The National Wildlife Refuge System began on March 14, 1904, when President Theodore Roosevelt established the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Since then the system has expanded to include more than 570 different refuges. There are 13 National Wildlife Refuges in New York State: two in Western New York, two in the Lower Hudson Valley/Catskills region, and nine on Long Island.
Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (part of the Department of the Interior), the National Wildlife Refuge System maintains a “national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.”
A search for photographs from the National Wildlife Refuge System reveals the variety of landscapes protected by the agency. Currently 95 million acres of land and 560 marine acres are under conservation.
The largest refuge is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with over 19 million acres which include polar bears, grizzlies, and black bears, as well as moose, wolves, and otters. (Compare that to the Adirondack Park‘s 6.1 million acres, the largest publicly protected area of any kind in the lower 48 states.)
Refuges exist in all 50 states (but not the District of Columbia) as well as several U.S. Territories. Over 67 million people visit the refuges each year for recreation.
On Long Island
Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge: Acquired in 1968, Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge graces the shore of the Atlantic Ocean on Long Island’s south fork in Amagansett, in the town of East Hampton, Long Island. The protection and management of fragile shore habitat and wildlife give Amagansett special significance. The beach section of the refuge is opened to the public.
Conscience Point National Wildlife Refuge: Acquired in 1964 by donation from a private individual, Conscience Point National Wildlife Refuge protects 60 acres of maritime grassland community, a habitat of regional significance, in North Sea, NY, on the south fork of Long Island in the town of Southampton. This refuge is NOT open to the public.
Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge: Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, NY, was donated to the Service by the Town of Oyster Bay in 1968 as a habitat for migratory birds, particularly wintering waterfowl. The refuge is open to the public but is only accessible by boat.
Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge: Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Sag Harbor, NY, protects 187 acres on the north shore of Long Island’s south fork in the town of Southampton. The refuge is located near Sag Harbor, and includes a peninsula one and a half miles long, locally known as Jessup’s Neck, which separates Little Peconic Bay from Noyack Bay.
Lido Beach Wildlife Management Area: Obtained in 1969 as a former Nike missile site, Lido Beach Wildlife Management Area protects 22 acres in Nassau County on the bay side of Hempstead’s Lido Beach. The refuge unit is NOT open to the public.
Sayville National Wildlife Refuge: Established in 1992, the 127-acre Sayville National Wildlife Refuge is located in West Sayville, NY about two miles inland from the Great South Bay. The Refuge is a a sub-unit of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. The only land-locked refuge on Long Island, it is primarily oak-pitch pine forests interspersed with grasslands. It supports a diversity of migratory songbirds and raptors and contains the largest population of sandplain gerardia (a federally endangered plant) in the state of New York.
Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge: Acquired in 1968 as a donation from the Peters family, Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Islip, NY, protects 209 acres bordering the Great South Bay on the south shore of Long Island. This refuge is NOT open to the public.
Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge: Acquired in 1967 as a donation from the Eberstadt family, Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge in Huntington, NY, protects 80 acres on the north shore of Long Island in the Village of Lloyd Harbor, 25 miles east of New York City. The refuge is open to the public and is an extremely popular shore fishing location.
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge: Established in 1947, Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge protects 2,550 acres in Shirely, NY, on the south shore of Long Island. The refuge is bisected by the Carmans River, a New York state designated scenic river and one of the largest rivers on the island. Wertheim hosts a variety of habitats including oak-pine woodlands, grasslands and fresh, brackish and salt water wetlands. These habitats attract and support many types of wildlife including white-tailed deer, osprey, muskrat, fox, turtles, frogs and fish. The refuge also serves as a haven for waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and songbirds. Wertheim is also home to the refuge complex headquarters and visitor center.
In The Western New York Region
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge: Located in Basom, Genesee County, between Rochester and Buffalo, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge has been described as one of the best kept secrets of Western New York. The refuge offers opportunities for wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education and interpretation, hunting, and fishing. Other recreational activities on the refuge include hiking, biking, paddling, and cross country skiing or snow shoeing.
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge: The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in Seneca Falls, NY, is truly a haven for wildlife. Its diverse habitats of wetland, grassland, shrubland and forest give food, shelter, water and space to many of Central New York’s wildlife species. Waterfowl and other migratory birds depend on the Refuge as nesting, feeding, breeding and stopover grounds.
In The Lower Hudson Valley Region
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge: Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, which protects 597 acres in Shawangunk, in Ulster County, NY, was established in 1999 to support grassland-dependent migratory birds and wintering raptors. The refuge is one of only two sites in the Hudson Valley large enough to support the entire assemblage of northeastern grassland birds. The refuge has been identified as a Biodiversity Focus Area and an Important Bird Area (Audubon New York). Many of the birds found on the refuge are included on lists of endangered, threatened, special concern or priority species, including the Short-eared Owl, Northern Harrier, Upland Sandpiper, Henslow’s Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Horned Lark, and Bobolink.
Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge: Although primarily in New Jersey, the northern portion of the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge extends in the town of Minisink, Orange County, NY. The refuge conserves the biological diversity of the Wallkill Valley by protecting and managing land, with a special emphasis on forest-dwelling and grassland birds, migrating waterfowl, wintering raptors, and endangered species. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan identifies the Wallkill River bottomlands as a priority focus area for waterfowl management within New Jersey.
Historic records for National Wildlife Refuges can be found in the National Archives’ Record Group 22: Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Illustrations, from above: A National Wildlife Refuge sign; and a map of National Wildlife Refuges (courtesy University of Wisconsin–Madison).
