Conservation deal preserves long stretch of shoreline along northern Minnesota’s Rainy River

It was 12 years ago when a woodland manager from northern Minnesota told Joe Duggan about a tract of vacant land on the Rainy River, west of International Falls.

A conservationist with powerful connections throughout Minnesota’s fish and game world, Duggan dreamed of turning it into a public wildlife area. Not only did the land hug 1.6 miles of shoreline across the river from Ontario, but it contained distinctive grouse habitat and 276 acres of mixed wildlife cover – Norway pine trees and tamaracks, aspen stands, marshy lowlands and brushy uplands.

“It’s a phenomenal landscape,” Duggan said. “I remember thinking, ‘If and when this comes to market, it would be a great opportunity.’”

The “if and when” happened. On Monday in Koochiching County, partners in the $820,000 land deal will gather to christen the tract as the state’s newest wildlife management area. It’s named after 94-year-old outdoors legend Bob Lessard and the late Bob Anderson, a former mayor of International Falls who worked for Boise Cascade and once chaired the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.

“This is for future generations to have and enjoy,” Duggan said. “A lot of folks came together to make this happen.”

The Lessard-Anderson Wildlife Management Area, 35 miles west of International Falls, joins Minnesota’s network of more than 1,500 such lands across the state. WMAs are open to hunting, trapping, foraging, wildlife watching and other public uses. Together, they provide 1.4 million acres of habitat.

Despite the tract’s location far north of Minnesota’s pheasant range, Pheasants Forever took the lead on the project. The group acquired the former Boise Cascade property from Molpus Woodlands Group, a timber management firm based in Ridgeland, Miss.

When it came up for sale about 18 months ago, Duggan needed to act quickly.

He said he turned to Pheasants Forever, where he works part time, because DNR had reservations about taking the lead on the project. Based in the Twin Cities, the nonprofit conservation organization had the cash needed for a timely closing.

“When we were asked to help it was a no-brainer for us,” said Sabin Adams, Minnesota state coordinator for Pheasants Forever. “To protect 1.6 miles of shoreline on the Rainy River? That’s the real cherry on the top of this property.”

Sabin said Pheasants Forever had never negotiated a land purchase that far north in Minnesota, but it made sense for its overall conservation value and came together with the generosity of partners.

This spring, Pheasants Forever bought the land for $800,000 and took on another $15,000 to $20,000 in fees to close the deal. In turn, the DNR acquired the property from Pheasants Forever for $740,000 in proceeds from the Reinvest in Minnesota critical habitat license plate program.

Duggan said the deal wouldn’t have transpired if it weren’t for the unanimous backing of the Koochiching County Board. He sought the board’s approval before anything else happened because counties in northeastern Minnesota are sensitive to adding public land to their property tax rolls.

“I really think it’s a win-win,” County Board Chair Jason Sjoblom said. “It opens the property for public use and wildlife management. … It’s probably the best use of that land."

Sjoblom said it’s also fitting that the WMA is named after Lessard and Anderson. “Those two names go back 60 years in International Falls for public service,” he said.

Lessard, who owns a Canadian fly-in fishing camp, served many years at the Capitol as a state senator. His fingerprints are on key funding mechanisms for the outdoors, including Minnesota’s Environmental Trust Fund, which uses lottery proceeds to fund natural resource projects. He fought for hunting and fishing rights at the Legislature and was instrumental in pushing 2008’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that now generates more than $100 million a year to restore, protect and enhance habitat for fish, game, and wildlife.

Duggan said there’s already an access road on the property, but it stops shy of the river. The shoreline, some of which is steep, is a short walk from where the access road ends. First on the list of improvements for the WMA will be signage and a public parking lot.