Inventory Atlas
Supplement 1d. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System Program Description
Program Mission.
It is the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System "to
administer 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."
Authorizing Legislation. Legal authority for National
Wildlife Refuges resides primarily in the Refuge System Administration
Act of 1966, as amended. Additional authorities for the establishment
and management of refuges include legislation such as the
Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Conservation Act, Fish
and Wildlife Act of 1956, Emergency Wetlands Resources Act
of 1986, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation
Act, among others. Refuges have been established through Executive
Orders, Secretarial Orders and decrees, and direct Congressional
designations. New refuges continue to be strategically established
through these authorities by donation, transfer, agreements,
or purchase.
Management. The National Wildlife Refuge System is
the nations largest system of lands and waters that
are managed primarily for the benefit of wildlife, where wildlife
means any wild member of the animal kingdom (NWRSAA). All
units of the Refuge System, and the species and habitats they
contain, are governed by the regulations found in the Code
of Federal Regulations, Title 50.
The Refuge System Administration Act identifies that it is
the policy of the United States that each refuge be managed
to "fulfill the mission of the System, as well as the
specific purpose for which the refuge was established."
In the fulfillment of this policy, some of the overarching
mandates for managing refuges include to:
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(1) provide for the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants
and their habitats within the System;
(2) ensure that the biological integrity,
diversity, and environmental health of the System are maintained
for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans;
(3) plan and direct the continued growth of
the System in a manner that is best designed to accomplish
the mission of the System, to contribute to the conservation
of the ecosystems of the United States, to complement efforts
of States and other Federal agencies to conserve fish and
wildlife and their habitats, and to increase support for the
System and participation from conservation partners and the
public;
(4) ensure effective coordination, interaction,
and cooperation with owners of land adjoining refuges and
the fish and wildlife agency of the States in which the units
of the System are located;
(5) assist in the maintenance of adequate
water quantity and water quality to fulfill the mission of
the System and the purposes of each refuge;
(6) recognize compatible wildlife-dependent
recreational uses as the priority general public uses of the
System through which the American public can develop an appreciation
for fish and wildlife;
(7) ensure that opportunities are provided
within the System for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational
uses; and
(8) monitor the status and trends of fish,
wildlife, and plants in each refuge.
Types of Areas Protected. There are 538 National Wildlife
Refuges in the System that include over 94 million acres in
many different ecosystems. For the purposes of marine protection,
some of the habitats that are included in the Refuge System
are coastal wetlands, marshes, coastal beaches, rocky shorelines,
estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Management
protection for refuges also extends to the species that are
dependent upon the habitats.
Inventory Status of Program Sites. The National Wildlife
Refuge System currently has 162 sites included in the inventory.
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