Karner Blue Butterfly Assisted Migration in Western Wisconsin

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This project will be collaboration between the St. Croix Wetland Management District and the St. Croix River Association (SCRA). Service and SCRA will work closely to identify sites between Glacial Lakes Grantsburg Wildlife Management Complex and New Richmond, Wisconsin for Karner blue butterfly habitat restoration efforts. Staff will coordinate on Karner Blue Butterfly locations and work closely to coordinate data collection efforts by the University of Minnesota on the success of the translocation efforts. Both parties to the agreement will work together to coordinate on management activities on private lands will assist with translocation and research efforts. Karner Blue butterfly habitat on the Glacial Lakes Grantsburg Complex will be managed by the WI DNR as part of this effort, Service properties will be managed by the Service and Private lands work will be conducted through the Service's Partners For Fish and Wildlife Program in partnership with SCRA and the private landowner. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the St. Croix River Association under justification 505DM2.14.B.(4). Competition for the award is not practical as the St. Croix River Association is collocated in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. One aspect of this project is a possible reintroduction of Karner blue butterflies to Minnesota along with testing assisted migration techniques by moving Karner blue butterflies eggs to portions of St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Due to their status as a Friends Group to the National Park Service, ability to work in both Minnesota and Wisconsin and extensive work with projects of a political nature that require collaboration with numerous state and federal agencies and partners. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following: this project will be in collaboration between St. Croix Wetland Management District Biologist (Christopher Trosen) and the recipient. Mr. Trosen will work closely with the St. Croix River Association to identify suitable Kaner Blue Butterfly habitat restoration sites on public and private lands, establish management timing and options and provide training for rigorous monitoring. Restoration and monitoring work will be a partnership between the St. Croix River Association and the Service. Mr. Trosen will be closely involved in the operations of the program for the duration of the agreement.

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