Minnesota's Wildlife Action Plan 2025 - 2035:
Read the Plan

What are State Wildlife Action Plans and why are they important?

State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) provide strategic guidance for conserving Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and their habitats within each state. These Plans help maintain a healthy environment for animals, plants and people. By guiding conservation efforts before species become critically imperiled, SWAPs help prevent the need to list animals or plants as endangered.

SWAPs enable states to access State Wildlife Grant funds, the primary federal funding source dedicated to conserving wildlife species that are not hunted or fished. In Minnesota, these funds are essential for conserving approximately 96% of all animal species in the state.

These Plans outline proactive, voluntary conservation actions for collaborative implementation with a broad range of partners.

Vision: Working together to conserve Minnesota's rare, declining, and vulnerable species and their habitats.

What is the goal of Minnesota’s Wildlife Action Plan?

To guide, facilitate, and inspire conservation actions that sustain the long-term health and viability of Minnesota’s biodiversity, with a focus on species that are rare, declining, or vulnerable (Species in Greatest Conservation Need) and their habitats.

Click below to read Introductory Materials or the Foundation Chapter.

Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are animal and plant species that are vulnerable or at risk of decline or extirpation and species of stewardship or Tribal significance in Minnesota.

Species in Need of Information (SNI) are species believed to be rare in Minnesota, but for which we do not have enough information to categorize them as SGCN.

The Plan’s Species Goal is to conserve rare, declining, and vulnerable wildlife and plant Species in Greatest Conservation Need through targeted actions.

By the numbers:

• 1,142 species are identified as SGCN, the greatest number of which are plants, lichens, butterflies, moths, and bees.
• 166 species are vertebrate animals, such as amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles.
• 860 species are identified as SNI, the bulk of which are invertebrates, followed by plants and lichens.

To learn more about how species were evaluated and selected, stressors they face, and species conservation strategies, read the Species Base Chapter. For more about the specific SGCN and SNI, including their conservation status, habitat associations, and targeted conservation actions, Explore the Data – or – dive deeper into these topics by Species Groups in the chapters below.

Habitat conservation is essential to recovering vulnerable wildlife, and so habitats form the ‘heart’ of Minnesota’s Wildlife Action Plan.

The Plan’s Habitat Goal is to protect and enhance the resilience, function, and ability of habitats to support biodiversity, especially for Species in Greatest Conservation Need.

15 Primary Habitat Types were mapped. To see and download the habitat spatial layers, Explore the Data.

To read more about habitats, the map development, stressors, and conservation strategies and actions, read Habitat Base Chapter.

Click on each Habitat Type below to read the chapter about natural history, conservation context, stressors including climate effects, and conservation actions.

Public Engagement highlights the role that all Minnesotans can play in natural resource stewardship.

The Plan’s Public Engagement Goal is to inspire, motivate, and empower Minnesotans to engage in conservation actions that support Species in Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats.

The chapter outlines seven strategies for achieving this goal:

1. Develop and distribute informational resources and media on SGCN, their habitats, and threats.
2. Support environmental education on SGCN and their habitats on a statewide level.
3. Provide and promote wildlife viewing opportunities and programs that inspire curiosity, caring, and connection with Minnesota’s SGCN.
4. Foster responsible recreation practices that reduce recreational effects on SGCN and their habitats while allowing for safe and satisfying access to the outdoors.
5. Engage and empower communities to improve wildlife habitats where they live, work, and recreate.
6. Offer participatory science programming for Minnesotans to take part in conservation volunteerism that addresses SGCN data needs.
7. Cultivate financial support for the conservation of SGCN through the development and promotion of public funding opportunities and public-private partnerships.

Read more in the Public Engagement Chapter.

Surveys, monitoring, and research generate foundational ecological information for Minnesota’s Wildlife Action Plan. Information targets include assessing the conservation status and trends of our Species in Greatest Conservation Need, the effects of stressors on Minnesota’s plant and animal species, habitats, and ecological communities, and the effectiveness of conservation actions.

The chapter features case studies of monitoring and research programs that span diverse species, habitats and conservation strategies. It includes guidance on study design and statistical principles for collecting rigorous scientific data and explores adaptive management, where objectives and scientific understanding evolve over time through iterative learning and refinement.

Read more in the Monitoring and Research Chapter.

Implementation presents three types of information to support Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and their habitats: the Conservation Action Network (CAN; a spatial prioritization tool), Conservation Opportunity Areas (areas for partnerships), and resources and strategies for Climate Adaptation.

Read more by clicking on each topic below.