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| Presquile National Wildlife Refuge |
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Visitor Information |
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Welcome!
Presquile National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge is a 1329-acre island in the James River, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. Established to protect habitat for wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds, Presquile is an important component in the network of refuges on and around the Chesapeake Bay, our Nation's largest estuary. Presquile has historically provided important habitat for wintering Canada geese that breed along James Bay in eastern Canada. The Refuge is also home to nesting and roosting bald eagles.
History The land within Presquile NWR was originally occupied by Native Americans. By the early 1600's English colonists had established the first settlement north of Jamestown nearby at Bermuda Hundred. William Randolph, ancestor to prominent Virginians such as Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and Robert E. Lee, moved to "Presque Isle" in 1660 and lived there for many years. Union troops occupied the area during the Battle of Petersburg. In 1952, the island was bequeathed to the U.S. Government by Dr. A.D. Williams, and became a Refuge in 1953. Since its establishment, access to the Refuge was by a ferry, operated on a cable secured at both sides of the James River shipping channel. Increased shipping and recreational boat traffic, significant maintenance costs, and concern for the safety of passengers resulted in discontinuation of the ferry for public use in 2001. A 28-foot pontoon boat now ferries visitors to the Refuge for scheduled events. See the Upcoming Events page for a list of events. National priorities such as funding military operations overseas, homeland security, and hurricane relief have resulted in declining federal discretionary funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other Department of the Interior agencies. This decline is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and the Service must make financial and human resource changes to manage effectively in this situation. Due to declining budgets and increased operating costs, the Service has designated numerous refuges as unstaffed satellite refuges. Three units of the Eastern Virginia Rivers NWR Complex, James River, Plum Tree Island, and Presquile national wildlife refuges, have been designated as unstaffed satellites and are being managed from the Complex headquarters in Warsaw, Virginia. |
Last Updated: July 17, 2009
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Presquile NWR 11116 Kimages Road Charles City, VA 23030 Office: (804) 829-9020 Fax: (804) 829-9606 E-mail: Presquile National Wildlife Refuge |