# Waterfowl Production Area's closed due to shutdown



## Springerguy (Sep 10, 2003)

I thought this was a joke in the Star Tribune but the link to the USFWS confirms the article. This has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen and is nothing more than a public agency (USFWS in this case) trying to share the misery.

Think the federal shutdown doesn't affect Minnesota hunters?
Think again.
The shutdown will prevent hunters from hunting some federal lands, including National Wildlife Refuges and, more importantly, waterfowl production areas scattered around the state.
In Minnesota, the Fish and Wildlife Service oversees nine national wildlife refuges and nine wetland management districts totaling 481,000 acres that now are closed to public use, including hunting, fishing, bird watching and photography.
"Of course, public safety is of the utmost importance on our federal lands and we will have a dedicated group of law enforcement officers working across these lands,'' Tina Shaw, public affairs specialist for the service, said Monday before the shutdown.
In the Twin Cities, Capable Partners, which helps get disabled hunters hunting and fishing, won't be able to archery or waterfowl hunt in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, as it has been doing in recent days. See my story on Capable Partners in Friday's Outdoors Weekend.
Meanwhile, here's a link to the Fish and Wildlife Service's statement posted on the agency's website: http://www.startribune.com/a2503


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## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

what a crock! in 47 years of hunting i have never seen one federally near any WPA in Minnesota. more propaganda to bow to king Obummer.


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

There are 254,000 acres of Waterfowl Production Areas in North Dakota.


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## shaug (Mar 28, 2011)

6162rk said,



> in 47 years of hunting i have never seen one federally near any WPA in Minnesota


Mr. Sklebar said,



> There are 254,000 acres of Waterfowl Production Areas in North Dakota.


6162, I think indsport took issue with your statement. Meaning a quarter million acres in ND is a lot to patrol by federallies.
Did you know indsport is a retired federally?


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## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

yes I think he possibly took it wrong. but it is still a crock to close the lands that I believe have been purchased with federal waterfowl stamp dollars.

like I said before more propaganda.

the radio was even saying today that the shutdown is the fault of those of us that believe in a multiple (democratic) government system.

more propaganda.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

There is no reason for WPA's to be closed. If they are it's pure political. I once heard a person say "our wildlife refuges". I should have kept my mouth shut, but I reminded them that the wildlife refuges belong to the people of the united states who we work for.
The house sent the senate a bill. The senate turned it down. The last person to act (the senate) is to blame for the shutdown. Then the house waned to fund the government by department, and the senate turned that down. So if anyone is to blame it's the senate. If they pass it and Obama vetoes it then it's his fault. 
I often think I must have these things right because the radicals on the right who want no control get ticked at me, and the radicals on the left who want to control everything get ticked at me too.

Edit: As a federal employee I have gone through a number of government shutdowns. Public land in the past has never been shut down to hunting. Why now? Who ordered it?


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

According to us.gov and an article in outdoor life, the only things closed are national parks, monuments, and refuges.


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

If you read the information from USFWS, the shutdown includes refuges and *wetland management districts*. Refuges are federal land and administered by Refuge personnel. WPA's are federal land (just like refuges) and are administered by wetland districts, therefore they are closed. I haven't heard back yet anything from USDA about national grasslands. US.gov still hasn't been updated and further outdoor life is wrong.

6162's comment was about minnesota, mine was about north dakota and what I said had nothing to do with a previous comment, just pointing out that there are any number of resident and non resident hunters here now for duck hunting and use the WPA's.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> Although President Obama claims that he can't avoid shutting down public sites and monuments, war memorials were in fact kept open during the 1995/1996 government shutdowns. The administration's decision to barricade the Lincoln Memorial marks the first time in its history the memorial has been totally off limits to visitors during a shutdown.
> 
> The administration has also balked at efforts by non-governmental groups to maintain access to public sites. (Related: RNC offers to pay to keep WWII memorial open)
> 
> ...


There is no reason to be closing these things. The real reason is Obama is a childish jerk. I think he likes spitting in the face of veterans. These days we hear everyone talk about respecting the veterans, but the truth is the liberals have simply learned to hide their dislike for military and law enforcement. One only need look back at the returning veterans from Viet Nam and look at who was spitting on them. Does anyone think Jane Fonda is a conservative?


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

With the federal government locked in self-afflicted paralysis as of midnight, all 561 national wildlife refuges and 368 national parks are now closed to the public. However, nearly all of the country's 155 national forests and 2,400 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas, as well as vast sprawls of lands managed by the BLM and other federal agencies, remain accessible and available for hunting and fishing.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/open-c ... -other-fed


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

Indsport, from what I understand when they state wetland management districts they are talking about the district offices and other facilities, not lands other than refuges. If it were they would have spelled it out just as they did with calling out refuge lands.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

In ND if you don't want to allow someone to hunt on some land it has to be posted. If WPA's are not posted (which I doubt they have been) I'm hunting them.........


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

I will and have hunted them in the past few days and also in the future.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

I have heard from two different people who received two different answers from NDGF regarding the Grasslands. One was told open, the other closed.....

Regardless, I will be hunting wherever the hell I want on "public" lands without hesitation.


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## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

While I don't agree with some of the political comments in this post (our system gives us the right to disagree about things like this, right?), all of the national wildlife refuges that I am familiar with in WA and OR were closed in the last government shutdown in the mid '90's. Those that were gated had closed gates. I am just as certain that many, if not all, of these refuges had "unauthorized" uses during that shutdown.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

AdamFisk said:


> I have heard from two different people who received two different answers from NDGF regarding the Grasslands. One was told open, the other closed.....
> 
> Regardless, I will be hunting wherever the hell I want on "public" lands without hesitation.


Since the grasslands are largely leased for cattle grazing, wouldn't that also mean all the ranches would have to pull their cattle out and stay off federal lands? I don't see that happening either.


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## Springerguy (Sep 10, 2003)

Here is the email I sent each of my legislators:

I wanted to let you know how thoroughly disgusted I am regarding the closure of public lands to include Waterfowl Production Area's and other lands purchased for recreational use by hunters and the general public. In many cases, these public lands were purchased through funds raised by non-profit organizations to include Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, etc., with the objective of creating public access. I have donated many hours of my time to raise funds for these purchases and take great offense to this political tactic.

To state that the Government shutdown should impact access to these public lands only lends to the total lack of knowledge regarding public use by our elected officials. Frankly, I don't care what party is "at fault" for this situation; your are an elected official with presumed leadership accountability and I will vote in the next election based on action to rectify this situation versus political debate and grandstanding.


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

Anyone over the weekend see any new signs up at the WPA's indicating you can't hunt? I have seen a couple of sites originating in other states, stating that the feds put up temporary signage basically saying it is verboten to enter the designated area. :x Some other scuttlebutt that some hunters were ticketed for daring to hunt on them etc.. Haven't seen anything here, so far, so hoping they have decided not to enforce the "law".


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Hmm, you guys finally see the right side of this issue. Now going forward expect PLOT and ND state wildlife land to be OPEN the entire season to law abiding legally licensed Non-residents. lol... oke:


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## fieldgeneral (Feb 12, 2013)

Who does the government have out enforcing the law that government land is closed to hunting?


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

fieldgeneral said:


> Who does the government have out enforcing the law that government land is closed to hunting?


USFWS wardens. Most were not furloughed.


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

Interesting.. Found this post at:

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4041327/all/Waterfowl_Production_areas_clo

"We got booted in MN by federal duck wardens at three seperate WPA's.

All three by different wardens. First two were from Maryland and sent to MN to police the federal ground. Their words not mine. The third was a MN/SD/ND warden who was a decent guy but had no choice or discretion so had to boot us.

We were coyote calling and a airplane saw and reported us all three times. No tickets or violations just a firm "You must leave due to fed. shutdown." We didn't argue or try to change their minds we just moved on.

We talked with other hunters from CA who also had been booted several times while hunting in both ND and MN. They were less than happy."


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

Been hunting in national forest land with no problems. Talked to a couple of nice rangers that have pointer us to good locations. Can't see how they can close some but not others.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I doubt they have enough wardens to cover the WPAs in ND. If I remember we have 35% or more of the WPAs in the nation. Actually there are probably more non residents that hunt our WPAs than residents considering that "water hunting" is frowned upon by so many locals. In ND you are unlikely to even see another hunter on most WPAs much less a warden. I know I have never seen a warden around a WPA unless it was large enough to be utilized by large numbers of hunters.

So if WPAs are closed does that mean we get a refund on our waterfowl stamps???????????? oke:


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

BS!


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

I no sooner submitted the post above when I read this! Looks like the WPA's will be officially opened for business if this is correct..

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pheasantsforever/posts/10151632574241254


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

Hope the PF announcement is correct. As a card carrying member, thanks to all my fellow members for speaking up.


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## Springerguy (Sep 10, 2003)

They have officially been reopened.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

jamartinmg2 said:


> BS!


with all the rain I am sure that would have fallen off as I walked past it :evil:


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## questor (Oct 4, 2011)

Office of Communications
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS-330
Arlington, VA 22203

For Immediate Release Contact: Bruce Decker
703-358-2521
[email protected]

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Reopens Waterfowl Production Areas

Due to the ongoing lapse in Congressional appropriations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision to close all facilities and lands to public use. The closure comes at an extremely difficult time with hunting seasons just underway, fall migratory bird migrations at their peak, and hundreds of communities forced to cancel events as part of National Wildlife Refuge Week. With approximately 78 percent of its employees furloughed, we determined it would be difficult for the remaining, non-furloughed workforce to ensure the safety of facilities, lands, and resources, in a manner that incurs no further financial obligation to the U.S. Government.

Despite limited staffing, the Service has undertaken an assessment to determine what, if any, potential exists to open lands to public use consistent with our obligations under the government-wide shutdown. It has been determined that allowing public access to Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) will not incur further government expenditure or obligation and is allowable under a government shutdown. Therefore, effective immediately, all WPAs will reopen to public use.

As the shutdown continues, if the Service determines that maintaining the WPAs in open status, individually or cumulatively, would likely cause Service expenditures or obligations to be made in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, the Service will close public access.

Additional information about the Service's efforts to support conservation on national wildlife refuges can be found at http://www.fws.gov/ which will be operational after the shutdown ends. Shutdown-related information continues to be available at www.DOI.gov/shutdown.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service.

-- FWS --


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

Mr.Dugard told us in SD to hunt on what ever public land we want to. So I will and have been. its PUBLIC that I will go to court for if I would have to


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

jamartinmg2 said:


> BS!


The erection of this sign was probably the only visit they had made to that WPA in the last 2 years...


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

you suck


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