The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex is part of the United States system of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). It is located in northern California, in the valley of the Sacramento River.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and part of the Everglades Headwaters NWR complex, located just off the western coast of North Hutchinson Island in the Indian River Lagoon east of Sebastian, Florida. The refuge consists of a 3-acre (12,000 m2) island that includes an additional 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of surrounding water and is located off the east coast of Florida of the Indian River Lagoon. Established by an executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt on March 14, 1903, Pelican Island was the first National wildlife refuge in the United States. It was created to protect egrets and other birds from extinction through plume hunting. The oldest government wildlife refuge of any kind in North America is the Lake Merritt Bird Refuge in Oakland, California. Oakland Mayor Samuel Merritt declared it a wildlife refuge for migrating birds in 1869. In 1870, the state of California designated Lake Merritt a state game refuge.
The Chase Lake Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and at 4,155 acres (16.81 km2), it covers the majority of the land area of Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the wilderness was designated by Congress in 1975.
The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and northern California near Klamath Falls, Oregon. It consists of Bear Valley, Klamath Marsh and Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in southern Oregon and Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, and Clear Lake NWR in northern California.
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.
Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,551-acre (6,293 ha) National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Montana. The refuge is 7 mi (11 km) northeast of Malta, Montana in the Milk River Valley and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 31,533-acre (12,761 ha) National Wildlife Refuge located in the northeastern region of the U.S. state of Montana. The refuge is part of the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex which also includes the Northeast Montana Wetland Management District (WMD) and Lamesteer National Wildlife Refuge. Medicine Lake is from the Assiniboine description of the lake, "Bda wauka". The refuge was established in 1935 to protect habitat for various wildlife and especially migratory birds. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1980, the Medicine Lake Site was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is a remote refuge located in the high elevation of the Centennial Valley, in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Montana. Adjacent to Gallatin National Forest and near Yellowstone National Park, the refuge is an integral part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Red Rock Lakes is best known for being the primary location for the efforts saving the trumpeter swan from extinction, which by 1932 had fewer than 200 known specimens in the United States and Canada. By the year 2002, an estimated 3,000 trumpeters were wintering on the refuge, many having migrated south from their summer range in Canada. The trumpeters are now so plentiful that efforts are being undertaken to help them reestablish historical migratory routes to areas further south in the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin region. The elegant trumpeter swan is North America's largest waterfowl, with a wingspans of 8 feet and they can weigh up to 30 pounds (13 kg).
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 402,000‑acre (1,627 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties of Georgia, and Baker County in Florida, United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Folkston, Georgia. The refuge was established in 1937 to protect a majority of the 438,000 acre (1,772 km2) Okefenokee Swamp. The name "Okefenokee" is a Native American word meaning "trembling earth."
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of Nebraska and includes 45,818 acres (185 km2). The refuge contains the largest protected continuous sand dunes in the U.S. A dozen small lakes and numerous ponds are fed by underground aquifers in areas where the sand dunes are below the water table. Some of the dunes are covered in shrubs and grasses, while others are completely bare. After the end of the Pinedale glaciation, the Holocene glacial retreat exposed the sand dunes that had been deposited in their current location by the vast continental glaciers. This refuge manages the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge and together they form the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Valentine National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of Nebraska and includes 19,131 acres (77.42 km2). The refuge protects a portion of the largest remaining area of tall and mid grass prairie in the United States.
Huron Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of South Dakota and includes 17,518 acres (70.89 km2). The refuge borders the Missouri River on the east and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Huron WMD covers eight counties in east-central South Dakota. The topography of this area ranges from flat, gently rolling drift prairie to the Missouri Coteau hills in the western end of the district. The district lies in the midst of the world-renowned Prairie Pothole Region.
Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge is located mostly in the southern part of the U.S. state of South Dakota, with a small extension into northern Nebraska, and includes 1,085 acres (4.39 km2) The refuge is a part of the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Of the land area in the district, the U.S. Government owns only 780 acres (3.15 km2), while the remaining area is managed as an easement. The refuge is closed to the public but there are excellent viewing locations from the Ft. Randle Dam on the Missouri River. The Karl E. Mundt NWR has the largest concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48 states, with over 200 eagles often spending the winter on the refuge. The refuge was named for former South Dakota Senator Karl Mundt, who was a strong supporter of the Endangered Species Act of 1966.
Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Arrowwood NWR is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge parallels 16 miles (27 km) of the James River and is a mixture of wetlands, forest and prairie. Efforts to ensure the refuge continues to provide prime nesting habitat for waterfowl include prescribed fire, haying, crop cultivation and livestock grazing. The refuge has forests with oak and hackberry which are uncommon on the prairie. It is believed that the name for the refuge is derived from Native American naming for arrow wood, as the wood in the forest was prized for the making of arrows.
The National Wildlife Refuge System in the United States has a long and distinguished history.
Chase Lake Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The district is located in what is known as the prairie potholes region of lakes and ponds, which were left behind by the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Hundreds of waterfowl production areas, Wildlife Development Areas, wetland easements, grassland easements and the easement refuge known as Halfway Lake National Wildlife Refuge, are managed by the district. The district is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Audubon Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of 123 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), 8 National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs), and numerous wetland and grassland easements and over 100 separate wetland areas set aside to preserve habitat for bird, plant and mammal species. These lands contain valuable wetland and grassland habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds, and many other species of wildlife. Scattered throughout west central and southwestern North Dakota in McLean, Ward, and Sheridan Counties, the district is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and from Audubon National Wildlife Refuge. Hundreds of lakes and marshlands in this region provide critical habitat for migratory and nesting bird species.
Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and is managed from Audubon National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge consists of Lake Ilo, surrounding wetlands and some upland range, providing habitat for hundreds of species of birds, and numerous fish and mammal species. An average of over 16 inches (40 cm) of precipitation falls annually, supporting a prairie ecosystem.
Breton National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeastern Louisiana in the offshore Breton Islands and Chandeleur Islands. It is located in the Gulf of Mexico and is accessible only by boat. The refuge was established in 1904 through executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt and is the second-oldest refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Chase Lake is a 2,053 acre, shallow lake in Stutsman County, North Dakota. It is the focal point of several protected areas administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geographical Survey. It is known as one of the largest nesting areas for the American white pelican.
