The refuge system was born March 14, 2003, when President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the protection of herons, egrets and pelicans on three-acre Pelican from poachers and aggressive market hunters. Paul Kroegel, who had been hired a year earlier by Florida Audubon Society to protect the islands birds and their eggs from hunters, was hired as the sanctuarys first warden and only employee.
Pelican National Wildlife Refuge will take the national spotlight March 14, 2003, when the Service joins with local communities and other partners to host special events commemorating the birthplace of the Refuge System and its Centennial. Special events "Celebrating a Century of Conservation"Will be held in Indiana and the throughout the nation during 2003.
Indianas National Wildlife Refuges encompass a diversity of habitats and wildlife. They total more than 60,000 acres, providing habitat for hundreds of species of fish, migratory birds, waterfowl, endangered species, and countless other wildlife and plants. These refuges also provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and environmental education for thousands of Hoosiers and visitors from other states.
Muscatatuck, located near Seymour and Indianas oldest refuge, was established in 1966 and features a diversity of wetlands, uplands and wooded areas. An excellent visitor center will soon be augmented with a state-of-the-art Conservation Learning Center, and will soon provide a diverse range of opportunities for visitors.
Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge is just a short drive north of Evansville and features some of the most important bottomland hardwood habitat in the state and supports the rare copperbelly water snake along with a range of other species dependent on this habitat type.
Big Oaks, Indianas newest and largest refuge was formerly Jefferson Proving Ground. Located near Madison and designated as a refuge in 2000, Big Oaks supports 50,000 acres of grasslands, hardwood forests, and stream habitats. Its unique past has contributed to its importance as a nesting area for grassland-nesting and other neotropical migratory birds, and Big Oaks also supports a population of endangered Indiana bats.
Special centennial events are scheduled at refuges in Indiana during 2003, including a ground-breaking ceremony for the Conservation Learning Center at Muscatatuck and time capsule events at all three refuges. Refuge locations, directions and a calendar of events are posted on the web at http://midwest.fws.gov Information is available by emailing r3centennial@fws.gov Event information is also available by phone from the following refuges:
Big Oaks 812-273-0783
Muscatatuck 812-522-4352
Patoka River 812-749-3199
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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 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.
