On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, along Florida’s Atlantic coast, as the first unit of what would become the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Take a glimpse at events, people and legislation that shaped the National Wildlife Refuge System. Together, they continue to guide wildlife conservation.
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Historical Timeline Glance through the years at key events and legislation that influenced how the Refuge System evolved. -
Champions of Conservation Meet a few people who helped transform the Refuge System and wildlife conservation as a whole. -
Cultural Resources Learn about hundreds of historic structures, thousands of sites and millions of artifacts the Refuge System conserves.