Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge

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Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
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Location Chambers County, Texas, United States
Nearest city Anahuac, Texas
Coordinates 29°34′0″N94°28′0″W / 29.56667°N 94.46667°W / 29.56667; -94.46667
Area34,000 acres or 140 km2
Governing body United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Website Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
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Anahuac NWR entrance sign

The Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, formerly the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas (USA), southeast of Anahuac, Texas. It borders the East Bay, part of the Galveston Bay complex.

Contents

History

Established in 1963 as the Anahuac NWR, the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge is located on the upper Texas Coast in Chambers County. [1] The refuge protects approximately 34,000 acres (140 km2) [1] of coastal marsh and prairies. The refuge offers opportunities for fishing, waterfowl hunting, paddling, and wildlife viewing. A large network of volunteers contributes thousands of hours in support of the refuge.

In the winter, the refuge hosts large concentrations of waterfowl making it a popular site for public hunting.

Other signature species are American alligator, bobcat, yellow rail, and purple gallinule.

Birdwatchers find the refuge an excellent place to observe neotropical migrants in the spring and fall. Other species sought by birdwatchers include American bittern, seaside sparrow, fulvous whistling-duck, and black rail.

Volunteers have been working to compile a butterfly list for the refuge. Over 60 species have been identified, including the extremely localized bay skipper ( Euphyes bayensis ).

Recent projects to enhance and restore the habitat at the refuge include control of invasive species like Chinese Tallow, prairie restoration, creation of moist soil areas, and a colonial waterbird rookery. [1]

Three other national wildlife refuges on the Texas coast - Brazoria, San Bernard and Big Boggy - form a vital complex of coastal wetlands harboring more than 300 bird species. [2]

Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 560 refuges that comprise the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of lands and waters set aside for the benefit of wildlife. It has been designated as a site of international importance [3] to shorebirds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). [4] The refuge is designated as part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, a network of trails and wildlife viewing sites established by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

On March 4, 2025, during his second term's first address to a Joint Session of Congress, President Donald Trump announced he had renamed the refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl from nearby Houston who was murdered. [5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 FWS (September 2008). "BigBoggy Refuge". FWS.gov. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
  2. ↑ FWS (September 2008). "San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge". FWS.gov. Retrieved September 20, 2008.[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ Jocelyn Nungaray National Refuge [ permanent dead link ], WHSRN
  4. ↑ WHSRN: A Strategy for Saving Shorebirds, Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
  5. ↑ The White House (March 4, 2025). "Honoring Jocelyn Nungaray".

Further reading

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