THE WILDLIFE AND FOREST RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT PLAN

Providing a natural habitat for wildlife is another goal in operating the park.  As you walk through the wooded area of the park you will find areas have been left natural so small game has protection for survival.  The area to the south of the dike built for the practice range is large enough to provide a meadow area for larger game.  We often see deer wandering through the park.

The pond has been dug with depths to 25 feet so the fish which have been stocked should be able to survive the winter months.  The pond also provides kids and opportunity to learn to fish in a catch-and-release environment.  The two islands were left to provide waterfowl protection from predators.  The pond was designed with wings so the waterfowl would have more than one nesting area.

Various Cub Scout troops have built and placed birdhouses throughout the park to help attract a wide variety of birds.

Following the Forest Resource Management Plan, about 20 varieties of trees were planted around the park. In total, over 2,500 trees were planted.  The plan called for a wildlife habitat area and the creation of wildlife tree planting, maintaining an existing shelter belt, development of a wildlife pond, creating a wildlife food plot and seeding an area of the park to native grasses that will represent the tall grass prairie of eastern North Dakota.  Some of the trees and shrubs were selected to provide food from the fruit or berries they produce.  This attracts birds and animals to live in the park. 

A special planting of 47 Green Ash trees which were approximately eight feet tall were planted along the lane from the walk in gate to the picnic area and north past the entrance to the 3-D targets and then northeast to the back side of the pond.