Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
LocationMontana, USA
Nearest cityBillings, MT
Coordinates47°41′N 107°11′W / 47.683°N 107.183°W / 47.683; -107.183
Area915,814 acres (3,706.17 km2)
Established1936
Visitors250,000[1] (in 2010)
Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WebsiteCharles 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]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference FWSxvi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, p. 25.
  3. ^ a b Jones and Cushman, p. 213.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ McRae and Jewell, p. 336.
  6. ^ Robbins, p. 266.