Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
P. O. Box 329
Columbia, North Carolina 27925

Contact: Susan Russo- 252-796-3004 ext 223

October 21, 2004

Let’s Celebrate! Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Joins in the Scuppernong River Festival!

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge staff celebrated National Wildlife Refuge Week from beginning to end. The refuge staff kicked the week off with participating in the Scuppernong River Festival in Columbia, NC on October 9. We had our proud fire crew, and the red wolf and blue goose riders in the community parade, assisted in kayak rides, and then offered educational performances by Pamlico Joe and wildlife face painting. On October 15, we had fourteen University of North Carolina students volunteer at the refuge who removed two dozen bags of Alligator weed, an extremely destructive invasive plant species. The students enjoyed the chance to make hands-on differences for the environment and the refuge welcomed the opportunity to work with the students. We look forward to future events in our community.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses almost 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

- FWS -