Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Location | Lee County, Florida, United States |
Nearest city | Cape Coral, Florida |
Coordinates | 26°33′33″N 82°04′17″W / 26.55917°N 82.07139°W |
Area | 538 acres (2.2 km2) |
Established | September 26, 1908 |
Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Website | Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge |
The Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located within the Matlacha Pass estuary, approximately 8 miles northwest of Fort Myers, Florida. The 538 acre (2.2 km2) refuge was established on September 26, 1908. The islands were established as a "preserve and breeding ground for native birds" by President Theodore Roosevelt. It is administered as part of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex.[1]