Northwoods Experience: 450-Acre Wildlife Management Area Created on Mantrap Lake

A multi-year effort between several nature-focused organizations has concluded with 450 acres of land on Mantrap Lake near Park Rapids becoming public land and a state Wildlife Management Area. A celebration for the new WMA took place on Jun. 25.

“Some days you take it for granted, but it never gets old,” said Big Mantrap Lake Association Vice President and Loon Volunteer Mark Condiff, who lives on the lake. “In fact, today, showing the lake to other people just made it sink in for those of us on the lake of how wonderful it is to be on this lake.”

“The only way to keep our water cold and preserve the things that Minnesotans cherish is really to preserve the land that is around a lake,” said Minnesota Land Trust CEO Kris Larson. “And so that’s what we’ve done here. And it’s helping to preserve the water quality of Mantrap Lake, the fisheries, and again, the loon populations that are here.”

Mantrap Lake is home to 64 adult loons and at least 31 newly-hatched chicks, showcasing why the loon is the Minnesota state bird. A $5 million land acquisition that finished in June transferred 450 acres of land into the hands of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, with the goal of providing safety for the loons and any other wildlife in the area.

“The Minnesota Land Trust and Northern Waters Land Trust purchased the land directly from 3M,” stated Minnesota Land Trust General Council Amy Schwarz. “And then we recently conveyed or sold the land to the Minnesota DNR, and so now it is public. It’s all public land owned by the state of Minnesota and managed by the Minnesota DNR.”

“That [area] will never be developed,” explained Larson. “It’s going to be part of Minnesota’s public estate forever, and it’s going to be an important legacy for all of [us] Minnesotans. And this is really what we voted on as part of the [state] Legacy Amendment back in 2008. And so it’s a great legacy for all of us, and it’s going to be a fabulous thing for generations to come.”

Locals on the lake and the DNR also see the Mantrap Wildlife Management Area as beneficial for everyone—and every loon.

“Those of us that are on the lake are so excited because they’re preserving close to six miles of shoreline,” added Condiff. “Especially from a loon standpoint, that means a lot of great nesting area.”

“We’ll do some amount of habitat management to improve habitat for turkeys and deer and ruffed grouse and the like,” said Minnesota DNR Northwest Regional Wildlife Manager Blane Klemek. “But this land now is public land. You own it, we all own it. And people will be able to hunt it, fish it, trap it, pick berries, birdwatch, all that kind of neat stuff.”

The Outdoor Heritage Fund had a major part in the WMA creation, as did $1 million in federal funding from the Minnesota Loon Restoration Project.

Several loon protection efforts have been ongoing across Mantrap Lake for many years, and the Mantrap Lake Loon Conservation Project was recently recognized for their work with an award from John Muir Association.