Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
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Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
US Refuge, North Carolina
PO Box 1969
Manteo, NC 27954
alligatorriver.fws.gov
Phone: 252-473-1131; Fax: 252-473-1668
Location: Northeastern North Carolina. Established: 1984. Habitat: 152,000 acres of marshland and pine and hardwood pine forests. Facilities: Trails, canoe trail, auto tour route. Activities: Boating, canoeing, fishing, hunting, educational programs. Access: Open during daylight hours. Primary Wildlife: Concentrations of ducks, geese, and swans. Also wading birds, shorebirds, American woodcock, raptors, black bears, American alligators, white-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, quail, river otters, red wolves, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and neotropical migratory birds. Special Features: Established to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat (pocosin) and its associated wildlife species. Pocosin is a Native American word meaning 'swamp-on-a-hill' and is characterized by poorly drained soils high in organic material. One of the last remaining strongholds for black bear on the eastern seaboard, the refuge also provides habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
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Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
| Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
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 Red wolf |
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| Location | Dare, Hyde counties, North Carolina, United States |
| Nearest city | Manns Harbor, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 35°47′00″N 75°51′00″W / 35.7833333°N 75.85°WCoordinates: 35°47′00″N 75°51′00″W / 35.7833333°N 75.85°W |
| Area | 152,000 acres (620 km2) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Official website | |
The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a 152,000-acre (620 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in eastern North Carolina along the Atlantic Coast. It was established on March 14, 1984, to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type—the pocosin—and its associated wildlife species. The Refuge attracts visitors worldwide for its red wolf howling programs.
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Contents
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Description
The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is composed of 152,000 acres (615 km²) lying in the mainland portions of Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina.[1] It is roughly 28 miles (45 km) from north to south and 15 miles (24 km) from east to west and lies in North Carolina's Coastal Plain. It is bordered on the west by the Alligator River and the Intracoastal Waterway, which is crossed by the 2.8 mile Lindsay C. Warren bridge; on the north by Albemarle Sound; on the east by Croatan and Pamlico Sounds; and on the south by Long Shoal River and corporate farmland. The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge[2] is administered as a part of the complex. The Alligator River Manager supervises the Mackay Island, Currituck, and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Managers.
Role of the Refuge
The Refuge serves as a gateway to other eastern North Carolina refuges, encouraging visitors to venture inland into the counties with fewer economic advantages.
Natural history
The habitat includes many diverse types including high and low pocosin,[3] bogs, fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps, and Atlantic White Cypress swamps. Plant species include pitcher plants and sun dews, low bush cranberries, Redbay, Atlantic White Cypress, Pond Pine, American Sweetgum, Red Maple, and a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species common to the East Coast.
The Refuge is one of the premier strongholds for American Black Bear[4] on the Eastern Seaboard. It also has concentrations of ducks, geese, and swans. The wildlife diversity includes wading birds, shorebirds, American Woodcock, raptors, American Black Bears, American Alligators, White-tailed Deer, Raccoons, Cottontail rabbits, Bobwhite Quail, Northern River Otters, Red Wolves,[5][6] Red-cockaded Woodpeckers,[7] and neotropical migrants.
Refuge objectives
Refuge objectives are to protect and preserve unique wetland habitat types and the associated wildlife species, including endangered species such as red wolves, red-cockaded woodpeckers and American alligators. It also aims to provide a habitat for and management of waterfowl and other migratory birds, as well as for a wide variety of native wildlife species, through diverse wildlife management techniques and strategies.[8]
An important objective is the restoration of historical water levels in the Refuge by progressively plugging man-made drainage ditches. This will reduce fire danger as well as re-establish valuable wildlife habitat.[9]
The Refuge also provides for the public opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife interpretation, observation, photography, and environmental education.
Administration
A 33-person staff (14 Refuge staff,for both Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges, 7 Red Wolf Recovery staff, 8 fire staff, and 4 temporary staff) administer the Refuge for the 42,000 visitors who annually visit. The current budget (FY 03) is $3.9 million.
References
- ^ "Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge". Outer Banks News. http://www.outer-banks.com/alligator-river/. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge". Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/peaisland/. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge". Outer Bank News. http://www.outer-banks.com/alligator-river/. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment comments due by June 29, 2006". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/nathist.html. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Red Wolf Recovery Project". http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/redwolf.html. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Red Wolf Re-establishment Program". Outer Banks News. http://www.outer-banks.com/alligator-river/redwolf.asp. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge". Trails.com. http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.asp?trailid=CGD131-013. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Alligator River Management". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/management.html. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Management Activities: What We Do for Wildlife (draft)". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/management.html. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge |
- Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
- Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
- Pea Island Natural Wildlife Refuge
- Area map
- Maps - Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
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