Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a National Wildlife Refuge complex in the state of North Dakota.

National Wildlife Refuge type of federal conservation area in the United States

National Wildlife RefugeSystem 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 562 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts encompassing more than 150,000,000 acres (607,028 km2).

North Dakota State of the United States of America

North Dakota is a U.S. state in the midwestern and northern regions of the United States. It is the nineteenth largest in area, the fourth smallest by population, and the fourth most sparsely populated of the 50 states. North Dakota was admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, along with its neighboring state, South Dakota. Its capital is Bismarck, and its largest city is Fargo.

Refuges within the complex

Crosby Wetland Management District

The Crosby Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The district is located in the extreme northwestern section of North Dakota, along the border with Canada and the state of Montana. Within the district is the Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge, 96 parcels of land owned by the U.S. Government which are managed as Waterfowl Production Areas, and several hundred easement refuges that are on privately owned land which are cooperatively managed by the landowners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge

Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,823-acre (1,547 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in Williams County in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The refuge consists of Lake Zahl which provides habitat for many species of waterfowl and other species. It is managed by the Crosby Wetland Management District.

Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge

The Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and extends from the Canada–United States border to near the town of Kenmare, North Dakota along Des Lacs Lake. The refuge was established in 1935 and includes 19,500 acres (78.9 km2). The refuge is considered to be one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the U.S., with tens of thousands of birds using the refuge for migration and breeding. The refuge is also home to elk, moose, bison and pronghorn.

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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge American wildlife preserve

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve, one of the national wildlife refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, located in the westernmost part of Clark County, Washington. The refuge protects more than 5,200 acres (2,100 ha) of marshes, grasslands, and woodlands. The refuge was established in 1965, in response to a need to establish vital winter habitat for wintering waterfowl with an emphasis on the dusky Canada goose whose nesting areas in Alaska were severely impacted by the violent earthquake of 1964.

Lostwood Wilderness

Lostwood Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Created by an act of Congress in 1975, the wilderness covers an area of 5,577 acres (22.56 km2). Contained within Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge, the wilderness is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 12,459-acre (5,042 ha) National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the central part of the U.S. state of Montana. It lies in northern Cascade County, 12 mi (19 km) north of the city of Great Falls, Montana. Benton Lake NWR includes shortgrass prairie and seasonal wetlands, and is nearly surrounded by the Highwood Mountains to the east, Big Belt Mountains to the south, and the Rocky Mountains to the west. Benton Lake NWR is on the western edge of the northern Great Plains and much of the shallow lake is a 6,000-acre (2,400 ha) wetland.

National Bison Range Complex

The National Bison Range Complex includes four National Wildlife Refuges and the Northwest Montana Wetland Management District, and is located in the northwestern region of Montana in the northwestern United States.

Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge

The Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Illinois River in Mason County northeast of Havana, Illinois. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as one of the four Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges.

The Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of numerous National Wildlife Refuges and Wetland Management Districts in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Altogether, twelve separate areas are in the complex, with the Chase Lake Prairie Project being the largest at 5.5 million acres (22,000 km2). The protected areas managed include:

Johnson Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Johnson Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The Refuge was established by Executive Order 8122, signed on May 10, 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to be set aside as "a refuge and breeding grounds for migratory birds and other wildlife."

Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,077-acre (8.41 km2) Easement Refuge located in Barnes County, North Dakota five miles west of Valley City. The refuge is divided in half by Interstate Highway 94 running east and west. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service owns 277 acres (1.12 km2) in fee title and the remaining acres are covered by easement. Three nesting islands in the northeast corner of the refuge that were constructed by Ducks Unlimited have been submerged since 1993.

Stoney Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Stoney Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,000-acre (810 ha) easement refuge with 1,120 acres (450 ha) owned in fee title and the remaining area of 880 acres (360 ha) covered by easement. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service fee title of 1,120 acres allows some wetland and upland management. The wetland areas on the Refuge cover approximately 600 acres (240 ha) in four permanent pools and two temporary pools. Water management using a series of canals and a water control structure is possible when there is sufficient spring runoff. The Refuge is a popular stopover for snow geese and white-fronted geese during fall migration.

Halfway Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota

The Halfway Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of 160 acres (0.65 km2.) The refuge is a privately owned easement refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is closed to the public and was established to protect habitat for migratory bird species and other animal life. Chase Lake Wetland Management District oversees the refuge, which in turn is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Valley City Wetland Management District

The Valley City Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of 76,000 acres (307 km2). The wetland district is a substation of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex, overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 82 waterfowl production areas and four separate national wildlife refuges which are privately owned are in turn managed by the wetland district as easement refuges. The wetland district is in portions of 5 counties in the Prairie Pothole Region that was created by the retreat of glaciers 12,000 years ago, during the last glacial maximum. One third of the protected lands are wetlands with the balance consisting of prairie.

Sibley Lake National Wildlife Refuge

The Sibley Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of 1,077 acres (4.35 km2). Sibley Lake is a privately owned easement refuge, managed with by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge was established to protect habitat for migratory bird species, white-tail deer and other mammals. Valley City Wetland Management District oversees the refuge, which in turn is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Sibley Lake is a 525-acre (2.12 km2) fresh water marsh.

Tomahawk National Wildlife Refuge

The Tomahawk National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of 440 acres (1.78 km2). Tomahawk NWR is a privately owned easement refuge, managed with by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge was established to protect habitat for migratory bird species, white-tail deer and other mammals. Valley City Wetland Management District oversees the refuge, which in turn is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge can be accessed from North Dakota Highway 1, and is one mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Rogers, North Dakota.

Lostwood Wetland Management District

The Lostwood Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and extends from the Canada–United States border to the neighboring state of Montana. The district consists almost exclusively of privately owned property, and landowners work cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to manage the land to maximize natural and agricultural needs. Hundreds of small bodies of water, wetlands and uplands are set aside to increase bird productivity and provide habitat for native animals and plants. The district comprises various areas spread throughout northwestern North Dakota which include waterfowl production areas, wetland easements, grassland easements, and easement refuges. The properties are located in Mountrail and part of Ward County, North Dakota.

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,835-acre (743 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Though wildlife viewing is allowed, hunting and fishing are prohibited. The refuge is managed by the Lostwood Wetland Management District.

Des Lacs River

The Des Lacs River is a river in central North America which flows through Saskatchewan and North Dakota. It originates in southeastern Saskatchewan and joins the Souris River, of which it is the primary tributary, in Burlington, North Dakota.

Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge

The Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is located about 30 miles (48 km) west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and one mile (1.6 km) east of Krotz Springs, Louisiana, lies just east of the Atchafalaya River. In 1988 under the administration of Governor Foster the "Atchafalaya Basin Master Plan" was implemented that combined the 11,780-acre (4,770 ha) Sherburne Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the 15,220-acre (6,160 ha) Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, and the 17,000-acre (6,900 ha) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Bayou Des Ourses into the Sherburne Complex Wildlife Management Area.

Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area

Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area is located in Colusa, Butte, and Sutter Counties. It is wetlands managed as part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is not open to the public.

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