About Us
Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 and is located 1,305 nautical miles south of Honolulu.
On January 6, 2009, the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was established, which includes Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge within its boundaries. On September 25, 2014 the monument was expanded around Jarvis Island out to 200 nautical miles.
Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge includes the emergent and submerged lands and waters out to 12 nautical miles, for a total of 434,697 acres (1,100 terrestrial acres). The Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge System Unit of the Monument includes the emergent and submerged lands and waters to the extent of the seaward limit of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone up to 200 nautical miles for a total of 77,859,125 acres.
Jarvis Island borders along an ancient coral reef and massive extinct volcano that emerges from the deep ocean floor of the equatorial Pacific. The equatorial undercurrent pushes nutrient-rich waters up into the sunlit zone, thereby increasing marine productivity that many marine species benefit from. This important phenomenon may be limited only to Howland, Baker, Jarvis Islands, and a few other islands in the Pacific because of their location near the equator. The upwelling is especially strong at Jarvis because of its larger size, supporting soft corals and large schools of plankton-eating fish.
Entry to Jarvis Island is by permit only.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Our History
- March 14, 1903 – President Theodore Roosevelt implements the first National Wildlife Refuge on Pelican Island, Florida.
- June 27, 1974 - The secretary of the interior designates Jarvis Island and its territorial sea, extending three nautical miles, as a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System to be “administered under the general regulations for the National Wildlife Refuge System published in Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations”(39 FR 27930) .
- January 6, 2009 – The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was established, which expanded the protected boundaries of Jarvis Island by 50 nautical miles.
- September 25,2014 - The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument (formerly called the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument) is expanded with Jarvis being protected out to 200 nautical miles.
Our Work
The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system. It drives everything we do from the purpose a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered there, to the resource management tools we use. Selecting the right tools helps us ensure the survival of local plants and animals and helps fulfill the purpose of the refuge.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with our partners at NOAA monitor the island for seabird activity and nesting, invasive species, and the overall health of the surrounding reef.