A small portion of Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is permanently closed to hunting in the area chosen for construction of a new visitor center and office. Construction of the facility in Jasper County, South Carolina is anticipated to be completed by fall of 2008.  The area now closed to hunting is bordered on the east by U. S, Highway 17, between South Carolina Highway 170 on the north, and south to the railroad crossing.  “Area Closed” signs have been posted along the boundary of the site closed to hunting.

The future visitor center and office building will serve as the headquarters for the Savannah Coastal Refuges complex, managed by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The complex includes seven national wildlife refuges (NWR) in coastal Georgia and South Carolina: Pinckney Island (South Carolina), Savannah (South Carolina and Georgia), Tybee (South Carolina), Wassaw (Georgia), Harris Neck (Georgia), Blackbeard Island (Georgia), and Wolf Island (Georgia).

Since 1977, the Coastal Refuges’ office has been located in rented office space in Savannah, Georgia. The development of the first visitor center designed specifically for the Coastal Refuges will greatly enhance the refuges’ visitor programs. Griess anticipates that the new facility will more than double the Savannah NWR’s annual visitation which now exceeds 160,000. Among the features which the center will offer the public are an auditorium, gift shop, exhibit hall, and a nature trail.