National wildlife refuges are home to more than 220 species of mammals, 700 bird species and over a thousand different species of fish. Refuges provide habitat for over 380 threatened and endangered plants and animals and are crucial stopovers for millions of migratory birds.
Who is responsible for the National Wildlife Refuge system?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for administering the National Wildlife Refuge System across more than 850 million land and marine acres. The Refuge System include wetlands, coastal areas, forests, prairies, tundra, deserts, and oceans, making it the largest and most diverse network of conservation lands and waters in the world.
Where are the national wildlife refuges located?
Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the lands and waters of the National Wildlife Refuge System fall mostly along our nation’s rivers, coasts and wetlands and across its heartland. But they also extend into our deserts, forests, mountains, oceans and the Arctic.
How many national wildlife refuges are there in Florida?
Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the system has grown to over 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts encompassing more than 150,000,000 acres (607,028 km 2 ).
What was the first wildlife refuge in the US?
Pelican Island in Florida was the nation's first wildlife refuge, created in 1903. Comprehensive wildlife and habitat management demands the integration of scientific information from several disciplines, including understanding ecological processes and monitoring status of fish, wildlife, and plants.
Why are national wildlife refuges important?
National wildlife refuges are dedicated to conserving America's rich fish and wildlife heritage. Just five decades ago, bald eagles, alligators, grizzly bears, California condors, Louisiana black bears and whooping cranes all were at risk of extinction.
What are the benefits of a wildlife refuge?
National wildlife refuges generate many individual and societal benefits, including fish and wildlife conservation, open space, science and education, water quality improvement and flood resilience. The thriving fish and wildlife populations of the Refuge System also attract millions of recreational users.
What did the National Wildlife Refuge System Act do?
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act provides authority, guidelines and directives for the Service to improve the National Wildlife Refuge System; administers a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and habitat; ...
Why were national wildlife refuges created?
Teddy Roosevelt established the first refuge unit in 1903 to protect birds from market hunting on a small island in Florida. The System has since grown to encompass more than 150 million acres of habitat essential for the survival of America's astounding diversity of wildlife.
What is the purpose of a wildlife preserve?
Broadly speaking, wildlife preserves are areas of importance for wildlife, flora and fauna, or features of geological or other special interest, which are reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study and research.
What is protected in the wildlife refuge?
The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants.
Who enforces the National Wildlife Refuge System Act?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for administering the National Wildlife Refuge System across more than 850 million land and marine acres.
When was the National Wildlife Refuge System Act passed?
1966A System under Siege Legislators first passed the Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 to authorize and fund refuge compatible recreation in response to growing public demand for these opportunities. Then in 1966, Congress passed the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act to help unify management of the system.
When was the National Wildlife Refuge System Act drafted?
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 - Content Details -
What is the biggest problem with the National Wildlife Refuge System?
Failing infrastructure is one of the main issues facing wildlife refuges nationwide. The FWS oversees 25,000 structures and 14,000 roads, bridges, and dams.
What is an example of a national wildlife refuge?
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana That prime habitat is home to much of the same wildlife as nearby Yellowstone—wolves, bears, elk, river otters, and more than 200 bird species, including Western Tanagers, 15 raptor types, and numerous waterfowl—with the benefit of much smaller crowds.
What is the first national wildlife refuge?
Lake MerrittLake Merritt, in Oakland, California, was the first government owned wildlife refuge in the United States (Reed and Drabelle 1984). Established by the state of California in 1870, this refuge still exists in the heart of downtown Oakland as a migratory waterfowl rest stop on the Pacific Flyway.
What are the advantages of wildlife?
Wild animals play a key role in enhancing the health and fertility of soil by improving its nutrients. Their dung and urine helps replenish the nutrient content of the soil by providing it with enriching minerals.
What are the 10 importance of wildlife?
Protecting wildlife and their habitats mean fewer diseases that affect humans. The preservation of wildlife and where they live is important for human health. Research shows that in diverse, protected natural areas, there are fewer instances of malaria and Lyme disease.
How can wildlife benefit a country?
We reap multiple socio-economic benefits from wildlife in the form of food supply, pollinators, pest control, medicinal use and genetic resources, just to mention a few. Wildlife and natural landscapes are also the mainstays of tourism in many countries.
What are the benefits of animal rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation helps pets recover from injury or surgery, regain and maintain mobility and decrease pain. It is also helpful to keep pets mentally focused, lose weight and to stay in shape over the long, cold winter! This type of physical therapy is never painful and dogs who get rehab here always have fun!
What is a national wildlife refuge?
National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the system has grown to over 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts encompassing more than 150,000,000 acres (607,028 km 2 ).
What are the issues that the National Wildlife Refuge System is dealing with?
The National Wildlife Refuge System is dealing with such issues as urban intrusion/development, habitat fragmentation, degradation of water quantity and quality, climate change, invasive species, increasing demands for recreation, and increasing demands for energy development.
How does the refuge system work?
The refuge system works collaboratively internally and externally to leverage resources and achieve effective conservation. It works with other federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, local landowners, community volunteers, and other partners. Meaningful engagement with stakeholders at a regional, integrated level adds to the effective conservation achievements of the FWS and allows individual refuges to respond more effectively to challenges.
How many acres of habitat did the Refuge System manage in 2015?
During fiscal year 2015, the refuge system manipulated 3.1 million acres of habitat (technique #9 from the preceding list) and managed 147 million acres of the system without habitat manipulation (using techniques #1 through 8 from the preceding list).
How many people visit refuges each year?
Refuges attract nearly 50 million visitors each year who come to hunt, fish, observe, and photograph wildlife, and are a significant boon to local economies. According to the FWS's 2013 Banking on Nature Report, visitors to refuges positively impact the local economies. The report details that 47 million people who visited refuges that year:
What is refuge system?
The refuge system has a professional cadre of law enforcement officers that supports a broad spectrum of service programs by enforcing conservation laws established to protect the fish, wildlife, cultural, and archaeological resources the service manages in trust for the American people. They also educate the public about the FWS's mission, contribute to environmental education and outreach, provide safety and security for the visiting public, assist local communities with law enforcement and natural disaster response and recovery through emergency management programs, and help protect native subsistence rights. They are routinely involved with the greater law enforcement community in cooperative efforts to combat the nation's drug problems, address border security issues, and aid in other security challenges.
What is the mission of refuge?
The mission of the refuge system is "To administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of the present and future generations of Americans" ...
What are the benefits of wildlife refuges?
While wildlife refuges are set aside for the protection of wildlife and their habitat , they also provide a variety of great outdoor experiences -- from wildlife observation, photography and hunting to fishing, environmental education and interpretation.
When was the first national wildlife refuge established?
With the establishment of the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island on March 14, 1903, Roosevelt created the National Wildlife Refuge System. While in office, he would go on to create 50 more federal bird reserves and four national game preserves within the refuge system. Building on that foundation, ...
How many acres are there in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge?
Rich in wildlife and history, visiting Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge can be a thrilling experience. The 27,230-acre refuge protects a mosaic of wetlands and upland shrub habitats along 36 miles of the Green River in southwest Wyoming.
What is the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge?
Running along the Minnesota River, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a natural escape from the nearby Twin Cities. The refuge provides valuable habitat for a diversity of waterfowl and other migratory birds, fish and resident wildlife. Sometimes it’s so beautiful, even the deer have to stop and admire the scenery.
What is Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge known for?
Gillam ( www.sharetheexperience.org ). The forested wetlands of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina provide excellent habitat for migratory birds.
What is the National Wildlife Refuge System?
Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System is the nation’s only set of federal lands dedicated to the conservation and management of America’s native wildlife. It is the largest and most diverse network of conservation lands in the world, encompassing more than 850 million land and marine acres across dozens of unique habitat types.
What is the purpose of the refuge system?
The Refuge System’s diverse network of conservation lands supports the mission of wildlife professionals across the nation to conduct wildlife research, management, conservation, and education for the benefit of all Americans.
What is a wetland management area?
In Wetland Management Areas, USFWS conserves, manages, and protects habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. These areas are typically on waterfowl production areas (WPAs) owned by USFWS or managed through private conservation easements.
How much money will the National Wildlife Refuge System receive in 2022?
The Wildlife Society recommends at least $600 million for the Operations and Maintenance accounts of the National Wildlife Refuge System in FY 2022, with the goal of working towards full funding in the fiscal years ahead. To join TWS in these efforts, use the action center below to reach out directly to your members of Congress on this critical funding request.
Why is the Refuge System threatened?
Unfortunately, this system of lands and waters is continuously threatened by chronic underfunding. Inadequate funding forces the Refuge System to defer a range of critical services, including wildlife habitat management, conservation planning, maintenance and repairs, visitor services, and law enforcement activities. Under existing resources:
What is wildlife management?
Wildlife and habitat management includes monitoring plant and animal populations, restoring and managing habitats, controlling invasive species and wildlife diseases, monitoring air and water quality, and addressing human dimensions of wildlife management.
How often should a refuge be updated?
All units of the Refuge System must develop and update a Comprehensive Conservation Plan every 15 years.
What is the refuge system?
The Refuge System is the only federal lands management system with a focus on wildlife conservation. The System includes 568 refuges, with at least one in every state, comprising 95 million acres of land and 760 million acres of submerged lands and waters dedicated to conserving and restoring fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. Despite their relatively small footprint (just 4% of lands within the U.S.), national wildlife refuges harbor 513 endangered and threatened species — nearly one third of total listed species. Because refuge lands and waters are expressly managed to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats, they offer one of the highest levels of federal land protection. Beyond being managed primarily for wildlife, this network is the most ecologically representative in the U.S. and is generally more accessible: every state has at least one wildlife refuge and most major U.S. cities are within an hour’s drive of one. As such, Refuge System expansion provides opportunities to explicitly address the biodiversity crisis and improve equitable access to nature for all Americans.
How can we help wildlife?
Wildlife needs habitat to thrive. Science shows that one of the best ways to provide essential habitats is by setting areas aside from development and conserving them for the long-term, both directly for the places that animals and plants need to live and for linkages that allow wildlife to move across the landscape. That’s why Defenders has been a leader in calling for a national goal of conserving 30% of U.S. lands and waters by the year 2030. This goal, dubbed “30x30,” is part of an international effort. Achieving it will lay the foundation for the protection of half of U.S. lands and waters by 2050.
What is Defenders of Wildlife?
Defenders of Wildlife has advocated on behalf of wildlife refuges for many years , and we are now taking on a leadership role in a campaign to expand the Refuge System to address the looming biodiversity crisis. This exciting and multifaceted campaign will seek to expand protected federal lands in more places to address biodiversity loss and climate change and promote increased equitable access to nature.
How to protect wildlife in America?
In short, this is an unparalleled moment of opportunity to ensure lands that protect wildlife are prioritized and designated as part of “America the Beautiful”—and the very best way to do this is through refuge expansion. To make the greatest impact on halting species extinction and mitigating climate change, the right lands should be added to the Refuge System. These could be lands that harbor imperiled species, store significant amounts of carbon, serve as climate refugia and more.
What is the significance of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge?
The Fish and Wildlife Service has identified the area as one of just six sagebrush strongholds remaining to support the long-term survival of greater sage-grouse.
Where to preserve ancestral homes?
Preserve the ancestral homes of indigenous peoples in places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or in refuges along the Southern border of the U.S.
Where do panthers expand their range?
Help Florida panthers expand their range northward beyond the Everglades and swamps in south Florida.
What is the National Wildlife Refuge System?
he National Wildlife Refuge System is the only system of federal lands dedicated specifically to wildlife conservation. Teddy Roosevelt established the first refuge unit in 1903 to protect birds from market hunting on a small island in Florida. The System has since grown to encompass more than 150 million acres of habitat essential for the survival of America’s astounding diversity of wildlife. Refuges protect seasonal stopovers for millions of birds migrating up and down the Americas, winter forage and birthing grounds for elk, caribou and other large mammals, nesting beaches for sea turtles and critical habitat for endangered species.
What is the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act?
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 provides greater direction for managing refuges. The act directs the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the mission of the system by managing units in the following manner:
How do refuges help the economy?
Tens of millions of people visit and enjoy national wildlife refuges from California to Maine and from New Mexico to Alaska every year. In 2011, visitors to national wildlife refuges generated more than $2.4 billion in sustainable annual revenue to local economies, supporting more than 35,000 jobs. These jobs produced $792.7 million in employment income that contributed to $342.9 million in tax revenue for all levels of government combined. For every dollar appropriated to the Refuge System by Congress, there is an average of an average return of $4.78, a rate of return of 388 percent. Additional ecosystem services, like clean water, and wildlife values provided by refuges for local communities are valued at $32.3 billion, an average return of $65 for every $1 appropriated by Congress to the Refuge System. Despite these clear benefits, the system remains woefully underfunded. In FY 2010, the Refuge System only received $503 million of the minimum $900 million needed for operations and maintenance. The funding levels have subsequently decreased. Most refuges are forced to operate with only minimal staffing, and one third of refuges have no staff on site.
What are the uses of refuges?
Wildlife-dependent recreational uses of refuges, including wildlife observation and photography, hunting and fishing, and environmental education and interpretation, are given priority consideration in the planning process when compatible with conservation.
What is the role of the Fish and Wildlife Service?
The Fish and Wildlife Service is required to maintain the biological integrity, diversity and environmental health of its refuges.
Can refuges interfere with conservation?
All uses of refuges must be deemed compatible with the primary conservation mission of the Refuge System. Uses cannot “interfere with or detract from” achieving refuge conservation purposes.
Overview
National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the fir…
Background
The mission of the refuge system is "To administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of the present and future generations of Americans" (National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997). The system maintains the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of these natural res…
Management activities (as of September 30, 2015)
Comprehensive wildlife and habitat management demands the integration of scientific information from several disciplines, including understanding ecological processes and monitoring status of fish, wildlife and plants. Equally important is an intimate understanding of the social and economic drivers that impact and are affected by management decisions and can facilitate or imped…
Special designation areas
In addition to refuge status, the "special" status of lands within individual refuges may be recognized by additional designations, either legislatively or administratively. Special designation may also occur through the actions of other legitimate agencies or organizations. The influence that special designations may have on the management of refuge lands and waters may vary considerably.
See also
• Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus
• National Wildlife Refuge Association
• State wildlife trails
• Timeline of environmental events
Further reading
• Fischman, Robert (Fall 2005). "The Significance of National Wildlife Refuges in the Development of U.S. Conservation Policy". Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law 21:1–?. Indiana Legal Studies Research Paper No. 19. doi:10.2139/ssrn.699482.
• Schroeder, R. (2008). "Comprehensive conservation planning and ecological sustainability within the United States National Wildlife Refuge System". Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy 4(1):38–44.
External links
• FWS.gov: official National Wildlife Refuge System−NWRS website
• FWS.gov: "Meet the National Wildlife Refuge System - Special Places Where Wildlife and People Thrive"
• FWS.gov: NWRS - Refuge Planning
History of Funding Levels
Size and Scope
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for administering the National Wildlife Refuge Systemacross more than 850 million land and marine acres. The Refuge System include wetlands, coastal areas, forests, prairies, tundra, deserts, and oceans, making it the largest and most diverse network of conservation lands and waters in the world. The Refuge System is broken up into thr…
Multiple Uses of Lands
- While the primary goal of the Refuge System is wildlife conservation, several other secondary uses are allowed when compatible with wildlife conservation goals. The legitimate and appropriate wildlife-dependent recreation uses for refuges are known as the “Big 6”. An average of 61 million people visit the Refuge System annually to participate in these recreation opportunitie…
Program Areas
- Five functional areas are supported by annual operations and maintenance funding received from Congress: 1. Wildlife and habitat management includes monitoring plant and animal populations, restoring and managing habitats, controlling invasive species and wildlife diseases, monitoring air and water quality, and addressing human dimensions of wildlife management. 2. Visitor service…
Professional Engagement
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service directly employs many wildlife professionals in support of the National Wildlife Refuge System and associated programs. These professionals help the Refuge System fulfill its mission of wildlife conservation by implementing the best available wildlife science in wildlife habitat management and monitoring, public e...