Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge announces meet and greet for the construction of the new McGregor District Headquarters and Maintenance Facility
We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are pleased to announce that the McGregor District of Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge will be home to a new headquarters and maintenance facility at the Luster Heights Unit, located in Allamakee County between Harpers Ferry and Marquette, Iowa.
You’re invited to learn more! Join staff from the McGregor District on September 17, 2024, between 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 481 Luster Heights Rd, Harpers Ferry, Iowa 52146, for a community a meet and greet opportunity and learn more about the project. We’ll have knowledgeable folks on hand to share project plans and answer questions from our new neighbors, partners and interested public. Folks can drop in any time during these ours.
Construction on this much needed project began in early August by A&J’s Construction out of Cresco, Iowa. This project addresses both deferred maintenance needs for the refuge and visitor access to public lands and waters. This facility will serve as staff offices, as well as a visitor contact station and have a multi-purpose space available for educational activities, meetings, trainings and volunteer events. Once complete, the visitor contact station will be open as staffing is available.
While the facilities will be multi-purpose and have a visitor contact station, it is important to note that this is will not be a staffed visitor center. A maintenance facility and storage buildings will also be constructed to provide space to secure and maintain equipment that is necessary for refuge staff to meet habitat and public use goals. Funding for this $10,620,000 project has been provided by the Great American Outdoors Act and we expect to complete the work by 2026.
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is the most visited refuge in the United States. The refuge extends 261 miles along the Upper Mississippi River from Wabasha, Minnesota, to Rock Island, Illinois, protecting and preserving habitat for migratory birds, fish, and a variety of other wildlife. This 240,000-acre refuge was established in 1924. In addition to being the most visited refuge in the country, the Upper Miss, as it’s known informally, has the added complexity of a major navigation system, including 11 locks and dams, within its boundary. It is also a world-class fish and wildlife area which harbors 306 species of. Birds, 119 species of fish more than 300 active bald eagle nests, thousands of heron and egret nests, spectacular concentrations of canvasback ducks, tundra swans, and white pelicans and several threatened or endangered species.
Learn more about the Great American Outdoors Act.
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