Big Oaks NWR encompasses more than 50,000 acres of forests, woodlands and grasslands. In 1940, the Army began testing ordnance on portions of the site that will now be dedicated as a National Wildlife Refuge. Unexploded ordnance is still present on the site. Jefferson Proving Ground was closed by the Army in 1995 as a result of the Base Closure and Realignment Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed wildlife resources at Jefferson Proving Ground since 1997, when the Service first entered into a three-year agreement with the Army.
Under a recent agreement with the Army and Air Force, the Service will operate Big Oaks NWR through a 25-year real-estate permit with the Army retaining ownership of the land. The Air Force will retain use of a bombing range, which is not included in the portion designated as a National Wildlife Refuge, and is located near the center of the former proving ground. Large safety buffer areas separate the Air Force range from public use areas of the Refuge. Many of the buildings located on the installations cantonment area (the area south of the former firing line) have been leased to commercial enterprises and are not a part of the refuge.
The entrance to Big Oaks NWR is located on U.S. Highway 421 approximately five miles north of Madison, Indiana. Visitors to the dedication ceremony should be aware that the ceremony site is about a 30-minute drive from the main gate of Jefferson Proving Ground. The entrance gate to the refuge will open at 8:00 a.m. to allow visitors ample time to arrive at the dedication site. The entrance gate to the Refuge will close at 9:20 a.m. to avoid disruptions of the dedication ceremony, so visitors should plan to arrive early. Following the event, the public can sign up for escorted afternoon tours conducted by Refuge staff. The event and tours are free.
Big Oaks NWR is home to white-tailed deer, wild turkey, river otters and coyotes. The refuge also provides managed habitat for 41 species of fish, 120 species of breeding birds, and the federally endangered Indiana bat. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has also identified 46 rare species of plants on the site.
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge becomes the third 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 in Indiana, joining Muscatatuck NWR near Seymour, Ind., and Patoka River NWR near Oakland City, Ind.
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 520 national wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For more information visit our web site at http://midwest.fws.gov
Note to Editors:
Because of safety restrictions imposed by the Army due to the presence of unexploded ordnance remaining on the site, public and media access to planned public use areas will be restricted the day of the event. Members of the media desiring access to sites on the Refuge for photographs, etc, are welcome to join Refuge staff for a guided tour in advance of the scheduled dedication ceremony. A press tour will be conducted Friday, July 7 at 8:00 a.m. Please contact Big Oaks NWR Refuge Operation Specialist Joe Robb to reserve your space on the media tour (address below). B-roll video is available for electronic media.
Refuge Operations Specialist
Dr. Joe Robb
1661 W. JPG Niblo Rd.
Madison, IN 47250
Phone:812-273-0783
Fax: 812-273-0786
E-mail:joe_robb@fws.gov
