When President Theodore Roosevelt made Florida's tiny Pelican Island a refuge for birds in 1903, he wrote the ¬first chapter of a great American conservation success story. Entering its second century, the National Wildlife Refuge System comprises 150 million acres, protected within more than 565 Refuges and thousands of small prairie wetlands that serve as waterfowl breeding and nesting areas. There are wildlife refuges in every State, and at least one within an hour's drive of every major American city, providing refuge for people as well as wildlife. National Wildlife Refuges are far more than havens for wild plants and animals. In fact, visitors–more than 40 million each year–are welcome on 98 percent of wildlife refuges, where they are encouraged to take part in outdoor pursuits designated by law as priority activities offered by the National Wildlife Refuge System. From environmental education and interpretation to hunting and fishing to photography and wildlife watching, refuges offer visitors the most natural and wild outdoor experience, teaching millions the importance of taking care of our natural resources. This map shows the lands and waters managed by the National Wildlife Refuge System. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a Federal Agency whose mission, working with others, is to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
NWRS National Map January 2021 gif format