Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge

Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge
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 / 26.55917; -82.07139
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]