Lostwood NWR Lostwood NWR lies in the heart of the Missouri Coteau physiographic region, a dead ice moraine feature. It is located 23 miles south of Canada and 70 east of Montana. The topography is rolling to steep hills in mid-grass prairie, with small clumps of aspen and dotted with over 4100 wetlands. Lostwood NWR is the largest contiguous block of native grassland that the FWS owns in the prairie pothole region. The refuge also contains a 5577 acre Wilderness Area established in 1975.The mixed grass community is being renovated and maintained through the aggressive use of prescribed burning and grazing to fight encroachment of exotic plants and woody vegetation, that was changing the grassland into a parkland habitat. Dominant vegetation is western snowberry, needlegrasses, wheatgrasses, gramas, and plains muhly. Lostwood provides a significant portion of the breeding habitat for the Great Plains population of the threatened piping plover. Baird's sparrows are being benefited by the grassland management programs.Birding is an important public use as Lostwood is an important stop for an increasing number of international and out-of-state birders looking for grassland species, many of which are not easily found except at Lostwoood.
Lostwood WMD The Lostwood WMD is located in the northwestern part of North Dakota, west of Minot. Most of the Lostwood Wetland Management District lies in the Missouri Coteau, with a high density of prairie potholes, but also includes the Missouri Slope and Drift Plain physiographic areas. The typography is rolling hills formed by glacial activity and buried glacial ice. The climax vegetation is mid and short grass prairie on poorly developed glacial soils.
Maple River NWR The Maple River National Wildlife Refuge is a mixture of USFWS owned land and easements in Dickey County, North Dakota. The refuge is located along the Maple River and Maple River Waterfowl Production Area is within the refuge boundary. The refuge and WPA are an important breeding, brood rearing, and migration/resting area for migratory waterfowl and other birds. It is an attractive area for resident species of wildlife as well.Land use on the easement portion of the refuge is primarily farmland with small amount of grassland. There are also wetlands, shelter belts and a farm stead located on the easement portion of the refuge. The WPA has a mix of grassland and wetland acres. The grasslands are managed specifically for the production of migratory birds and other wildlife. Water management features of Maple River NWR include a dam which impounds water on the Maple River, an excavated ditch which allows overflow from the Maple River to enter a marsh during high flows,and a 75 acre semi-permanent marsh and water control structure.
Pipestem Lake Located within the Prairie Pothole Region of ND, this 840-acre lake offers year-round recreational opportunities including birdwatching, boating, fishing, and hunting.
Schnell Ranch Recreation Area The area is a 2,000-acre native prairie and woody draw that has been set aside for wildlife habitat, environmental education, and outdoor recreation.
School Section Lake NWR School Section Lake NWR is located in northwestern Rolette County, North Dakota. It is an easement refuge where the FWS acquired the right to maintain a water level and control hunting.
