The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources invite the public to join in the dedication of the state's new Anglers Bay Wildlife Management Area on Saturday morning, Aug. 2. The dedication will be held at the project site on the northeast side of Big Spirit Lake, nestled between Hales Slough to the south and Sandbar Slough to the north.

A guided kayak tour of the area will also be offered Friday, Aug. 1.

The importance of Anglers Bay to the Lakes' water quality and fish and wildlife inspired this $6.67 million conservation effort.

"Join us to celebrate this remarkable project to save the longest stretch of natural shoreline along the Iowa Great Lakes," said Mark Ackelson, president of INHF. "The dedication will be a special opportunity to experience Anglers Bay up-close with people who can help you appreciate it even more. And it is also time when those who helped protect this place can enjoy one another."

The event is free and open to the public, with something planned for all ages and abilities from 7:30-11:30 a.m. An early-morning bird hike begins at 7:30 a.m. A gathering time to view project posters and meet sponsors is at 8:30 a.m. before a short dedication ceremony at 9 a.m.

Other activities follow, including guided pontoon rides along the bulrushes, netting and identifying aquatic critters at the shore, a guided hike to preview restoration plans for the area, and sharing stories and pictures that highlight the history of natural and human interactions over generations. Participants will be eligible for a door prize.

Most of the activities will take place outdoors, rain or shine. Some seating and shade are available, but participants may wish to bring a water bottle and lawn chair and dress comfortably for the weather and site conditions. Parking is available at the site, or participants may wish to bicycle to the event.

Friday morning, a guided kayak tour of the Anglers Bay shoreline and bulrushes will be led by Barb Tagami, Dickinson County Conservation Board naturalist. The kayak tour is open to members of the public who have some experience navigating a kayak. Bring your own kayak or reserve one for $30. Meet at Westport School in Kenue Park at 8:30 a.m. For more information, to register or to reserve a kayak, contact the Dickinson County Conservation Board at 712/330-1080.

More than 1,077 donors have contributed to help purchase and restore Anglers Bay, including the late Don Yarnes and Nancy Yarnes, the former owners. The Yarnes family and other major donors will be recognized at the dedication, along with state legislators who approved major public funding for the project.

"This treasure was slated for yet another housing development, but fortunately it will remain a place where Iowans can experience the natural beauty and serenity of the Lakes region," said Marion Conover, Fisheries Bureau Chief at the Iowa DNR. "This is a place that has been special to Iowans for generations, and now it can be enjoyed by generations to come."

Event participants can view early work to restore wetlands and prairie at the 93-acre site. Several native bur oak trees will also be planted and invasive, non-native trees will be removed. A section of recreational trail to be built through the wildlife area will connect with the existing Dickinson County trail system.

"We ask for people's patience and continued interest as the site is returned to a more natural state and enhanced with the recreational trail, scenic overlooks and a small parking area," said Conover of the IDNR.

The funds raised for Anglers Bay will help partners leverage federal dollars to continue important conservation work in Dickinson and other northwest Iowa counties. All told, the $6.67 million Anglers Bay funding package will be the catalyst for eight North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants. These grants will result in the permanent protection of over 15,000 acres of critical landscape to enhance water quality and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.

INHF is a nonprofit conservation group that works with private landowners and other partners to protect Iowa's land, water and wildlife. Other areas in Dickinson County that INHF and IDNR have worked together to protect include the Anspach Marsh, Cayler Prairie State Preserve, several additions to Spring Run Wetlands, and an addition to Gull Point State Park.

* For more information, including directions and maps for driving or biking, visit http://www.inhf.org/anglers-bay-dedicati... or call Ann Robinson, INHF Outreach Coordinator, at (800) 475-1846 or contact Chris LaRue, IDNR Great Lakes Unit Wildlife Management Biologist, at (712) 336-3524.