DRAYTON, N.D. -- Dean Hildebrand's vision to open up prime hunting and fishing areas along the Red River to the public became more of a reality Friday when the state dedicated in his honor a 280-acre tract for just those purposes.
"(Dean) knew this river had more potential than people could take advantage of," said Terry Steinwand, director of the Game and Fish Department. "He is a visionary. He led us well into the future."
There are very few wildlife areas in the state named after individuals.
"We want to keep it special and do it for the right people," Steinwand said.
Hildebrand, who preceded Steinwand as director from 1996 to the end of 2005, wanted to see flood-prone areas that landowners enrolled in the federal Emergency Watershed Protection program opened to the public.
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The properties were not otherwise in use because owners agreed not to farm or develop them. The state bought some of the land during the past couple of years and converted them into wildlife areas.
It's one of these areas, a tract about four miles north and east of Drayton along the Red River, that's now called the Dean C. Hildebrand Wildlife Management Area.
Hildebrand attended the dedication ceremony with his wife Joey and their three grown children. But he could not speak for himself because he was battling cancer.
Jay Hildebrand, one of his sons, talked about his father's love of hunting and fishing and the importance his father placed on letting the public make use of prime nature spots.
The Game and Fish Department purchased several properties from the landowners within the past couple of years and converted them into wildlife areas. So far, there are six tracts, four along the Red River and two along the Pembina River.
They join about 250,000 acres of wildlife areas across the state, according to Randy Kreil, wildlife division chief for the Game and Fish Department. The lands along the Red River has been public for about a year, he said, but they haven't had a whole lot of traffic to date.
"People are just finding out about them," Kreil said. "We anticipate their use will be much greater in the future, once people discover these areas and what they have to offer."
Before the state bought the tracts, there were very few public access areas along the Red River, Kreil said. One was at the Drayton Dam, and there were "a handful of places next to bridges," he said.
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The idea behind the wildlife management areas, said Gov. John Hoeven at the dedication, was to create a "greenway, from Wahpeton, N.D., all through our state and even into Winnipeg."
Outdoor recreation is becoming increasingly sought after with the urbanization of so many parts of the nation, he said.
The greenway would allow people to enjoy nature and wildlife along the river and the shopping, restaurants and cultural events in urban areas.
"It's really the best of both worlds," Hoeven said.
Hildebrand, during his time as director of the department, was tireless in his efforts to get these tracts of land, among other responsibilities, according to Steinwand. "If someone would ask, he would do it," he said. "(Dean) never said no."
Reach Nadeau at (701) 780-1118; (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or send e-mail to snadeau@gfherald.com .
