U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

America‘s NationalWildlife Refuge SystemRecreation and Education

The National Wildlife Refuge System isthe world’s most unique network oflands and waters set aside specificallyfor conservation of fish, wildlife andplants. President Theodore Rooseveltestablished the first refuge, 3-acrePelican Island Bird Reservation inFlorida’s Indian River Lagoon, in 1903.Roosevelt went on to create 55 morerefuges before he left office in 1909;today the refuge system encompassesmore than 500 units spread over nearly94 million acres.

For nearly a century, national wildliferefuges have been great places to getaway from it all and experience thegreat outdoors. As the National WildlifeRefuge System prepares to mark itscentennial in 2003, the system hasrefined its mission to put wildlifeconservation first while providingrecreation and education opportunitiesfor a growing number of visitors—morethan 35 million last year alone.

The origin of the National WildlifeRefuge System is steeped in a traditionof protecting migratory birds, so manyrefuges have been established along thefour major bird migration routes, orflyways (Atlantic, Mississippi, Centraland Pacific). Excellent bird-watchingopportunities abound on those refuges.

But refuges aren’t just for birdwatching! More than 35 million peoplevisit national wildlife refuges each yearto hunt, fish, and observe andphotograph all types of wildlife, and tolearn more about the natural world atsome of the nation’s wildest places.Partnerships with conservation andsporting groups help the refuge systemincrease opportunities for recreation.

When it passed the 1997 NationalWildlife Refuge System ImprovementAct—the refuge system’s first “organic”

legislation—Congress establishedhunting, fishing, wildlife observation andphotography, and environmentaleducation and interpretation as “prioritypublic uses” where compatible with themission and purpose of an individualrefuge. Refuge managers use soundprofessional judgement in determiningcompatible public uses, and the RefugeSystem Improvement Act established aformal process for determining what is acompatible use on a refuge.

Wildlife Observation and PhotographyMore than 16 million visitors came tonational wildlife refuges in 1999 to watchbirds, mammals and fish. Among theactivities they enjoyed:

■ Watching migrating songbirds andmating horseshoe crabs in thesummertime along the mid-Atlantic coast.

■ Observing twentydifferent duck species,10,000 tundra swans, and hundreds ofbald eagles take flight along theCalifornia-Oregon border.

■ Admiring wading birds—includingegrets, ibises and spoonbills—andsongbirds such as warblers, buntingsand cuckoos along the Florida Gulfcoast.

■ Watching brilliant sunsets among elk,pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs andblack-footed ferrets in Montana.

Recreational FishingSix million people visited nationalwildlife refuges to fish in 1999. They hadplenty of choices for outstandingangling: more than 260 refuges offerfishing opportunities.

Among the experiences anglers mayenjoy on national wildlife refuges:

■ Reeling in trophy northern pike andbluegill in Nebraska.

■ Seeking bass, bream and crappieamidst bottomland hardwoods in theSoutheast.

■ Finding magnificent trophy kingsalmon in Alaska.

USFWS

Cooperation Increases RecreationalOpportunitiesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hasentered into a number of partnershipswith conservation, recreation andsportsmens organizations to promoterecreation on national wildlife refuges.For example:

■ A partnership with the NationalWild Turkey Federation expandedcooperation in the protection,conservation and management ofhabitat for wild turkeys on nationalwildlife refuges. Some 450,000hunters pursue turkeys and otherupland game on national wildliferefuges each year.

■ In 1997, the Service inked anagreement with the North AmericanNature Photography Association topromote wildlife and naturephotography on national wildliferefuges.

■ The Service and Safari ClubInternational cooperatively promoteconservation, education, publicservice and wise stewardship ofpublic lands.

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceNational Wildlife Refuge System1849 C Street, NWWashington, DC 20240

http://refuges.fws.gov

HuntingAbout 2 million hunters come to nationalwildlife refuges each year. Nearly 300refuges offer hunting—from big game towaterfowl—so no matter where you live,if you’re looking for hunting you’re sureto find opportunity close to home.

A few examples of excellent huntingprograms on national wildlife refugesinclude:

■ Hunting for moose, black and brownbear, and barren-ground caribou atAlaska’s interior refuges.

■ Snipe, pheasant and quail hunting inOregon.

■ Pursuing white-tailed deer, squirrel,racoon and rabbit hunting inAlabama.

Environmental Education andInterpretationStudents by the busload and adults bythe millions visit refuges each year—ontheir own or as part of school or tourgroups—to learn more about theenvironment. Many national wildliferefuges have environmental educationprograms ranging from interpretivenature walks for local school children tofull-scale teacher-training programs.Many refuges also have environmentaleducation centers.

Environmental education opportunitiesat refuges include:

■ Outdoor classroom activities andeducation about the importance ofsaltmarsh habitat to migratory birdsnear San Francisco.

■ A Midwestern prairie learning centerwith exhibits on prairie managementand restoration, simulation of anunderground insect burrow and otherinteractive experiences.

■ A visitor center near the nation’scapital that offers wildlifemanagement demonstrations andyear-round outdoor education sitesfor local schools.

USFWS