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October 1, 2003 Contact:
White River National Wildlife Refuge offers one of the largest remaining bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi River Valley. With more than 160,000 acres, including 90 protected river miles and 300 lakes, it is home to the largest concentration of wintering mallard ducks in the Mississippi Flyway and is also designated as a Wetland of International Importance. “If you live in Arkansas,
Tennessee or Mississippi, and haven’t visited White River National
Wildlife Refuge, this is your best chance,” said Larry Mallard,
Refuge Manager. “Every tradition starts somehow, and starting
the White River Wildlife Festival is the start of a great tradition
for the entire area.” White River National Wildlife Refuge’s celebration is part of a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of America’s National Wildlife Refuge System. President Theodore Roosevelt established the Refuge System in 1903 at Pelican Island, Florida. Today, the Refuge System includes 542 national wildlife refuges and protects nearly 100 million acres of America’s best fish and wildlife habitat. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established White River National Wildlife Refuge in 1935. It is one of 10 national wildlife refuges in Arkansas. Saturday, October 11, 2003 10 a.m. -- Centennial Celebration and Visitor Center Dedication Ceremony
Noon to 5:00 p.m. -- 1st Annual White River Wildlife Festival
Free parking and free activities! For a detailed schedule of activities or more information about White River National Wildlife Refuge, visit http://whiteriver.fws.gov or call 870/946-1468. 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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses
more than 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands
and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish
hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 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 Aid program that distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment
to state fish and wildlife agencies. For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit our home page at http://southeast.fws.gov/ or http://www.fws.gov/. NOTE: You can view our releases or subscribe to receive them -- via e-mail -- at the Service's Southeast Regional home page at http://southeast.fws.gov. Our national home page is at: http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/. Atlanta, GA 30345 |
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