Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the nation's oldest refuges. It was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Located in the famous Prairie Pothole Region of the United States, the Refuge and surrounding area provide breeding and resting habitat for more than 293 bird species. Chase Lake NWR has been designated as one of America's Top 100 Globally Important Bird Areas (IBA) by the American Bird Conservancy. The 4,385-acre Refuge includes Chase Lake itself, native prairie, dense nesting cover, and an amazing density of wetlands. The majority of this land has not been altered since Euro-American settlement times. Thus, Chase Lake NWR was designated as a Wilderness Area in 1975. The Refuge is one unit within the Chase Lake Wetland Management District (WMD). Chase Lake WMD staff also manage 133 waterfowl production areas. The waterfowl production areas contain approximately 39,000 acres of prairie wetlands and grasslands in Stutsman and Wells Counties. The office headquarters for Chase Lake NWR and WMD is located 3 miles east of Woodworth, North Dakota.