries must be received by June 30.

The Minnesota DNR has helpful information for new hunters and experienced hunters who would like to share their skills with new hunters. To learn more, visit the Minnesota DNR take a friend hunting webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/gohunting/take-friend-hunting.html).

Minnesota moms: Join the Mother’s Day weekend fishing challenge

Moms who live in Minnesota are invited to join a free virtual fishing challenge during Take a Mom Fishing Weekend Saturday, May 10, through Sunday, May 11, when Minnesota moms can fish without purchasing a fishing license.

To participate in the challenge, moms simply need to join the 2025 Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge Facebook group and submit one photo of each fish they catch on May 10-11. All participants who submit a fish will be entered in a random drawing for prizes provided by the Student Angler Organization and their partners.

Before the challenge begins, participants are invited to join pre-challenge fishing 101 webinars hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota. The first webinar, on trout fishing, will be 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6. The second webinar, on shore and lake fishing, will be 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8. The webinars will take place in the challenge Facebook group. Participants can join either webinar or both. The 2025 Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge is a collaboration between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Student Angler Organization [ [link removed] ] (studentangler.org) and Women Anglers of Minnesota [ [link removed] ] (womenanglersmn.com).

To see challenge details and sign up to get notified when the challenge goes live, visit the Take a Mom Fishing webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/takemomfishing). The challenge Facebook group is not yet active, but it will go live Friday, April 25.

This is the third year the DNR and its partners are hosting the Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge. During the 2024 challenge, more than 3,000 Minnesota moms from across the state participated, catching 1,500 fish.

The Minnesota Legislature established Take a Mom Fishing Weekend in 1988 to coincide with Mother’s Day. Fishing season dates and regulations are available on the Minnesota DNR fishing webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/fishing). More information about how and where to fish, fishing equipment, ways to catch different kinds of fish, and fishing ethics and stewardship is available on the Minnesota DNR learn to fish webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/gofishing).

Report fish die-offs to help DNR, others respond as needed

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources encourages Minnesotans to contact the state duty officer if they see evidence of a fish die-off in a lake, river or stream. Fish die-offs can result from a variety of natural and human causes.

To report fish die-offs, people should call the Minnesota duty officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 (the duty officer line is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days a week). An early report facilitates timely water and fish sampling and other response actions, if needed. It’s especially helpful to know what sizes and types of fish people see in a fish die-off.

More information on fish die-offs is available on the Minnesota DNR website [ [link removed] ]_ _(mndnr.gov/fisheries/fishkills.html).

Minnesota DNR hosts webinar on enjoying spring ephemerals, exploring SNAs

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the spring program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webinar series.

On Wednesday, April 23, learn about spring ephemerals. These tiny, early blooming plants are among the first signs of growth after a long winter, and they only stick around for a short time. Join Ann Gunness, conservationist on the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, Andrew Wendt, Minnesota state park naturalist, and Susan Wilkins, garden curator for the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, as they highlight a few common ephemeral species, share tips on how to identify them, and give an insider’s guide on how to see ephemerals before they disappear.

Then, on Wednesday, April 30, hear about scientific and natural areas with Kelly Randall, SNA outreach coordinator. SNAs are lands that protect natural features, including native plant communities, rare species and geological features. Randall will also share ideas for activities that are encouraged at SNAs, and the rules to follow if people plan a visit to one of these special natural places.

The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.

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Minnesota DNR volunteers celebrated during National Volunteer Week

More than 14,500 volunteers helped the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources do everything from monitoring rainfall levels to clearing trails in 2024, according to the annual DNR volunteer report [ [link removed] ] (files.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering/2024-annual-DNR-volunteer-report.pdf). The report is being released in celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 20-26), when organizations across the country honor volunteers and recognize the impact of their time and talents.

“Minnesotans are well known for having a giving spirit and commitment to the great outdoors,” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said. “I see that reflected in the immense contributions of our volunteers each year and I can’t overstate how grateful the DNR is for their service and the valuable contributions they make to our natural resources across the state.”

The DNR’s volunteer program is one of the largest among Minnesota state agencies. According to the annual volunteer report, the value of volunteer services in 2024 totaled an estimated $7 million. Volunteers help the DNR with a wide variety of activities, including teaching firearms safety, improving wildlife habitat, hosting in state park campgrounds, planting trees, tagging fish, assisting at outdoor candlelight hike events, and monitoring precipitation. For the sixth consecutive year, Minnesota led the nation in 2025 for the number of volunteers recruited for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network to measure and gather data about precipitation across the state.

The DNR established a department-wide volunteer program in 1988. Over the past 37 years, Minnesotans have contributed more than 13.1 million hours of volunteer service to help manage our state’s natural resources. The value of this service is estimated at more than $259 million.

One example of  extraordinary DNR volunteers are the individuals helping to uncover the secrets to Mystery Cave, located in Forestville State Park. Long-time volunteer Ed Klausner, along with Dr. Joshua Sebree and his team of students from Northern Iowa University, are sharing their skills in surveying and cartography to more accurately map the features and resources of the cave. They have also inventoried organisms found deep within the cave to help people better understand what kind of life can live in the extreme environmental conditions found there.

Read about more of the DNR’s outstanding volunteers on the meet our volunteers [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/volunteering/meet.html) webpage. To become a volunteer or for more information, visit the DNR’s volunteer webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/volunteering).

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Minnesota DNR announces opening of new public water access on St. Croix River
A sign for the St. Croix Public Water Access

The St. Croix River’s newest public water access is now open for anglers, boaters and more to enjoy recreating along this National Wild and Scenic River.

Located in Oak Park Heights directly north of the St. Croix Crossing Bridge between Minnesota and Wisconsin, the new St. Croix Crossing PWA features 35 parking/trailer spots, a double boat launch, an area to clean and drain boats to remove aquatic invasive species, and a portable toilet.

The opening of this PWA marks the completion of the mitigation plan associated with the construction of the St. Croix Crossing Bridge, which replaced the Stillwater Lift Bridge as a key vehicle crossing between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Minnesota DNR has spent several years working cooperatively with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council and the Union Pacific Railroad to address a variety of access challenges at the PWA site.

“We were thrilled to complete construction in late 2024 and are happy to see the public already using the PWA this spring,” said Ann Pierce, DNR Parks and Trails Division director. “This PWA is the culmination of several decades of effort to expand public access to the beautiful St. Croix River.”

With the new St. Croix Crossing PWA complete, the Minnesota DNR now operates four boat launches along the Lower St. Croix River, including the St. Croix Boomsite in Stillwater and landings within Interstate and William O’Brien state parks.

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minnesota department of natural resources [ [link removed] ]

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