About Us

In 2019, 10-acres were donated to the Service, by Southern Conservation Corporation, establishing Green River National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was established under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966. The purpose of the refuge is to restore and manage valuable bottomland hardwood forest, wetlands, uplands, and agricultural lands for the benefit of migratory birds and a variety of other wildlife.  

Prior to establishment, the Service identified a Conservation Partnership Area (CPA), from which the Service will assemble 24,000 acres of land through donation and acquisition from willing sellers to create the refuge. Within the CPA, there is a variety of important habitat types consisting of farmland, river-scar oxbows, several sloughs, wetlands, bottomland hardwoods, and cypress sloughs. 

Our Mission

The Green River National Wildlife Refuge will conserve floodplains of the Ohio and Green Rivers and portions of their surrounding landscapes for current and future generations. Refuge lands and waters will be managed for fish and wildlife populations with an emphasis on the management of waterfowl and other migratory birds and improve water quality and quantity within the watersheds. The refuge will expand outdoor recreational and educational opportunities, helping to support local economies. 

History

The Green River is 384-miles-long. It begins in south central Kentucky and joins the Ohio River within the Conservation Partnership Area designated for Green River National Wildlife Refuge. The river was named after Nathanael Greene, a general of the American Revolutionary War.

The area that now includes Henderson County, Kentucky was part of the Eastern Woodlands cultural tradition, home to various Native groups for thousands of years such as the Cherokee, Shawnee, and others, who lived in the broader Ohio Valley and Kentucky area. These peoples lived in villages, practiced agriculture, hunted deer and other game, and maintained complex social and political systems. 

Henderson, Kentucky is broadly known for the celebrated naturalist John James Audubon who resided in Henderson from 1810 to 1819. It was during this time he explored the vast habitats of the area to sketch and paint the birds he is so well-known for. To this day, visitors from across the country come to the area to go birding. The state park and museum tell John James Audubons's story through preservation and outdoor exploration opportunities.