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Article |
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National Wildlife Refuge System—A Visitor's
Guide |
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About
the National Wildlife Refuge System
Why
Wildlife Refuges?
America's
Best Kept Secret
From
the Smallest Beginning
Caring
for Wildlife and Their Surroundings
Tips
When Visiting a National Wildlife Refuge
Related
Links
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About the National Wildlife Refuge System |
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Bald Eagle.
Photo by Steve Maslowski, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) administers the National
Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) which consists of over 530
wildlife refuges, 38 wetland management districts (administering
over 26,000 waterfowl production areas), and 50 coordination
areas.
Most of these lands are designated National Wildlife Refuges,
while only about 4 percent have other classifications. There are
16 refuges in Alaska which contain almost 83 percent of all lands
in the NWRS.
The NWRS was created mostly with land withdrawn from the Public
Domain. About 5 percent of the NWRS comes from purchases by Land
and Water Conservation Fund appropriations and Migratory Bird Conservation
Fund receipts.
There are a number of different types of lands within the National
Wildlife Refuge System, which are loosely defined as:
- National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) are tracts of land or water
protected for the preservation of wildlife, except for Coordination
Areas and Waterfowl Production Areas. NWR's are sometimes named
National Fish & Wildlife Refuges (NFWR).
- Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) are wetlands or grasslands
critical to waterfowl and other wildlife, acquired pursuant to
the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act or other
statutory authority. Waterfowl production areas are administered
by 38 Wetland Management Districts (WMD).
- National Game Preserves (NGP) are NWR's designated by Presidential
Proclamation or by Congress for the protection of wildlife, and
were originally established to help save the American bison.
- Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) are areas established to conserve
and enhance wildlife and wildlife habitat, and to provide public
recreation opportunities.
- Coordination Areas are those lands administered as part of
the NWRS and managed by the States under cooperative agreement
between the FWS and a State Fish and Wildlife Agency.
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Why Wildlife Refuges? |
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The National Wildlife Refuge System is the only network of federal
lands dedicated specifically to wildlife conservation. There are
more than 500 National Wildlife Refuges throughout the United States.
There is at least one refuge within an hour's drive of most
major cities. Home to more than 700 types of birds, 220 different
mammals, 250 reptiles, and more than 200 kinds of fish, the amazing
variety of wildlife found on refuges reflects America's bountiful
natural heritage. Many wildlife refuges were created to protect
and enhance the resting and feeding grounds of migratory birds,
creating a chain of stepping stones along major migration routes.
Others were established to conserve the natural homes of our rarest
wild species, including bald eagles, bison, and whooping cranes.
Brown Bear in the Kodiak
National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Photo by Steve Hillebrand, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife ServiceIn southern wildlife refuges, peaceful coastal backwaters and
bayous provide important spawning areas for fish. Countless shallow
ponds and marshes in the Upper Midwest, created thousands of years
ago by receding glaciers, are now prairie "pothole" refuges, critical
for waterfowl as well as wildflowers. In the Northeast, a variety
of unique wetlands and forests provide havens for songbirds, waterfowl,
whitetail deer, and a multitude of small game. The rich grasslands
and mountain streams of western wildlife refuges offer magnificent
scenery for viewing elk, cutthroat trout, and sandhill cranes.
Alaska refuges' vast horizons are home to more than 12
million ducks, geese, and swans each summer, and host the most
vibrant salmon runs, the world's largest brown bears, and
magnificent herds of caribou.
A hundred years in the making, the National Wildlife Refuge System
is a network of carefully chosen habitats that support abundant
wildlife, protect a healthy environment, and provide unparalleled
outdoor experiences for all Americans.
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America's Best Kept Secret |
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Creek bottom tours.
Photo by Elise Smith, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife ServiceNational wildlife
refuges are far more than havens for wild plants and animals. In
fact, visitors—nearly 40 million each year—are welcome on 98
percent of wildlife refuge land. Visitors join in a variety of
outdoor activities, especially hunting, fishing, wildlife observation,
photography, interpretation, and environmental education.
Wildlife refuges host recreational hunters at more than 300 locations
and welcome anglers at more than 260—a testament to the abundant
wildlife resulting from successful conservation and management
programs. Birdwatchers from around the globe visit wildlife refuges
to be awed by amazing congregations of our feathered friends, numbering
in the tens of thousands at peak migration in many locations. And
there's no better place than wildlife refuges for children
and adults alike to learn about the natural world. More than 230
wildlife refuges attract visitors with innovative educational programs
showing how we manage refuges to ensure that future generations
can experience America's wildness. Still, the discovery opportunities
don't end with wildlife. Wildlife refuges also protect important
historic sites, from Native American campsites to World War II
artifacts, preserving interesting facets of the American culture.
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From the Smallest Beginning |
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Warden Paul Kroegel (with brown pelican)
was America's first Federal game warden and refuge manager. He
never lost his abiding passion for the ungainly waterbirds on
Pelican Island.
Photo by George Nelson, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife ServicePresident Theodore
Roosevelt established the first wildlife
refuge in 1903, Florida's 3-acre Pelican Island, to protect
egrets, herons, and other birds from market hunters who killed
these birds by the thousands to satisfy turn-of-the-century fashion
demands. From this humble beginning, Americans have embraced the
concept of providing unique places for wildlife to flourish, while
also allowing for many forms of wildlife dependent recreation.
Through cooperative efforts with a growing number of partners and
committed citizens, the National Wildlife Refuge System has become
a model of stewardship where all Americans and International visitors
can enjoy our precious natural resources. |
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Caring for Wildlife and Their Surroundings |
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Sockeye salmon.
Photo by Dave Menke, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife ServiceFor millennia, America's wildlife thrived in natural surroundings
stretching across millions of acres. Areas that in recent times
have been reduced to a fraction of their original size—but are
still crucial to the survival of wild species—require active,
consistent, research-based management. The National Wildlife Refuge
System oversees the world's most comprehensive wildlife management
programs, combining biological research and monitoring with strategic
habitat management. In Alaska for example, brown bears are fitted
with global positioning system collars to track their movement.
The FWS builds secure floating nests on the California coast to
attract and protect rare light-footed clapper rails during breeding
and nesting season. Periodic burning, grazing, or harvesting of
grasslands stimulates plant growth providing food and cover for
elk, endangered Attwater prairie chickens, and waterfowl alike.
Sometimes the best management system is making sure nothing is
done at all. Within the National Wildlife Refuge System, 21 million
acres of wilderness—an area larger than the states of Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey combined—allow species as diverse as Florida panthers and barren-ground
caribou to survive in undisturbed surroundings.
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Camping on Unnamed Lake in Brooks Range, Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Photo by David Cline, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service |
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Tips When Visiting a National Wildlife Refuge |
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American (pine) marten.
Photo by Erwin and Peggy Bauer, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife ServiceWatch wildlife from a distance. When you approach a wild animal,
it may defend itself, or flee, but by keeping your distance you
can see its natural behavior.
- "Wake up with the birds." Arrive in the early morning (or late
afternoon) when wildlife is most active.
- Contact the wildlife refuge before you visit for up-to-date
information on access, special activities, weather conditions,
and more.
- Bring binoculars to get the best view
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Related LInks |
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Adapted from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service publication National
Wildlife Refuge System—A Visitor's Guide, 2003, posted
by the USFWS National
Conservation Training Center's Online
Conservation Library and the USFWS Division
of Realty's National
Wildlife Refuge System Lands Database. |
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