Breton

National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The mission of the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife

Service is working with

others to conserve,

protect, and enhance

fish, wildlife, plants, and

their habitat for the

continuing benefit of the

American people.
This blue goose,

designed by

J.N. “Ding” Darling,

has become a symbol

of the National

Wildlife Refuge

System.

Introduction

Breton National Wildlife Refuge was

established on October 4, 1904 by an

executive order of President

Theodore Roosevelt and is the second

oldest refuge of over 540 currently in

the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The President took the action to set

aside lands the day after receiving a

report that market hunters and

others were seriously depleting the

islands’ wildlife resources. It is the

only refuge

known to have

been visited by

President

Roosevelt, on a

five-day voyage

in 1915 with

members of the

National

Audubon Society

and soon to be

Governor of

Louisiana John

Parker.

Breton NWR consists of a series of

barrier islands located in the Breton

Sound off the southeast coast of

Louisiana. The island chain starts

sixteen miles northeast of Venice,

Louisiana and extends northward

toward the Mississippi Gulf Coast for

a distance of seventy miles. The

Federally owned lands are the

Chandeleur Islands and the Breton

Islands, but through an agreement

with the Louisiana Department of

Wildlife and Fisheries the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service also oversees the

management of state-owned North

Island, Old Harbor, New Harbor,

South Gosier, Grand Gosier,

Freemason, and Curlew Islands.

Many of these islands have been

washed away in recent storms, if they

resurface they will continue to be

managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service. In January of 1975 all

Federally owned islands of the refuge

except North Breton Island became

part of the National Wilderness

Preservation System.

photo: Harvard College Library
The refuge was

established to

provide sanctuary

for nesting wading

birds and sea birds

as well as wintering

shore birds and

waterfowl, to

protect and

preserve the

wilderness

character of the

islands, and to

provide sand beach

habitat for a variety

of wildlife species.

The islands are also

the first line of

storm defense for

eastern Louisiana

(including New

Orleans) and

coastal Mississippi.

Breton National

Wildlife Refuge is

composed of

barrier islands

formed from the

remnants of the

Mississippi River’s

St. Bernard delta.

The course of the

Mississippi River

shifted westward

approximately two

thousand years ago,

leaving behind the sediment that

formed the islands.

Throughout history the islands have

been continually reconfigured due to

tidal action, winds, and tropical

storms. The Breton Islands were

once home to a fishing community

that included a school, until 1915

when a hurricane forced residents to

evacuate the settlement. The

unnamed hurricane destroyed the

settlement and it was never rebuilt.

More recently, a serious of storms

starting in the late 90’s have caused

devastating erosion to the islands.

Chandeleur

Island was home

to two brick light

towers both of

which were

toppled by

storms. The last

light, a metal

“Skeleton” tower

was built in 1895

and stood for 111

years until

Hurricane

Katrina caused

its fall.
Each year

numerous

volunteers and

community

partners assist

U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service

personnel with

projects to

restore the

islands and

various wildlife

species. These

activities

promote public

awareness and

significance of

the refuge and

preservation of

this type of

habitat.


Wildlife

The refuge provides crucial habitat

and nesting ground for twenty-three

species of shore birds and sea birds.

Common nesting species include

royal, caspian, and sandwich terns,

laughing gulls, brown pelicans, and

black skimmers. The refuge has a

large tern colony and a nesting

population of endangered brown

pelicans. During the winter large

numbers of waterfowl such as

redheads, canvasback, and scaup

frequent the numerous islands. The

submerged aquatic grasses in the

northern islands make this area one of

the top four most important wintering

areas for redhead ducks in the U.S.

Frigate birds are commonly observed

flying over the refuge. Endangered

species that inhabit the refuge are

brown pelicans, piping plover and

least terns.

Habitat

The refuge provides a sandy barrier

island beach with vegetation

comprised of black mangrove,

groundsel bush, and wax myrtle. The

shallow areas around the islands

support beds of manatee, shoal,

turtle, and widgeon grass. The

habitat provided by the islands offers

significant importance for nesting

sea, shore, and wading birds.
Public Use

Public uses such

as wildlife

observation,

photography, and

fishing are

encouraged on

the refuge. To

avoid disturbance

to nesting seabird

colonies, each

colony is posted as

a closed area

during the nesting

season. Visitors

may continue to

visit the refuge

during the nesting

season but may

not enter posted

areas.

Travel to the

refuge is limited

by its remote

location. Boats

venturing to the islands should be

able to travel across open waters &

should be operated by someone

experienced in such waters. There

are no facilities of any kind on the

islands. Charter boats are available

in Venice, LA and Gulfport and

Biloxi, MS.

Refuge Regulations

Access to and recreational use of the

refuge resources are permitted in

designated areas and in accordance

with state and federal regulations,

subject to the following conditions:

Recreational fishing and crabbing are

permitted on the refuge year round

and must be in accordance with all

state and federal regulations. All

fishing and crabbing equipment must

be attended at all times. Anglers may

not use trotlines, slat traps, or nets.
10

12

59

10

Louisiana Mississippi

Alabama

New Orleans

Venice

Biloxi

Breton NWR

23

Mississippi

River

Federal owned lands

State owned lands 

managed as Breton NWR

Firarms: carrying, possessing or

discharging firearms on the refuge is

prohibited.

Refuge users should be aware of bird

nesting colonies on the islands. The

colonies are posted with “Area

Closed” signs around them, and the

entering or disturbing of bird

colonies is strictly prohibited.

These provisions supplement the

regulations which govern

recreational uses on national wildlife

refuges set forth in Title 50, Code of

Federal Regulations, Parts 25-32.6.

Photos: USFWS

Southeast Louisiana Refuges

Breton National Wildlife Refuge

61389 Highway 434

Lacombe, LA 70445

Phone: 985/882 2000

Fax: 985/882 9133

http://Breton.fws.gov

email: breton@fws.gov

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

August 2006