Acres: 66, 267 - 28,000 of which are preserved within the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Refuge is part of the Carolinian-South Atlantic Biosphere Reserve.
Located in northeast Charleston County, SC. Refuge office and Sewee Visitor Center are located 20 miles north of Charleston, SC on U.S. Highway 17. Refuge lands are located 20 miles north of Charleston and are accessible by boat only.
Refuge headquarters are located on seven acres of permitted lands within the Francis Marion National Forest.
Natural History
Refuge is a barrier island/salt marsh habitat extending for 22 miles along the Atlantic Coast.
Concentrations of waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and raptors with over 277 species of birds found on the refuge.
Largest nesting rookery for brown pelicans, terns and gulls on the South Carolina coast.
Largest nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles outside the state of Florida.
Refuge consists of 35,267 acres of beach and sand dunes, salt marsh, maritime forests, tidal creeks, fresh and brackish water impoundments, and 31,000 acres of open water.
Financial Impact of Refuge
Current annual budget (FY 2007) of $882,400.
160,000 visitors annually.
7-person staff.
Refuge Objectives
Provide habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and resident species.
Provide habitat and management of endangered and threatened species.
