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In fall of 2011, a public hearing was held, the Devens Enterprise Commission (www.devensec.com) granted a Unified Permit to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to build a "Visitor Contact Station" at the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge on Hospital Road, Devens, MA. The architectural company hired to develop the design is Oak Point Associates (www.oakpoint.com), and the general construction contract has been awarded to the Nadeau Corporation (www.nadeaucorp.com).Recently, the Service received a Public Lands Highway Discretionary grant to expand the visitor opportunities and access to this section of the refuge. We will be utilizing designs developed by Oak Point Associates to continue into a Phase II of construction this winter. Anticipated project completion will be fall of 2013, however the Phase I of the project (construction of rest-rooms and Visitor Contact Station) is anticipated to be open in spring of 2013. The Friends of the Oxbow NWR have been working on establishing new trail connections west of Jackson Road. A big thank you to our Friends Group on all their hard work on preparing these trails.If you have any questions about this project please contact Susan J. Russo at 978.443.4661 x34 or Susan_J_Russo@fws.gov Please note this area is closed to all public access and refuge visitors are advised to stay out of the construction area.Take a look at some pictures of the progress. Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge is located in north-central Massachusetts, approximately 35 miles northwest of Boston, MA. The refuge lies within the towns of Ayer and Shirley in Middlesex County and the towns of Harvard and Lancaster in Worcester County. The refuge consists of approximately 1,667acres of upland, southern New England flood-plain forest, and wetland communities along nearly 8 miles of the Nashua River corridor. Oxbow NWR was formed by three land transfers from the former U.S. Army, Fort Devens Military Installation, and a purchase of private land in Harvard, MA. Two of the transfers from the Army (May, 1974 and February, 1988) formed the original 711-acre portion of the Refuge located south of Massachusetts Route 2. The third Army transfer occurred in May of 1999, and added the 836-acre portion of the Refuge that is located north of Route 2. Finally, approximately 120 acres were added to the Refuge in April 2001, with the acquisition of the former Watt Farm property along Still River Depot Road in Harvard. Spring Turkey Due to begin - (pdf - 23KB)Youth Conservation Corps Summer Opportunity - now closedATTENTION VISITORSHunt Schedule - (pdf 99KB)Upcoming Programs - please see Eastern MA NWR Complex home page under "We're a Complex"ATTENTION HUNTERSApplications are currently being accepted for non-lottery seasons at http://www.easternmapermits.com. All lottery applications are typically available July 1-July 31. The application fee is $5.00 and the fees for each permit range from $10.00 to $30.00. All active military, persons 62 years of age and older, and those with a permanent disability receive a 50% discount on all permit fees. All applicants must pay the $2 - $3 processing fees per each individual season. A non-refundable application fee must be included with your application. There are no fees for anyone age 17 years old or younger; youth hunters are also exempt from the lottery process, but still need to select each hunt he or she is applying for. If you are selected, you will be notified and at that time you will need to send in the appropriate amount of money for each permit. If money is not received within fourteen calendar days from the time of being notified, the lottery portion of your application will be withdrawn and we will go to the next applicant that was in the lottery. Checks or money orders must be made out to the Kinsail Corporation. Cash will not be accepted. Credit cards will be automatically charged if you are selected. Applications that are missing any of the required information, including your application or processing fees, will be discarded, as well as multiple applications from the same hunter. Applications which are illegible will also be discarded. The lottery is usually held by August 5th and notifications are made by August 12th. To apply online after July 1, visit http://www.easternmapermits.com. All lottery applications close by July 31st, all others will open until each season is over. For more information, Susan_J_Russo@fws.gov or call 978-443-4661 x34 Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons for 2012-2013" http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/waterfowl/migratory_gamebird_abstracts.pdf 2012-2013 hunting seasons" http://www.eregulations.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/12MAAB_Quick_Reference_List.pdf
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Last updated:
April 25, 2013
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