What We Do

Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge
is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species. 

Resource management programs on Cameron Prairie Refuge are directed at preserving and improving habitat for wildlife. In the past, 1,230 acres of agricultural land in the Gibbstown Unit was farmed for rice. Now this acreage is managed for moist soil plants that provide food for wildlife.

Refuge prairie lands are being restored by periodic burning, mowing, and disking. Native prairie grasses have a natural beauty, protect the soil, and supply food and cover for many kinds of wildlife. Earthen levees and water control structures have been installed to maximize water management capabilities for moist soil management. Some of the marshes are drained or burned periodically in the fall to promote the growth of natural foods. In the early winter, these areas are flooded to benefit waterfowl, primarily ducks and other wetland birds.

The marshes of the East Cove Unit are being managed to preserve a delicate balance between salt and fresh water. Water control structures located along a 19-mile levee on Calcasieu Lake are managed in an effort to provide the best habitat for the wildlife that live there.

The Cameron Creole Watershed Project, which includes the East Cove Unit, is a cooperative effort among local, State, and Federal agencies, as well as the private sector, to develop methods to restore 64,000 acres of marsh in Cameron Parish. It is one of the largest marsh restoration projects in the United States.

Management and Conservation

Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge
is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.