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Prime Hook National Wildlife
Refuge
falls within the Broadkill Hundred and Cedar Creek Hundred of Sussex
County,
or formerly referred to as Hoorenkill or Whorekill County.
Translated
from the Dutch word Priume Hoek meaning Plum Point, Prime Hook was
named
by European settlers in the 17th century for the land's abundance of
purple
beach plums.
Many farms and residences were
once
present on what is now the refuge.
In 1963, Prime Hook National
Wildlife
Refuge was established under the authority of the Migratory Bird
Conservation
Act for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or any other management purpose,
expressly for migratory birds.
The refuge began as a satellite
of
its sister refuge to the north, Bombay Hook. With a small and
dedicated
staff, the refuge began management of the land especially for
wildlife.
In 1986, the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel was reintroduced to the
refuge.
With the help of volunteers and community support, a Refuge
Headquarters
building was completed in 1997. That year also marked the
creation
of the Friends of Prime Hook, who have been assisting the refuge in its
endeavors ever since.
In 2000, Prime Hook became an
independent
refuge. The refuge has expanded to 10,000 acres with one of the
largest
freshwater impoundments on the East Coast.
The refuge is located in a key
position
in the Atlantic flyway and each year, hosts hundreds of thousands of
migratory
birds. Today, the Refuge's primary objectives continue to focus
on
providing habitat and protection for waterfowl, waterbirds and other
migratory
birds, and endangered species; and to insure the availability of these
resources to the American people for their enjoyment now and in the
future.
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