HURON — The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will begin construction this summer on a new headquarters office, including a Visitor Center, on the Maga Ta-Hohpi Waterfowl Production Area located west of Huron.

A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Thursday, July 6 at 10 a.m.  The public is invited.

Maga Ta-Hohpi (Maha-ta-hopie), is a Yankton Sioux term meaning “Duck Nest.” The Maga Ta-Hohpi Waterfowl Production Area consists of approximately 2,200 acres and is located nine miles west of Huron on Highway 14. The building will be located one-quarter mile west of 392nd Avenue on the south side of the road.

The new headquarters building will host employees of the Huron Wetlands Acquisition Office and Huron Wetland Management District. The Wetland Management District manages 59 waterfowl production areas, totaling 17,683 acres, in Beadle, Sanborn, Jerauld, Hand, Hyde, Hughes, Sully and Buffalo counties.

The District and the Wetland Acquisition Office employees work with private landowners to administer the wetland easement and grassland easement programs. The easement program strives to increase waterfowl production by preserving wetlands and grasslands that serve as waterfowl breeding habitats.  

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System is a Department of Interior Agency and was founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. It  administers a diverse network of lands and waters dedicated to conserving America’s rich fish and wildlife heritage.