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2008 Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Phone: 618-634-2231 E-mail: CypressCreek@fws.gov |
Cypress Creek
National Wildlife Refuge
Contacting the Refuge:
Refuge Manager: Dennis Sharp
e-mail: CypressCreek@fws.gov or MidwestNews@fws.gov0137 Rustic Campus Drive
Ullin, IL 62992
Phone: 618/634 2231
Fax: 618/634 9656
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)Located between the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers, approximately
40 miles south of Marion, Illinois
Refuge Facts
Established: 1990
Acres: 14,000
Planning to expand to 35,509 acres
Part of Cache River Wetlands Joint Venture Project with Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and Ducks UnlimitedFinancial Impact of Refuge
Seven person staff
60,000 visitors annually to the area
FY 2006 Budget:$693,000
Natural History
Cache River Basin is located at the junction of four prominent physiographic regions
Refuge contains the oldest living plants east of the Mississippi River - bald cypress trees aged at 1,000-1,500 years old
Fed by the winding Cache River - a French word meaning “Hidden Place”
Provides a safe haven for over 50 state threatened and endangered species
Highlights
The refuge comprises the largest remaining wetland complex in Illinois, is designated as a Wetland of International Importance because of its diversity of plants, animals and natural landscapes that are seldom matched anywhere else in the Midwest
Refuge Objectives
Improve public access and provide a variety of wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities
Provide environmental education
Restore cypress forest and bottomland hardwood habitat for waterfowl, other migratory birds, endangered species and resident wildlife
Control erosion and sedimentation, maintain efficient hydrologic flow and improve flood control and general water quality
Protect unique natural areas and maintain biodiversity
Protect and improve the fishery resource
Priorities
Expand upland and bottomland reforestation efforts on the refuge
Inventory and monitor sensitive species and habitats throughout the refuge and coordinate efforts with Illinois DNR statewide inventory
Install bank stabilization on Big Creek
Restore Cache River
Public Use Opportunities
Hiking
Hunting and fishing
Environmental education and interpretation programs
Wildlife observation
