About Us
Located in northeastern New Mexico at an elevation of 6050’, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 3,699 acres of short-grass prairie, playa lakes, woodlots, wetlands, and crop fields. The refuge sits in an open basin surrounded by high mesas to the northeast and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west. Since 1965 this landscape has been managed for the benefit of wildlife and has provided feeding and resting habitat for migratory birds.
Approximately 2,800 acres of the lands that make up Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge are owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are made up of 23 tracts of land purchased from willing landowners under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. An additional 907 acres are leased from the Vermejo Conservancy District in the form of the playa lakes on the refuge (Lakes 12,13 and 14).
Prior to European colonization and the National Wildlife Refuge, the lands making up the refuge and surrounding Colfax County were a source of food and an area of trade for several Native American nations, including the Comanche, Apache, Kiowa, and Ute.
Evidence of European settlement still exists on the refuge and around the surrounding area. Remnants of the Santa Fe Trail are within two miles of the refuge boundary. Beginning in 1821, the 900-mile trail served as the main trading route for western settlers between Missouri and Santa Fe for more than 60 years.
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 Purpose
Every 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 was created for a special purpose. Some were created to protect migratory birds, others to protect threatened or endangered species or unique habitats, while others fulfill another special purpose. Refuges are special places where wildlife comes first. All activities allowed on refuges must be evaluated to make sure each activity will not conflict with the reason the refuge was founded.
The purpose of Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge is to serve as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Our History
Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 24, 1965 by the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 712d) "...for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purposes for migratory birds."
Other Facilities in this Complex
Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge is a part of a three-refuge complex. This National Wildlife Refuge complex is the Northern New Mexico National Wildlife Refuge Complex and shares staff between all three refuges spanning about 16,000 acres.
