Well traveled throughout the United States and Africa, Roosevelt made no apologies for his preferred sport. However, the knowledge he acquired on the subject of wildlife, by first-hand experience and research, later proved to be the deciding factor in saving many species from certain extinction. His direct order to Congress to draft legislation protecting wildlife was anchored in cherished personal experiences he wished to share with the rest of the world. Roosevelt's pen hit paper in 1903, signing the Act into law and creating a conservation legacy for future generations. The National Wildlife System now boasts over 500 refuges.
New Jersey has five wildlife refuges, and they are all gems.
The Barnegat Division was created in 1967 as a separate refuge entity, but the two were combined in 1984 to honor the late conservation Congressman Edwin B. Forsythe. The Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge is the largest refuge in New Jersey. Over 40,000 acres are currently protected in the two divisions. The Refuge contains two of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches in the state of New Jersey. Barrier dunes are prime nesting habitat for birds like the piping plover, least tern and black skimmer.