Properties add valuable acres in Minnesota's Wright County

Volunteers, donors, supporters and partners joined The Habitat Organization in celebrating the addition of more than 350 acres to important wildlife complexes in Central Minnesota. 

Dedication ceremonies were held Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the 214-acre Suconnix Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Addition and the 164-acre Pelican Lake Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) Addition, Petersen-Stokes Family Tract, both in Wright County. Both parcels expand on existing wildlife complexes and are located near the towns of St. Michael and Monticello along the growing Interstate 94 corridor, less than an hour’s drive from most parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

“To be able to create complexes that are not only beneficial to waterfowl and wildlife and the watershed, but that have adjacency to the urbanizing metropolitan area which allows people to go out and enjoy these spaces is the amazing added impact from this work,” Minnesota Pheasants Forever Coordinator Sabin Adams said. 

These additions, acquired primarily through Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area®  program and Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund, each feature several restored seasonal wetlands, areas of forest and upland acres planted with diverse prairie mixes.

The Suconnix WMA Addition provides a vital link between two of the most utilized and ecologically rich WMAs in the region. It connects the 1,006-acre Suconnix WMA with the 650-acre Minnesota Veterans WMA. Because of this important addition, it is possible to walk more than 6 miles without leaving restored habitat areas, other than to cross roads. The impressive size of this complex allows multiple users at the same time, and according to the Minnesota DNR it’s one of the more popular public areas for hunters and birders alike. 

The Pelican Lake WPA Addition is the sixth acquisition by Pheasants Forever as part of an approximately 2,200-acre wildlife complex centered on the shallow lake. Wildlife managers describe the lake as a “duck factory,” making it one of the most popular waterfowl hunting destinations in the state. The Petersen-Stokes Family tract features lake access and large areas of upland habitat and restored wetlands.

These projects were made possible by chapters, partners and members who contribute to the organization’s Build a Wildlife Area® program, Pheasants Forever’s permanent habitat protection program delivering strategic, fee-title acquisitions to conserve habitat and increase public hunting access. The program strives to create functional landscapes supporting wild, sustainable populations of upland birds and other wildlife, while providing ancillary benefits to natural resources and communities. Since 1982, the program has permanently protected more than 241,000 acres of publicly accessible habitat in 17 states.

By permanently protecting high-quality habitat, Pheasants Forever’s acquisition strategy provides solutions for the nation’s most complex sustainability issues including improved biodiversity, soil health, water stewardship, and rural economic development— while simultaneously prioritizing maximum impact for pheasants, quail, and associated wildlife.