The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-04-14
FEDERAL REFUGEES
HOLD OPEN HOUSE
In WILDLIFE WEEK
EVENT FROM APRIL ID TO
IS SPONSORED BY MA
TIONAL WILDLIFE SERV-
ICE

Open house will be held at the
Great White Heron and Key West
National Wildlife Refugees in Key
West during National Wildlife
Restoration Week which is now
april 14-19) being celebrated
throughout the country, spon-
sored by the National Wildlife
Federation, it was announced by
Earle R. Greene, Refuge Manager
of the Fish and Wildlife Service,
United States Department of the
Interior.
Individuals and private organ
lzations who wish to visit the
refuge may make arrangements
by calling on Manager Greene at
the refuge headquarters.
With areas of 2215 acres, the
Great White Heron and Key West
National Wildlife Refuge were
established primarily for the pro-
lection of Great White and other
herons, brown pelicans and gulls.
These refugees are two of 263 adj
ministered by the Fish and Wild
life Service throughout the United
States, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and
Hawaii, Greene said.
These refugees have a total of
about 13,500,000 acres, ranging in
size from 1-acre islands to the
Aleutian Islands National Wild
life Refuge in Alaska, which
comprises almost 100000 acres
and extends 1900 miles westward
from the Alaska Peninsula.
Establishing refugees is, of
course, only a beginning, Greene
added Many of the areas OBJ
tanned were only prospective
refugees at, the time and required
a great deal of development. I'm
proving refugees, he explained, is
one of the Services detectives.
Much of this work, Greene said,
has been carried on with the aid
of the Civilian Conservation
Corps. Help has also been given
by the W.P.A. and the N.Y.A.
while all wildlife refugees pro-
tect the many forms of wildlife
found on the sanctuary" Greene
said, leach area is usually par
ticularly beneficial to certain
birds or mammals" He added
that l76 refugees in the nation
wide system were established pri
marily for migratory waterfowl,
so for colonial nongame birds, "a
for migratory birds, small up
land game. fur animals. and other
wildlife, and - for big-game ami
mails.
Refugees Help Restore Wildlife
1.-The refuge system plays an
important role in the conserva-
ton Of our wildlifc resources" de-
clared Greene Since the eStab-
liShment of these areas there has
been decided return of species
that had been close to the point
of ex!irpation and even extinc-
,tion."
The wildlife expert said that
the two principal things con-
scrvationists have done TO bring
about the present healthy" status
of many forms of wildlife are the
establishment of wildlifc refugees
and the stricter regulation of
hunting. These measures, he ex-
planned. have made il possible for
the wildlife to take advantage of
improved climatic conditions fol-
lowing the great drought crisis.
BY basing its recommended
tons for migratory waterfowl
hunting regulations on knowledge
of the conditions of the birds
throughout the year. and by re-
ducing the bag-limits and seasons
when necessary. overshooting has
been curbed and the birds have
been given an opportunity to re-
gain their numbers" he asserted.
Hunting regulations are the
immediate solution 10 sudden
population decreases while refugees
provide a longtime plan for a
constantly increasing supply Of
once depleted species,
Refugees are Ravens where not
only sanctuary is provided but
where food is available. Adequate
water and good cover conditions
are also provided or each area
The program IS paying divi-
dends, Greene said. The hun
ter" he continued, finds mora
fur animals each season; and the
I. general outdoor enthusiast sees
more animals in the forests and
parks
Animals are like humans he
: concluded: give them a good home
and they'll Sc, along fine.