Minnesota Mixed Bag: Juvenile avoids boating disaster on Lake Miltona near Alexandria – Outdoor News
Alexandria, Minn. — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department on May 4 issued a press release involving a boating incident and a juvenile operator.
According to the release, the sheriff’s office on May 3 at about 2 p.m. received a 911 call that a person had fallen out of a moving boat on Douglas County’s Lake Miltona and that the boat “was still going in circles.”
The 15-year-old who’d gone overboard was not wearing a life jacket but was able to call the emergency number and was yelling for help, according to the release.
The release says “an unidentified person with a pontoon rescued the juvenile party from the water and brought him to the east public lake access where he was treated by medics and released to parents. A local dock and lift company was able to stop the unoccupied boat during the rescue.
“The boat was a 14-foot Starcraft fishing boat with a 55-horsepower outboard. The juvenile was uninjured and (was) the only occupant in the boat at the time of the incident,” the release said.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind boaters to always wear a life jacket, according to the release.
Responding agencies were the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, a Minnesota DNR conservation officer, the Miltona Fire Department, Parkers Prairie Ambulance, and North Ambulance.
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BWSR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR CLEAN WATER LEGACY PARTNERS PROGRAM
St. Paul — The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is now accepting grant applications for the Clean Water Legacy Partners Program, which seeks to protect, enhance, and restore water quality throughout the state. Tribal governments and nongovernmental organizations are eligible to apply for this round of funding.
The grants may be used for a wide range of conservation activities including urban stormwater practices, agricultural best-management practices, shoreline-stabilization projects, drinking-water protection, and public engagement efforts.
A total of $1.066 million from the Clean Water Fund is available:
$272,000 is available for NGOs and $794,000 is available for tribes. Grant requests must be between $50,000 and $250,000; a non-state match of at least 10%, provided via cash or in-kind services, is required. The application period is now open and closes Aug. 5. For more information on how to apply, see the program’s Request for Proposals on BWSR’s website.
WILDLIFE DRIVE AT ROSEAU RIVER WMA OPEN MAY 17-18
Roseau, Minn. — The 27-mile wildlife drive within the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area will be open to the public on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18. The self-guided tour traverses wetland, woodland, brushland, grassland, and farmland habitats, providing visitors wildlife viewing and photography opportunities during the spring bird migration, as well as additional fishing access to the WMA pools.
Roseau River WMA is managed by the Minnesota DNR and is located 20 miles northwest of Roseau. Only motor vehicles licensed for use on public highways are permitted on WMA roads. The gate will be opened prior to sunrise on May 17 and closed at sunset on May 18. Visitors may call the Roseau River WMA headquarters, (218) 452-7610, for information on road conditions and closures. For a visitor’s map or more information, visit Roseau River WMA page.
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR $150 MILLION AVAILABLE IN WILDLIFE HABITAT FUNDING
St. Paul — On April 1, the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council issued its annual Call for Funding Request from the Outdoor Heritage Fund. Approximately $150 million will be available for both metro and statewide grants to aid Minnesota habitat restoration, protection, and enhancement.
The deadline for project application is approaching. Requests are due to the LSOHC by Friday, May 23, at 4 p.m. Programs approved by the Legislature can begin spending funds on July 1, 2026.
Since the Outdoor Heritage Fund’s creation in 2008, $1.8 billion in on-the-ground habitat programs has been allocated by the Minnesota Legislature, and over 1 million acres of Minnesota forests, prairies, and wetlands have been restored, protected and/or enhanced.
To view details or learn more, visit: www.lsohc.mn.gov.
For answers to specific questions, contact LSOHC Staff: www.lsohc.mn.gov/staff
NORTH DAKOTA SUMMARIZES 2024 UPLAND GAME SEASONS
Bismarck, N.D. — North Dakota’s 2024 pheasant and sharp-tailed grouse harvests were up last year, while gray partridge was similar to 2023, according to the state Game and Fish Department.
RJ Gross, NDG&F upland game biologist, said the overall harvest was likely a result of more hunters, more trips, and more birds in the population.
“The winter of 2023-24 was mild, and no die-offs were reported. In 2024, we observed an increase in pheasant crows heard during our spring crowing counts and sharptails during spring lek surveys,” Gross said. “Although chick production was decreased by the wet and cold nesting season, the increase in adult density added more broods to the population.”
Last year, 55,401 pheasant hunters (up 3%) harvested 357,018 roosters (up 12%), compared with 53,819 hunters and 319,287 roosters in 2023.
A total of 21,660 grouse hunters (up 1%) harvested 73,010 sharptailed grouse (up 8%), compared with 21,512 hunters and 67,710 sharptails in 2023.
