Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week October 14- 20, 2001

Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 14-20, 2001, by visiting your local refuge and participating in any one of the hundreds of activities taking place, including birding tours, special hunts and fishing derbies, photography and wildlife art contests, and environmental education programs.

"National Wildlife Refuge Week is a great time to visit a refuge. Thousands of species are very active in the fall, making this one of the best times of the year to experience the beauty and drama of the animal kingdom," said Marshall Jones, Acting Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"We have something extra special to celebrate this National Wildlife Refuge Week," said Jones. "Today, a small flock of endangered whooping cranes is making their maiden voyage from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida." The cranes will be following an ultra light aircraft as they learn their historic migration route with the hope that this summer they will make the return trip on their own. "Refuges are providing the beginning and end points, as well as a number of stopovers along the way for this historic migration."

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican as the first 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 . Today, every state and U.S. territory is home to at least one refuge. Many refuges serve as rest stops along the major "flyways" used by countless migrating species, including ducks, geese, and songbirds, as well as whooping cranes. Others were set aside as sanctuaries for endangered and threatened species such as bald eagles, sea turtles, and prairie chickens.

Refuges also provide opportunities for the public to enjoy and learn about wildlife. "At this time of crisis in the United States, refuges offer a quiet sanctuary for us to reflect on the beauty and opportunities this country has to offer," said Jones.

For more information about National Wildlife Refuge Week events, contact a refuge near you or visit our homepage at www.fws.gov">.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices 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 fish and wildlife agencies.