| Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  | |
| Location | Montana, USA |
| Nearest city | Billings, MT |
| Coordinates | 47°41′N 107°11′W / 47.683°N 107.183°W |
| Area | 915,814 acres (3,706.17 km2) |
| Established | 1936 |
| Visitors | 250,000[1] (in 2010) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge |
The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (abbreviated as the CMR NWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana on the Missouri River. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is 915,814 acres (3,706.17 km2) in size.[2] It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the lower 48 states of the United States,[3] and the largest in Montana.[4] Created in 1936,[5] it was originally called the Fort Peck Game Range.[6] It was renamed in 1963 after Montana artist Charles M. Russell, a famous painter of the American West.[3] In 1976, the "range" was made a "refuge" (which legally changed the way the area was managed).[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
FWSxviwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, p. 25.
- ^ a b Jones and Cushman, p. 213.
- ^ a b "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Releases the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan for Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge." Press release. Mountain-Prairie Region, National Wildlife Refuge System. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. September 7, 2010.[permanent dead link] Accessed 2012-04-27.
- ^ McRae and Jewell, p. 336.
- ^ Robbins, p. 266.