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19031 East County Road 2110N E-mail: IllinoisRiver@fws.gov |
General Information
Chautauqua Refuge | Meredosia Refuge | Emiquon Refuge
| Cameron / Billsbach Unit
The refuges are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. Our mission is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The National Wildlife Refuge System consists of more than 530 refuges. The system encompasses 94 million acres nationwide and is considered the world's most important network of lands dedicated to wildlife.
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The Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges form vital links in a chain of life-sustaining refuges within the Mississippi Flyway, extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The refuges are composed of four units along 125 miles of the Illinois River. The Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges headquarters office is located eight miles north of Havana, Illinois. |
The individual refuges are:
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Chautauqua Refuge, Mason County
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Meredosia Refuge, Cass and Morgan Counties
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Emiquon Refuge, Fulton County
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Cameron/Billsbach Unit, Marshall County
The refuges are growing to protect and restore needed habitat through two active land acquisition programs.
The objectives of the refuges are:
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To provide resting, nesting, and feeding habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds.
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To protect endangered and threatened species.
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To provide for biodiversity.
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To provide public opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education.
