Pheasants Forever and Partners Acquire 128-Acre Wildlife Management Area in Central Minnesota
Princeton, Minn. – June 29, 2020 – Pheasants Forever, along with numerous partners, have secured 128 acres of new wildlife habitat as an expansion to Kunkel Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The purchased acres, supporting a multitude of game and non-game species, are now open to the public for hunting and recreation.
This diverse upland property, sold to Pheasants Forever by Leo and Betty Steinhagen who have lived there since 1968, is adjacent to a large wetland complex and includes 100 acres of restored prairie and 10 acres of mature oaks. Kunkel WMA provides quality habitat for wildlife such as waterfowl, deer, upland birds, and pollinators. The Kunkel Wildlife Management Area can be found south of Mille Lacs Lake and six miles west of Princeton, Minn.
“It has been one of the highlights of my career to work with Pheasants Forever on the acquisition of the 128-acre Steinhagen farm,” stated Tim Marion, area wildlife supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “I started communications with the family in 2004 and with the help of Pheasants Forever chapters, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and Sauk Rapids Sportsmen’s Club, this project came to fruition. This farm is an excellent addition to the existing WMA and a true jewel to Minnesota public lands.”
Partners involved in the project include the Outdoor Heritage Fund, Conservation Partners Legacy Program, the Steinhagen family, Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area, Isanti County Pheasants Forever, Mille Lacs/Benton County Pheasants Forever, Itasca County Pheasants Forever, Ramsey County Pheasants Forever, Sherburne County Pheasants Forever, Cedar Creek and Rum River chapters of the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Rum River Longbeard chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association of Central Minnesota, State Habitat Committee, Sauk Rapids Sportsmen’s Club, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 133,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $900 million on 550,000 habitat projects benefiting 19 million acres nationwide.
