Visit a refuge during special week
This year National Wildlife Refuge Week will be observed during the week of October 8-14. If you have never visited a refuge before, this would be a great time to plan to go.
The National Wildlife Refuge System helps to protect wildlife, generate jobs, provide clean air and water, reduce flooding, educate children about nature and offer protected places to fish and hike and enjoy the outdoors. Every state has at least one national wildlife refuge, many within an hour's drive of most major cities.
In 1964, Congress passed the Wilderness Act. The 1964 law created the National Wilderness Preservation System, which protects nearly 110 million acres of wilderness nationwide. Of those, 20 million are on refuge land. The wilderness is just that – wild land that is largely undeveloped and unmanaged – that can offer outstanding opportunities for wildlife observation, hiking, other nonmotorized outdoor recreation and solitude.
National Wildlife Refuge Week highlights the value of national wildlife refuges to wildlife and people alike and is a great time to get outdoors and explore your local refuge. It provides an ideal opportunity to discover the precious legacy that refuges represent for generations to come.
This year, the National Wildlife Refuge System celebrated its 114-year anniversary.
“Our wildlife refuges are an incredible asset to the national economy, bringing tourism and recreation jobs as well as revenue from spending in local communities," Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said. "At the same time, refuges offer a place where families can carry on cherished outdoor traditions while making the important connection between people and nature. It worries me to think about hunting and fishing becoming activities for the land-owning elite. Refuges are an important part of making sure that doesn't happen.”
National Wildlife Refuge Week is celebrated at refuges with festivals, educational programs, guided tours and other events.
Nationwide, refuges support more than 35,000 jobs and pump $2.4 billion into local communities, according to the Service. More than 50 million people visit refuges each year. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the nation's premier habitat conservation network.
According to the Department of the Interior, it spans more than 850 million acres, including seven marine national monuments, 566 refuges and 38 wetland management districts with more being added each year.
So find a refuge near you, mark your calendar and go see what all the fuss is about.