(Estherville)– A popular wildlife management area in Emmet county is expanding.
The Bur Oak Wildlife Area originally consisted of 384 acres. But Bruce Mountain of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, a key player in the project, says the area is now being expanded to nearly 800 acres…almost doubling its size.
Over a mile of the West Fork of the Des Moines River runs through the land, which consists of crop ground, timber and pasture.
Mountain says the land, which had flooded in the past, is now enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Program. He says the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently purchased the land from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
Mountain says portions of the farmland will be restored to wetlands and prairie. He says it will be managed as wildlife habitat.
The river frontage, uplands and woodlands in that area are known for several diverse recreational activities, including hiking, nature viewing, hunting, fishing and more.
The Iowa DNR repurchased the land from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation with federal funding from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and private matching dollars. Emmet County Pheasants Forever and the local Izaak Walton League also provided assistance.
The area is located 10 miles southeast of Estherville, near Wallingford.
