The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to add hunting or fishing programs on two national wildlife refuges in Minnesota and New Jersey for the 2006-2007 season and expand hunting and fishing opportunities at six other refuges.
The rule on the proposals was published in the Federal Register on July 24. A public comment period will end August 16.
"The National Wildlife Refuge System offers many outstanding places to hunt, fish, and enjoy wildlife, and we are committed to expanding hunting and fishing opportunities wherever we can," said Service Director H. Dale Hall.
If approved, the proposal would establish a new hunting program at Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota. Hunting programs would be expanded at the following six refuges: Agassiz in Minnesota, Blackwater in Maryland, Whittlesey Creek in Wisconsin, and Bayou Cocodrie, Tensas River and Upper Ouachita, all in Louisiana. The proposed rule notes that Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi was formerly part of the Yazoo Refuge Complex, where hunting has been permitted.
The new rule would also correct the record to note hunting programs that are already in allowed at four Montana refuges: Black Coulee, Creedman Coulee, Hewitt Lake and Lake Thibadeau. The proposed rule also clarifies that five Wetland Management Districts in Montana (Benton Lake, Bowdoin, Charles M. Russell, Northeast Montana and Northwest Montana) are open to all hunting and fishing activities.
A new fishing program for the 2006-2007 season is proposed for Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, where previously only hunting has been allowed.
In 2005, approximately 2.3 million Americans hunted on national wildlife refuges and more than 6 million anglers made fishing trips to the Refuge System. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 includes hunting and fishing as two of the six priority public uses on the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge System provides opportunities to hunt and fish whenever they are compatible with the purposes for which the individual wildlife refuge was established.
President Theodore Roosevelt established the first wildlife refuge in 1903 when he ordered Pelican Island, a small shell- and mangrove-covered in Floridas Indian River, to be protected forever as a "preserve and breeding ground for native birds." More than a century later, the Refuge System has grown to nearly 100 million acres and includes 545 wildlife refuges -- at least one in every state -- and more than 37 wetland management districts.
Wildlife refuges provide outdoor activities that include fishing, hunting, environmental education and interpretation, wildlife observation and wildlife photography. Many national wildlife refuges also offer opportunities for birding, especially along the 2,500 miles of land and water trails nationwide. There is at least one wildlife refuge within an hours drive of most major cities.
The full text of the final Refuge-Specific Regulations for Hunting and Fishing can be found on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/"> under the "Policies and Budget" link.
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 National Wildlife Refuge System, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management 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 Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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