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Welcome to Region 6
The Mountain-Prairie Region consists of 8 states in the heart of the American west including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
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Science
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Science
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a long tradition of scientific excellence and always uses the best-available science to inform its work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat for the benefit of the American public.
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National Wildlife Refuges
Where Wildlife Comes First
Created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, today's National Wildlife Refuge System protects habitats and wildlife across the country, from the Alaskan tundra to subtropical wetlands. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Refuge System's 560-plus refuges cover more than 150 million acres and protect nearly 1,400 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. Refuges are ideal places for people of all ages to explore and connect with the natural world. We invite you to learn more about and visit the national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
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Ecological Services
The Mountain-Prairie Region's Office of Ecological Services (ES) works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, ES personnel work with Federal, State, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate threats to our Nation's natural resources.
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Migratory Birds
Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The Migratory Bird Program is responsible for maintaining healthy migratory bird populations for the benefit of the American people.
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Fish and Aquatic Conservation
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries.
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Law Enforcement
Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation.
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External Affairs
External Affairs staff in the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support to the regional office and field stations to communicate and faciliate information about the Service's programs to the public, media, Congress, Tribes, partners, and other stakeholders in the 8-state region.
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Visit a Refuge or District
Locate a Refuge | Wildlife Observation and Photography | Environmental Education and Interpretation | Hunting | Fishing | Open / Close All
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter." (Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder)
We invite you to visit a national wildlife refuge or wetland management district in the Mountain-Prairie Region. Watch in awe as flocks of waterfowl glide down to the water. Listen to the ancient rattling call of sandhill cranes. Feel your shoe sink a bit into the muddy wet ground along the shore of a marsh. Marvel at how snow quietly transforms a landscape.
The lands of the National Wildlife Refuge System are here to protect wildlife and to offer opportunities for people to discover nature in all its splendor. Refuges offer nature trails, boardwalks, observation decks, hunting and photography blinds, fishing piers, and more, giving you a multitude of opportunities to connect with the natural world.
Colorado | Kansas | Montana | Nebraska | North Dakota | South Dakota | Utah | Wyoming
Refuges in the Mountain-Prairie Region are among the more than 560 refuges and 38 wetland management districts in the National Wildlife Refuge System, where wildlife comes first. We welcome you to visit and enjoy watching wildlife, while learning more about the animals and their habitats. Most refuges and waterfowl production areas are open to hunting and fishing. Nearly all refuges offer facilities for visitors of all abilities to enjoy wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities. For more information, contact the staff at the refuge you would like to visit.
Colorado
View Colorado National Wildlife Refuges (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Alamosa NWR | Arapaho NWR | Baca NWR | Browns Park NWR | Monte Vista NWR | Rocky Flats NWR | Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR | Two Ponds NWR
Kansas
View Kansas National Wildlife Refuges (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Flint Hills NWR | Great Plains Nature Center | Kirwin NWR | Marais des Cygnes NWR | Quivira NWR
Montana
View Montana National Wildlife Refuges (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Benton Lake NWR | Benton Lake WMD | Black Coulee NWR | Bowdoin NWR | Bowdoin WMD | Charles M. Russell NWR | Charles M. Russell WMD | Creedman Coulee NWR | Hailstone NWR | Grass Lake NWR | Hewitt Lake NWR | Lake Mason NWR | Lake Thibadeau NWR | Lee Metcalf NWR | Lost Trail NWR | Medicine Lake NWR | National Bison Range | Ninepipe NWR | Northwest Montana Flathead County WMD | Northwest Montana Lake County WMD | Northeast Montana WMD | Pablo NWR | Red Rock Lakes NWR | Swan River NWR | UL Bend NWR | War Horse NWR |
Nebraska
View Nebraska National Wildlife Refuges (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Boyer Chute NWR | Crescent Lake NWR | North Platte NWR | Ft. Niobrara NWR | Valentine NWR | John W. and Louise Seier NWR | Wetland Management District
North Dakota
View North Dakota Refuges Map (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Arrowwood NWR | Arrowwood WMD | Audubon NWR | Audubon WMD | Chase Lake NWR | Chase Lake Prairie Project | Crosby WMD | Des Lacs NWR | Devils Lake WMD | Florence Lake NWR | Hobart Lake NWR | J. Clark Salyer NWR | J. Clark Salyer NWR | Kellys Slough NWR | Kulm WMD | Lake Alice NWR | Lake Ilo NWR | Lake Nettie NWR | Lake Zahl NWR | Long Lake NWR | Long Lake WMD | Lostwood NWR | Lostwood WMD | McLean NWR | Slade NWR | Stewart Lake NWR | Sullys Hill NGP Tewaukon NWR | Tewaukon WMD | Upper Souris NWR | Valley City WMD | White Lake NWR
South Dakota
View South Dakota Refuges Map (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Huron WMD | Karl E Mundt NWR | Lacreek NWR | Lake Andes NWR | Lake Andes WMD | Madison WMD | Sand Lake NWR | Sand Lake WMD | Waubay NWR | Waubay WMD
Utah
View Utah National Wildlife Refuges (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge | Fish Springs NWR | Ouray NWR
Wyoming
View Wyoming National Wildlife Refuges (main) in a larger map
Please be advised: The driving directions are provided by this feature serve as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.
Refuge Websites: Bamforth NWR | Cokeville Meadows NWR | Hutton Lake NWR | Mortenson Lake NWR | National Elk Refuge | Pathfinder NWR | Seedskadee NWR
Wildlife Observation and Photography »
Wildlife observation and photography are hugely popular activities on Refuge System lands. Of the more than 45 million visitors to refuge lands annually, 34.8 million people come to observe and photograph wildlife. Many refuges have auto tour routes, nature trails, observation towers, blinds, and in some cases equipment (binoculars, spotting scopes, field guides) available for loan.
In the Mountain-Prairie Region, you can see thousands of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, thundering herds of bison, dancing sharp-tailed grouse, and if you’re really lucky, black-footed ferrets and whooping cranes. You might witness the dramatic courtship rituals of western grebes rushing side by side across the water surface, the bubbling display of male ruddy ducks, or a majestic bull elk bugling. Each refuge is unique, and each refuge changes with the season and the weather, so there is always an opportunity to witness something new on Refuge System lands.
Environmental Education and Interpretation »
National wildlife refuges are an ideal place for people of all ages to gain a deeper understanding of their ecological role in the natural world. The interpretive and educational programs offered on national wildlife refuges help visitors discover their personal connections with these lands and waters, as well as the wildlife that call these places home.
Each refuge is unique, and so are the programs and events offered by their staff. For specific information on what is available at a refuge near you, we suggest visiting the website for that station.
Shortly after dawn, hunters scan a marsh, looking and listening for waterfowl. A rustle is heard, ducks lift from the marsh, and anticipation is rewarded.
On most national wildlife refuges in the Mountain-Prairie Region, the time-honored tradition of hunting continues. Maintaining this tradition was one of the reasons early conservationists, like President Theodore Roosevelt, set aside lands for wildlife. Today, hunting offers opportunities for young and old alike to enjoy the outdoors, and it can be an important management tool.
National wildlife refuges offer waterfowl, upland game, large mammal, and other game hunting in accordance with State regulations. There are instances where Refuge hunting regulations take precedence over State regulations. For more information about hunting on a refuge, we suggest visiting the web site for that station.
Come and enjoy hunting on your national wildlife refuges. Learn more: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/
A cast is made and hopes for a catch are set. A pull is made, and a fish is in hand.
Fishing is a popular activity for both young and old on most national wildlife refuges in the Mountain-Prairie region. Maintaining healthy fisheries for anglers was one of the factors that convinced early conservationists, like President Theodore Roosevelt, to set aside lands and waters for wildlife. Today, fishing continues to be a popular activity on national wildlife refuges.
National wildlife refuges offer fishing opportunities in accordance with State regulations. There are instances where Refuge fishing regulations take precedence over State regulations. For more information about fishing on refuges, we suggest visiting the web site for that station.
Come and enjoy fishing on your national wildlife refuges. Learn more: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/fishingguide/
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