We Are A Complex
The Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex is comprised of five individual refuges which span the coast of Maine and support an incredible diversity of habitats including, coastal islands, forested headlands, estuaries and freshwater wetlands. The five separate refuges are: Cross Island, Petit Manan, Seal Island, Franklin Island, and Pond Island national wildlife refuges. Each has separate establishment histories and refuge purposes as described below, but they are referred to collectively as the “Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuges”. Seal, Franklin, and Pond islands are single-island refuges. Cross Island Refuge is a six-island complex, while Petit Manan Refuge includes 41 islands and 4 mainland divisions, including: Petit Manan Point (2,195 acres), Sawyers Marsh (1,028 acres), Gouldsboro Bay (623 acres) divisions and Corea Heath (431 acres). All totaled, the Refuge includes approximately 8,172 acres of diverse coastal Maine habitats including forested and non-forested offshore islands, coastal salt marsh, open field, and upland mature spruce-fir forest. Due to budget limitations, Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Milford, Maine currently has no staff and is managed by Maine Coastal Islands NWRs staff. |
