# Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge *National Wildlife Refuge in Sherburne County, Minnesota* The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is a federal wildlife refuge of 30,700 acres in [[Sherburne County, Minnesota]].[^1] Its habitat combines oak savanna, Big Woods forest and wetlands.[^1] Federal protection for the site was approved on May 18, 1965, and land purchases for it were begun with revenue from [[Duck Stamp]] sales.[^1] The project's at-issue record states that the refuge is the largest public land holding in Sherburne County.[^2] It also states that the refuge was assembled from more than 300 individual land holdings and that over 95% of the purchase was funded with Duck Stamp money. The entry says that this funding makes the refuge an inviolate sanctuary by law.[^2] The record does not establish whether eminent domain was used or whether there were disputes with landowners, and the at-issue item flags both as not verified.[^2] ## What The refuge's recorded wildlife includes more than 230 bird species, 58 mammal species and 25 species of reptiles and amphibians.[^1] In winter, cross-country skiers, snowshoers and hikers may use most refuge lands.[^1] Between March 1 and August 31, visitors are limited to designated areas so that wildlife can breed undisturbed.[^1] The designated areas include the following:[^1] - Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive is a 7.3-mile gravel loop through wetland and prairie. It is open to cars, cyclists and walkers from late April through October, and it has three observation decks and three short loop hikes. - The Blue Hill Trail reaches the 90-foot summit of Blue Hill, the highest point in the refuge. - The Mahnomen Trail crosses wooded uplands. - A canoe route runs along the St. Francis River and Battle Brook. - There are designated fishing access points. Visitors may gather berries and mushrooms for their own use within 100 feet of the trails.[^1] Hunting seasons for big game, small game and waterfowl take place in the fall.[^1] The refuge is open for day use only, and visitors staying overnight are directed to a campground in the neighboring Sand Dunes State Forest.[^1] ## Where The refuge lies in Sherburne County, [[Minnesota]].[^1] The St. Francis River crosses its eastern portion.[^1] Sand Dunes State Forest adjoins it.[^1] ## When Archaeologists have found Native American village sites inside the refuge dating to about 1300 CE. Human occupation of the area is believed to be older than that.[^1] European settlement began in the 1870s.[^1] Farming brought fire suppression and ditch drainage, which reduced the number of permanent wetlands and made the woodland denser.[^1] By the 1940s, conservationists and hunters had identified the area as a candidate for restoration.[^1] A formal request for federal protection went to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1960.[^1] The request was approved on May 18, 1965.[^1] The at-issue record gives the same establishment date.[^2] ## How Minnesota's conservation department first studied whether the site could become a state wildlife area. It concluded that the state could not afford to buy the land from its many separate owners.[^1] Federal acquisition followed, and the first purchases were paid for with duck stamp revenue.[^1] ## How much Wikipedia gives the refuge's area as 30,700 acres, and the at-issue record gives the same figure.[^1][^2] According to the at-issue record, Duck Stamp funds paid for more than 95% of the purchases.[^2] ## How many Wikipedia states that the land was held by nearly 300 separate owners before acquisition, while the project's at-issue record gives more than 300 individual land holdings.[^1][^2] ## In the at-issue record The refuge is the subject of at-issue item AI-Sherburne-080. This item is ranked 80 in section *III. The Tax Base Being Retired (61–85)* of the Sherburne package and is dated May 18, 1965.[^2] The item is anchored to a presidential action from March 2025, *Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse*.[^3] The item cites two agency sources from fws.gov, which are not included in this pack.[^2] It records as a gap that eminent domain use and landowner disputes have not been verified.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge* (revision 1362906807, retrieved 2026-10-27) — establishes the refuge's location, acreage, habitats, species counts, settlement and acquisition history, the 1960 request, the May 18, 1965 approval, and the recreation and access rules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherburne_National_Wildlife_Refuge [^2]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, item AI-Sherburne-080 (*Sherburne Energy Brief*, section III) — states the refuge's 30,700 acres, its May 18, 1965 establishment, more than 300 holdings, over 95% Duck Stamp funding and inviolate-sanctuary status, and flags eminent domain and landowner disputes as not verified. The item rests on two fws.gov agency sources that are not carried in this pack, and its only listed URL is its anchor. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^3]: The White House, *Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse* (March 2025) — the presidential action named as the anchor of item AI-Sherburne-080. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/