Photo by Dominique Braud
			A Look Into the Past Ten thousand years ago, receding glaciers left behind the rolling ridges and deep depressions that became a woodland area complemented by lakes, rivers, bogs and marshes. Lying along the backbone of Minnesota, the Egg and Buffalo Rivers begin here and the Otter Tail starts just upstream.
			Native American Indian Tribes, the Chippewa and Dakota before them, knew the value of the lush beds of manomin (wild rice), stands of sugar maple and abundance of wild foods, fish and game the land provided for their people. Historical sites throughout the refuge chronicle their utilization and numerous battles fought over these precious resources. More than a hundred years ago, loggers harvested most of the area's giant red and white pines, sending the logs down the Egg, Buffalo and Otter Tail Rivers. Settlers followed the loggers, but attempts to farm met with little success due to marginal soils, many wetlands and dense forests. In 1938, an Executive Order established the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, its perpetual purpose to serve as a breeding ground and sanctuary for migratory birds and other wildlife. Tamarac’s nearly 43,000 acres were purchased with funds from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. Early development, such as roads, trails, buildings and water control structures, was accomplished by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1960s, a Job Corps Conservation Center assisted with further development. The Young Adult Conservation Corps program made a valuable contribution during the 1970s and 1980s also. Today, Tamarac is one of more than 500 units in the National Wildlife Refuge System; the most diverse and complete collection of wildlife habitats and wildlands managed by any resource agency in the world.
	Return to Region 3 Home Page | Disclaimer | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page | Home