DNR

Division of Fish & Wildlife

Private Lands Program

Blane Klemek

            Aldo Leopold, considered to be the father of modern-day wildlife management, once wrote: “The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.”  Leopold wrote those words over 50 years ago and, without a doubt, was correct.  Land is not just land.  Every living organism, including us, is linked inextricably to the land.  Therefore it becomes clear that our actions in managing the land, however large or small the property is, can have profound effects on the surrounding landscape and its inhabitants: our neighbors’ property, the creek, the wildflowers, the nesting waterfowl, the fishes in the lake, the soils, the ground water, and on and on.  It is imperative that we take care of the land we are entrusted with.

            Since about 75 percent of Minnesota is in private ownership, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has long recognized the need for providing technical assistance to private landowners throughout the state.  Indeed, the DNR Division of Forestry has for years provided private landowners with forestry management assistance. Now, funding from Minnesota State’s lottery sales has enabled the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife to develop a private lands program.  The program is designed to provide technical guidance and management expertise for wildlife and related plant communities on private lands. 

For example, private lands specialists can develop forest stewardship plans and other land and wildlife management plans, provide technical guidance for private landowners with an interest in wildlife or wildlife related recreation on their lands, and assist landowners in implementing those plans, whether it be on farmland or forest, five or 500 acres.  Furthermore, the private lands program can help landowners sort through the numerous financial assistance programs available to qualifying landowners.  Many of these programs, such as the federally funded Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), provides yearly payments and/or cost-share dollars for certain conservation practices and wildlife management projects.  

In addition, to best address property owners’ wide range of interests and individual objectives, DNR private lands specialists also act as liaisons between private landowners and other private, county, state, and federal natural resource agencies and organizations.   For example, the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), divisions of the Minnesota DNR (Forestry, Parks and Recreation, Ecological Services, etc.), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and several private conservation organizations such as Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA), Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS), Pheasants Forever (PF), Minnesota Waterfowl Association (MWA), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society (MSGS), Minnesota Audubon Society, and Minnesota Land Trust, to name only some.  Many of these agencies and organizations are able to provide cost-share assistance, technical guidance, and natural resource-related information, and administer other programs and services to private landowners.

At no cost to the landowner, private landowners, whether interested in finding the right conservation practice or program for their land, restoring a prairie or wetland, planting trees on a parcel of property, or learning how to best manage their land for wildlife, will find the private lands program a great place to begin.  The Minnesota DNR private lands program wants to help conservation-minded landowners with developing and implementing sound land stewardship practices.  Helping landowners achieve their personal land stewardship goals is what the private lands program is all about. 

Presently, there are five private lands specialists located in the state. 

Blane Klemek, northwest Minnesota, is stationed in Bemidji and focuses primarily on the forested regions of his work area. He assists landowners by developing wildlife habitat management and Forest Stewardship plans for their property. Blane also works as a liaison between partnering agencies to facilitate the implementation of conservation practices on private lands.

tel. (218) 755-3180, e-mail. blane.klemek@dnr.state.mn.us

Jodie Provost, northeast Minnesota, Aitkin, works mainly on managing brushlands and woodlands on private lands to improve sharp-tailed grouse, white-tailed deer, and other brushland wildlife species habitat.

tel. (218) 927-2982, e-mail. jodie.provost@dnr.state.mn.us

Tim Pharis, central Minnesota, is stationed in Cambridge. He assists landowners on wildlife habitat management activities with an emphasis on evaluation, planning, development, maintenance and protection of forest, transition, brushland, farmland and wetland wildlife habitats. Tim works with a variety of county-level conservation organizations implementing wildlife habitat improvement practices on private land and also assists with the promotion and conservation planning for some of the Federal Farm Bill programs.

tel. (763) 689-7110, e-mail. tim.pharis@dnr.state.mn.us

Kristy Zajac, south central Minnesota, is located in Mankato. Kristy primarily serves the counties of Blue Earth and LeSueur and focuses her efforts primarily on the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill with programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). In addition, she is the State Coordinator for the DNR Roadsides for Wildlife program. The Roadsides program is actively involved in education of landowners and local governmental agencies to change the way roadside management is conducted, using native plantings and delayed mowing regimes, for which grants are available.

tel. (507) 389-6297, e-mail. kristy.zajac@dnr.state.mn.us

Emily Hutchins, southeast Minnesota, is located at Rice Lake State Park near Owatonna. Emily assists landowners in agricultural regions with wildlife habitat management plans and focuses her efforts primarily on the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill with programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). She also spends time in the Steele County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office, aiding in promoting Farm Bill programs and working with producers. Emily has been working with landowners on oak savanna restoration and buckthorn removal.

tel. (507) 455-5841, e-mail. emily.hutchins@dnr.state.mn.us