Erie National Wildlife Refuge (2024)

FAQs

What is the biggest problem with the National Wildlife Refuge System? ›

Unfortunately, this system of lands and waters is continuously threatened by chronic underfunding. Inadequate funding forces the Refuge System to defer a range of critical services, including wildlife habitat management, conservation planning, maintenance and repairs, visitor services, and law enforcement activities.

The Erie National Wildlife Refuge is an 8,777-acre (3,552 ha) National Wildlife Refuge located in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest national wildlife refuge in the United States. It is also the biggest and wildest publicly owned land in our country. Located in Alaska's northeast corner, it is home to a wide variety of species, such as polar bears, caribou, and wolves.

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.

The National Wildlife Refuge System protects some of the country's most iconic ecosystems and the fish and wildlife that rely on them: prairies of the heartland, teeming with native pollinators and bison; hardwood forests of the Southeast, a source of regional and cultural pride; and desert...

The Zoo is home to over 400 animals and features a train and carousel. We recommend that you plan for at least 1.5 – 2 hours time for a visit to our Zoo.

Disturbed by the killing of so many of Florida's birds, Roosevelt signed in executive order in 1903 making Pelican Island a federal bird reservation, with Kroegel soon named as the first warden. The protected area later became the first unit of America's national system of wildlife refuges.

Refuges are managed to conserve plants and animals and associated habitats for the benefit of present and future generations. National parks, on the other hand, are managed to conserve and protect the natural resources within the system, while providing enjoyment for the public.

1. The entire city of Austin, Texas is certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat. There are 2,154 certified wildlife habitats – the most per capita in the US – and the most Schoolyard Habitats (67). It's famous for its Congress Avenue Bridge, home to 1.5 million bats.

What is the difference between a zoo and a wildlife refuge? ›

Mission: The primary mission of sanctuaries is to provide a forever home for animals in need and promote their welfare, while zoos often focus on education, entertainment, and breeding programs. Captivity: Sanctuaries house animals that cannot be released into the wild, such as those rescued from abusive situations.

The eleven largest National Wildlife Refuges are all in the state of Alaska.

No take, disturbance or collection of wildlife or plants. No search for or removal of objects of antiquity or other valued objects. No prospecting or mining. No removal of any property from refuge.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

National Wildlife Refuge / Management

Other smaller contributions to national wildlife refuges come through legislation like the federal transportation bill, Great American Outdoors Act funding, supplemental funding from things like hurricane or fire relief, and grant funding through certain federal programs like the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund which ...

A lack of resources throughout the refuge system is limiting its capacity to provide healthy habitat for birds and other wildlife. Essential infrastructure is crumbling. Managers oversee growing groups of refuges that are lumped together even when they're hundreds of miles apart.

Habitat loss—due to destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of habitat—is the primary threat to the survival of wildlife in the United States. Climate change is quickly becoming the biggest threat to the long-term survival of America's wildlife.

Much of the Refuge System is virtually unprotected due to the lack of law enforcement officers, with some officers covering entire states and refuge units hours away from one another.