news
Hunters and anglers will have more chances to enjoy their favorite pastimes
as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opens 9 more hunting programs and 10 fishing programs on units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The new programs bring the total number of refuges and wetland management
districts open to fishing to 268, and the number of hunting programs on
refuge system units to 302. Spread over 94 million acres, more than 535
national wildlife refuges protect prime fish and wildlife habitat in all 50
states and U.S. territories.
"I^m pleased to announce these new outdoor opportunities at national
wildlife refuges," said Acting Service Director Marshall P. Jones. "As we
prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System in 2003, we continue to encourage Americans to visit refuges and
discover the magnificent sportfishing and migratory bird, upland game and
big game hunting opportunities that await them."
New refuge fishing programs:
? Big Oaks NWR, Indiana
? Clarence Cannon NWR*, Missouri
? Clarks River NWR, Kentucky
? Great River NWR*, Illinois and Missouri
? Litchfield Wetland Management District, Minnesota
? Middle Mississippi River NWR*, Illinois and Missouri
? Port Louisa NWR*, Illinois and Iowa
? Sacramento River NWR, California
? Supawna Meadows NWR, New Jersey
? Two Rivers NWR*, Illinois and Mississippi
New hunting programs in the refuge system:
? Big Oaks NWR, Indiana (big game)
? Clarence Cannon NWR*, Missouri (big game)
? Clarks River NWR, Kentucky (migratory game bird, upland game, big
game)
? Grand Bay NWR, Alabama and Mississippi (migratory game bird, upland
game, big game)
? Great River NWR*, Illinois and Missouri (migratory game bird, upland
game, big game)
? Middle Mississippi NWR*, Illinois and Missouri (migratory game bird,
upland game, big game)
? Petit Manan NWR, Maine (migratory game birds, big game)
? Port Louisa NWR*, Illinois and Iowa (migratory game bird, upland game,
big game)
? Two Rivers NWR*, Illinois and Missouri (upland game)
*denotes units of the former Mark Twain NWR in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri
The Service also made several technical corrections to the Code of Federal
Regulations by recognizing the openings of Minidoka NWR in Idaho and
Lacreek NWR in South Dakota for fishing and Litchfield Wetland Management
District in Minnesota for migratory bird, upland game and big game hunting.
In 2000, there were nearly 2 million hunting visits and 6 million fishing
visits to national wildlife refuges. By law, hunting and fishing are among
the six "priority uses" of the refuge system, and individual refuges are
encouraged to provide opportunities to hunt and fish when they are
compatible with the refuge^s wildlife conservation responsibilities. Other
priority public uses on refuges include wildlife watching, photography and
environmental education.
The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world^s most unique network of
lands and waters set aside specifically for conservation of fish, wildlife
and plants. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first
refuge, 3-acre Pelican Island in Florida^s Indian River Lagoon. Roosevelt
went on to create 55 more refuges before he left office in 1909.
For nearly a century, national wildlife refuges have been great places to
get away from it all and experience the great outdoors. As the National
Wildlife Refuge System moves toward its centennial in 2003, the system has
refined its mission to put wildlife conservation first while providing
recreation and education opportunities for a growing number of
visitors--more than 35 million last year alone.
To find out which national wildlife refuges have hunting and fishing
programs, point your browser to
http://refuges.fws.gov/databases/profile-rec.taf?function-form. A fact
sheet about hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges is at the end
of this press release.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands
of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70
national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws,
administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations,
restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their
conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that
distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and
hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
Uploaded: 9/25/2001
Uploaded: 9/25/2001