Multi-Purpose Conservation Benefits Many

Posted Monday July 24, 2017 by wf_admin

Just as most of Wildlife Forever’s projects are designed for many different types of wildlife, some projects also benefit various groups of people at the same time. A riparian restoration project in eastern South Dakota is an excellent example of multi-purpose conservation. By restoring a 2-mile riparian corridor along Deer Creek, Wildlife Forever and the Wildlife Conservation Club of South Dakota State University have created a fishery that has multiple uses. The fishery serves as a facility to introduce children to the sport of fishing, as an eco-laboratory for SDSU students, as an outdoor classroom for local elementary students, and as a demonstration model for using applied research to create a sustainable, high-quality fishery. the restoration constructed a series of beaver-pond wetlands in the upper riparian zone and a 20-acre body of water in the lower riparian zone of this damaged watershed. In addition, buffer zones were created by establishing 45 acres of native grasslands, planting 5,000 trees, and conducting controlled burns. The fishery has been stocked with smallmouth bass and golden shiners.