Interior Secretary Norton Kicks Off 100th Anniversary Celebration at America’s First National Wildlife Refuge: Administration Highlights Commitment to Conservation at Historic Event

Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton was joined today by thousands of wildlife enthusiasts, members of Congress and notable conservationists to celebrate the Centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the only federal system of lands dedicated to conserving wildlife. Sebastian, Florida is home to Pelican Island, the first National Wildlife Refuge, created by President Theodore Roosevelt on March 14, 1903.

Secretary Norton presided over a special ceremony at Pelican National Wildlife Refuge to honor the entire Wildlife Refuge System by installing the final plank in the Centennial Boardwalk, leading to a new viewing tower overlooking Pelican Island. Each plank in the Boardwalk is inscribed with the name of a wildlife refuge created in the past 100 years, 540 in all. The site was rededicated as a national historic landmark.