Sustainability Stories: Kent Luttschwager

Across North Dakota’s expansive prairies and quiet lakeshores lie over 235 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), totaling nearly 220,000 acres of land dedicated to what matters most—protecting wildlife and the places they call home. These lands, under the stewardship of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, offer more than open space; they offer a vision of coexistence between people and the wild.

"Wild things need wild places," reads the unspoken mantra behind these protected zones, many of which remain untouched and primitive. Their primary purpose is clear: to support wildlife production and habitat, offering refuge to countless species while inviting the public to connect with nature—on its terms.

Here’s how North Dakota’s Wildlife Management Areas foster a culture of respect, sustainability, and connection:

• Conservation in Action: Through land management practices like prescribed burning, food plot planting, and habitat restoration, the Game and Fish Department creates landscapes where wildlife can thrive. These methods are carefully selected to minimize human impact while maximizing ecological health.

• Recreation with Purpose: While some WMAs offer boat ramps, designated campsites, and vault toilets, many are accessible only by foot or non-motorized means. This simplicity is intentional. It ensures visitors experience the land more intimately and respectfully, walking softly and carrying appreciation rather than disruption.

• Community-Funded Stewardship: These lands are protected thanks to a partnership between the public and wildlife. Funding comes directly from hunters and conservationists—via Pittman-Robertson funds from taxes on guns and ammunition, matched with hunting license fees. Every visit, every license, is a commitment to protecting North Dakota’s natural heritage.

• A Covenant with the Wild: Whether hiking through native grasses or watching birds from a quiet shoreline, visitors are asked to be mindful stewards—leaving no trace, honoring posted rules, and recognizing their role in preserving these shared spaces. “Respect the land, and the land will return the favor,” could easily be the guiding principle.

North Dakota’s WMAs invite us into a slower, simpler rhythm—one where the needs of wildlife take precedence, and the rewards for humans come not in loud thrills, but in quiet awe. By choosing to travel lightly and tread respectfully, visitors become guardians of the wild, carrying forward a legacy that honors both the land and all the life it sustains.