America's National Wildlife Refuges, 2nd Edition: A Complete Guide (America's National Wildlife Refuges: A Complete Guide)

481 Pages·2008·5.23 MB·English

by  Russell D. Butcher

refuge mech_2ndEd.chk 9/8/08 9:39 AM Page 1
$19.95 / Nature Praise for the First Edition BUTCHER
“If the outdoors is your getaway, this could be the source of trip ideas
for the next couple of decades.”
—Dallas Morning News
“Butcher’s book is far more than a guide; it is an invitation to come to know and cherish
the [over 530] units across the entire range of the National Wildlife Refuge System. America’s National
It mingles history, anecdotes and perspective to give us the
best assessment yet of these national treasures.”
Wildlife Refuges
—Audubon
“Russell Butcher’s America’s National Wildlife Refuges: A Complete Guideis a grand invitation
a c o m p l e t e g u i d e
to visit the country’s more than 530 refuges.”
—Wildlife Conservation
Originally published for the 100th anniversary of the America’s
National Wildlife Refuge System in 2003, this popu-
National
lar guide describes each of the more than 530 refuges
nationwide, their habitats, and general information about Wildlife
accessibility and facilities. America’s National Wildlife Refugesalso
Refuges
discusses “proposed and possible” new refuges and lists the
nonprofit organizations that support the work of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service in its management of the refuges.
a
Ideal for the casual wildlife watcher, outdoorsy tourist, or
serious birdwatcher, America’s National Wildlife Refugesis a wor- complete
thy tribute to an esteemed American institution.
guide
RUSSELL D. BUTCHERis a lifelong conservationist and the author of Field Guide to Acadia
National Park, Maine; Exploring Our National Parks and Monuments; and Exploring Our National Historic Parks
and Sites. He and his wife, Karen, live in Tucson, Arizona.
Cover photo: Cormorants at sunset,
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California.
© John and KarenHollingsworth
TAYLOR TRADE PUBLISHING
Back cover photo: Crested auklets,
An imprint of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. © John and KarenHollingsworth SECOND
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200 Cover design by Piper F. Wallis EDITION
Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rlpgtrade.com SECOND EDITION
ISBN-13: 978-1-58989-383-2
ISBN-10: 1-58989-383-2
Distributed by
TAYLOR
NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK RUSSELL D. BUTCHER
1-800-462-6420 TRADE
America’s National
Wildlife Refuges

America’s National
Wildlife Refuges
A Complete Guide
Second Edition
RUSSELL D. BUTCHER
With contributions by
Stephen E. Adair and Lynn A. Greenwalt
Photographs by
JOHN AND KAREN HOLLINGSWORTH
(except as otherwise credited)
Foreword by
DAN ASHE
Former Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Taylor Trade Publishing
Lanham • New York • Boulder • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
Copyright © 2008 by Russell D. Butcher
First edition published in 2003 by Roberts Rinehart Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
Published by Taylor Trade Publishing
An imprint ofThe Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rlpgtrade.com
Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom
Distributed by NATIONALBOOKNETWORK
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Butcher, Russell D.
America’s national wildlife refuges : a complete guide / Butcher, Russell D. ; With contributions by
Stephen E. Adair and Lynn A. Greenwalt ; Photographs by John and Karen Hollingsworth ; foreword by
Dan Ashe. — 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58979-383-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-58979-383-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58979-410-8 (electronic)
ISBN-10: 1-58979-410-9 (electronic)
1. Wildlife refuges—United States—Guidebooks. 2. United States—Guidebooks. I. Title.
QL84.2.B88 2008
333.95'4160973—dc22
2008032853
(cid:2)∞™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
TO
All of the employees, researchers, interns, volunteers, and donors
who are helping to make the
National Wildlife Refuge System
a priceless American treasure.

Contents
Author’s Note ix
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword xiii
Prelude xv
1. America’s Vanishing Wetlands 1
2. A Brief History of the National Wildlife Refuge System 11
3. Featured National Wildlife Refuges
(Descriptions Arranged Alphabetically by State) 23
4. The Other National Wildlife Refuges
(Descriptions Arranged Alphabetically by State) 298
5. Friends and Other Refuge Support Organizations 381
Appendix: References and Further Reading 397
NWR System Index: National Wildlife Refuges 403
General Index 411
Other Books by Russell D. Butcher 417
About the Author 419

Author’s Note
Writing this book on all of the nearly 550 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System that
totals more than 95 million acres has been an awesome but totally inspiring and fascinating en-
deavor. One of the special pleasures of the task was my conversations with literally hundreds of
refuge system personnel. From all across America, I have sensed a tremendous depth of caring
and commitment that these men and women bring to their tasks, as they strive to protect and
enhance refuge habitats and wildlife populations. I have glimpsed how much they cherish a feel-
ing of family with their dedicated colleagues throughout the refuge system. And I have heard
again and again how much they value the generous assistance and hard work of numerous vol-
unteers, interns, and partners, with whom so much is accomplished on the refuges that would
otherwise be unattainable.
The National Wildlife Refuge System contains an almost mind-boggling diversity of
wildlife and habitats. Each refuge, no matter how large or small, has an important role to play
within America’s overall program of wildlife conservation. Many refuges offer interpretive and
educational programs, from which visitors can learn about and better appreciate the wildlife,
habitats, ecological processes, and refuge management activities.
Each refuge, including the few that are closed to public visitation, is described in this vol-
ume. In the approximately 200 featured refuge texts, I have tried to provide at least some in-
sight into what types of habitat-management activities are occurring and why. The more than
300 remaining refuges, including a few new ones established since this book’s first edition, are
described more briefly. To save a bit of space at the start of each text, only the refuge name is
given without its National Wildlife Refuge designation, unless the designation differs from the
norm. Not described in this revised edition are the more than 30 wetland management dis-
tricts that are mostly in the northern Great Plains region—the majority of which are managed