Days after the storm the impacted areas are still under water and wildlife is suffering the affects of fatigue, disruption of feeding behavior and loss of natural foods and access to fresh water. Refuge access roads and trails were also flooded and remain flooded or soft.
This is a temporary closure and the Refuge will be re-opened after the short-term affects of Hurricane Rita are past. This closure affects the hunt seasons which had been scheduled to begin this Saturday, October 01. The hunt season openings have been delayed, and permit holders are asked to stay tuned for updates in your local paper and on the Refuge website (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife, 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 more than 540 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.
