McGrath residents sustains a large moose population by having wolf and bear bounties for our area, at $350 each. By doing this, it helps maintain traditional lifestyles and cultures by bringing down the bear and wolf population. This encourages our moose population to be resilient to predators and the hardships of winter. As well as making it safer for our people to be out playing and gathering; wood, edible, and medicinal plants. MNVC helps to ensure the ability to thrive off the land by maintaining a balance of wildlife populations.
Since McGrath is located on an oxbow and is not connected to any roads, the source of travel between villages is snow mobile, boating, or by plane. The most practical and cheapest way of travel is on snow mobile or boat. During our winters, we recognize the importance to create easily seen trail markers between our neighboring villages for the safety of the many people who use the trail to travel. This helps build healthier and stronger relationships with our people, their friends, and families in the surrounding villages. By having safe and easy travel access to nearby communities encourages people to have access to lands for wood gathering, winter moose hunts, when is season, as well as opening the opportunity for our people to practice our cultural traditions of trapping and ice fishing, with nets and traditional ice fishing sticks.
Our parks and trails are an important part in our community. MNVC continuously improves our main park when funds allow and has a goal to continue to enhance the community. This allows us to connect with our roots and travel the lands of our ancestors.
We often recognize the many health benefits of being outside. Being outside decreases stress, anger, improves mood, promotes relaxation, improves physical health, increases self-confidence, helps one be more active, encourages connections to others and the land.