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Sevilleta
National Wildlife Refuge		 This rugged, isolated New Mexican landscape with a blooming cactus and storm clouds gathering makes Sevilleta NWR an intriguing refuge to visit.
P.O.Box 1248
Socorro, NM   87801
E-mail:
Phone Number: 505-864-4021
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/newmex/sevilleta/		 Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.
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  Overview
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
A vast landscape in the heart of New Mexico, Sevilleta National Wildllife Refuge supports four major ecological habitats, encompasses two mountain ranges, and contains stretches of the largest river in the state. The Refuge is unforgettable in its magnitude and austere beauty but is most significant in its function. Unrivaled among our nation's refuges, Sevilleta is managed to maintain the natural processes of flood, fire, and succession that sustain this diverse ecosystem. Vital to migrating birds and other wildlife, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is truly as unique and varied as the wildlife it supports.


Getting There . . .
The refuge headquarters office is located off of I-25, exit 169, approximately 50 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Wildlife and Habitat
Deserts often surprise visitors with plenty of wildlife. Sevilleta is home to over 1200 species of plants, 89 species of mammals, 225 species of birds, 58 species of reptiles, and 15 species of amphibians. More commonly seen species include: mule deer, coyotes, pronghorns, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, western diamondback rattlesnakes, roadrunners, sandhill cranes, and many different types of waterfowl and migrating shorebirds. Bobcats also roam the hillsides, as well as elk and the occasional mountain lion.

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History
The land known, today, as Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), was part of the La Joya, "The Jewel", Land Grant during Spanish rule. Roughly 70 men, women, and children settled onto the land and made their home there. As time passed and New Mexico became a part of the United States, the numerous Spanish Land Grants underwent changes. Some were sold, some towns dissolved, and others changed hands in a variety of ways.

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    Recreation and Education Opportunities
Environmental Education
Hunting
Photography
Wildlife Observation
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Managment Activities

Management activities include removing exotic plant species, replanting native vegetation and constructing man-made impoundments and water control structures in order to restore native wetlands to their natural state. Activities also include limiting human and domestic animal interactions with wildlife. Prescribed fires will become an important management tool in the future.

Mexican Grey Wolf Reintroduction Program - In 1995, Sevilleta NWR was selected to play a critical part in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. The following year, six holding pens were constructed which house wolves slated for release into the wild. The main objective of this facility is to foster wild behavior in captive wolves by isolating them from contact with humans. Sevilleta NWR was chosen for its remote location, large size and relative inaccessibility. The USFWS predicts that it will take approximately 9 years until there is a self-sustaining population of 100 wolves in the wild. Sevilleta will continue its role in the reintroduction program until this goal is met.

LTER - Sevilleta NWR is host to the University of New Mexico's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program initiated in 1988. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program focuses on examining the ecological and biotic responses to seasonal, annual, and long-term climate changes. Scientists, researchers and students from around the globe vie to be awarded valuable research time at Sevilleta NWR with the LTER.