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Refuge's thoughout the nation

The National Wildlife Refuge System is a unique system of lands dedicated to preserving a rich quality of life for Americans by protecting their wildlife heritage. In the Southwest, national wildlife refuges protect some of the most varied wildlife and spectacular landscapes found anywhere in the world. From subtropical shrub ecosystems to saguaro-studded deserts--all are filled with an unparalleled richness and abundance of life. Some of the wonders of southwestern refuges include the complex and beautiful Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Texas coastal marshes that host massive flocks of waterfowl every winter, strange creatures found only in the sinkholes of New Mexico, and Oklahoma caves filled with endangered bats.

Under the proposal a new Refuge at the Wind River Ranch would serve as the heart of a partnership driven conservation effort in north-central New Mexico. Photo credit: USFWS.

Proposed Rio Mora Partnership

July 2011
Watrous, NM – The Service is seeking public comments on a proposed landscape-scale conservation effort in north-central New Mexico. This effort will seek to identify opportunities for the Service to work with landowners throughout the Rio Mora watershed; to conserve and restore land, wildlife and cultural resources found in the area. The entirely voluntary partnership would be anchored by the establishment of a new 4,500-acre national wildlife refuge, on lands that have been offered as a donation by the Wind River Ranch Foundation. Comments on the proposal will be accepted until September 19, 2011.

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Planning Update

Urban refuge management. Photo credit: Don Unser.

Vision for Urban Refuge Becomes Clearer - Draft documents available. Hearings Scheduled.

July 2011
A proposal to establish an urban national wildlife refuge outside of Albuquerque, NM is making steady progress. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bernalillo County have released for public review draft documents pertaining to the proposal. Comments on the documents will be accepted until Monday August 15, 2011. If approved, the refuge would be the first urban refuge the southwestern United States.

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DRAFT Environmental Assessment
Planning Update

The Blue Goose is a decades-old symbol of conservation for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Take “Flat Blue” for an Adventure

May 2011
Grab your cameras, Flat Blue and tell the story of your adventure on a national wildlife refuge.

Flat Blue, an image of the Refuge System’s traditional Blue Goose symbol, was launched with the National Wildlife Refuge System’s Conserving the Future vision process. Much like Flat Stanley – that fanciful, educational character that has traveled the nation and the world – Flat Blue is a fun way to engage with nature.

First, download an easy-to-print version of Flat Blue from AmericasWildlife.org/flatblue. Then take your friends and family – or just yourself – to a national wildlife refuge, where you can take a photo with Flat Blue and tell the story of your adventure. E-mail your photos to americaswildife@gmail.com. It will be added to the www.AmericasWildlife.org Flat Blue page.

Giving Land a Voice, Multi-media contest.

Giving the Land a Voice Contest

May 2011
Love art? Love the land? Young people, ages 15-24, can use the art medium of their choice – whether a digital poster, video podcast or poetry – to convey what they hope as the future direction of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Entries are due May 27.

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Fact Sheet

Entries can be submitted in the following categories:
• 18”x 24” digital poster, collage or other still art or display

• three-minute audio or video podcast

• 1,000-word or less essay, short story or poem

First place winners will get a free trip to the Conserving the Future conference in Madison, WI, in mid-July, where a new vision will be ratified to guide the Refuge System for the next decade or so. Other prizes include gift cards to outdoor recreation stores and lavishly photographed books about the Refuge System. See a fact sheet about the contest.

The Conserving the Future Web site, http://americaswildlife.org/, gives people a great online chance to join the conversation about the future of the Refuge System.

A snapshot of the interactive Hunting website.

Access the NWRS interactive Hunting website.

Premier Hunting Experiences Accessible…

Where is the closest National Wildlife Refuge that offers turkey hunting for people with disabilities?

You don’t need to guess or start phoning names on a long list. A new National Wildlife Refuge System interactive Web site, Your Guide to Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges, (http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting) provides hunters with an easy search mechanism to find a refuge by special interest, such as game species (i.e. deer, waterfowl, big game), zip code, youth or
special needs (i.e. universally accessible), or using any combination of topics. You can also search by a refuge name or state name.

More than 2 million hunters visit National Wildlife Refuges each year. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 300 refuges. Of these, 43, including Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland and Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona offer accessible turkey hunting; 97 refuges offer youth hunts.

While definitions of hunting categories vary by refuge and state, migratory bird hunting generally includes ducks and geese. Small game hunting includes animals, such as rabbit, squirrel and raccoon. Big game hunting may cover animals like elk, moose and bear.

Refuge hunts are carefully managed to give hunters a quality experience according to four guiding principles: manage wildlife populations consistent with approved management plans; promote visitor understanding and appreciation for America’s natural wildlife resources; provide quality recreational and educational experiences; and minimize conflicts with visitors participating in other wildlife-dependent recreational activities.

The instructive Web site offers additional information and includes tips to hunters, facts on archery hunting, special stories about hunting in Alaska and becoming a more effective waterfowl hunter. In addition, information on state hunting licenses is provided. For those who wish to bring the guide with them; it is available as a downloadable publication organized by state.

New Mexico Wildlife Refuge Receives National Recognition for Solar and Wind Energy Project

Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior Lynn Scarlett has presented Department of the Interior Environmental Achievement Awards to ten departmental individuals and employees at the department’s Washington headquarters.

“These awards are the equivalent of our Environmental Emmy awards,” said Scarlett. “The ingenuity and dedication of the winners are always inspiring. This year’s winning projects include, just for example, a sustainably designed laboratory, an invention to remove paint from spray cans, a partnership with loggers to remove scrub brush for use in bio-energy production, and a project that puts mustangs to work hauling illegal debris from marijuana gardens on public land."

Interior’s Environmental Achievement Awards recognize employees and partners who have made outstanding contributions through departmental projects in preventing pollution and waste, recycling, green purchasing, environmental management, sustainable designing and the greening of facilities, and using alternative fuel and fuel conservation in transportation.

The San Andres National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern New Mexico was recognized for using a tiered approach to install on-site renewable energy generation, the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge is able to supply 100 percent of its own power for several months out of the year and has decreased energy use by 80 percent from the Fiscal Year 2003 baseline.

Learn More about San Andres National Wildlife Refuge

Learn More about the Southwest Region's Efforts to Address Climate Change

Click here to learn about Service Endangered Species work in Arizona