Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
View from Centennial Trail, Orchid, Florida
Map showing the location of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Area5,376 acres (21.76 km2)
EstablishedMarch 14, 1903
WebsitePelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Designated14 March 1993
Reference no.590[1]
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Aerial view
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is located in Florida
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is located in the United States
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
LocationIndian River County, Florida, United States
Nearest citySebastian, Florida
Coordinates27°48′36″N 80°26′28″W / 27.81000°N 80.44111°W / 27.81000; -80.44111
Area5,376 acres (2,176 ha)
Built1903
NRHP reference No.66000265[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Designated NHLMay 23, 1963[3]

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and part of the Everglades Headwaters NWR complex, located just off the western coast of North Hutchinson Island in the Indian River Lagoon east of Sebastian, Florida. The refuge consists of a 3-acre (12,000 m2) island that includes an additional 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of surrounding water and is located off the east coast of Florida of the Indian River Lagoon. Established by an executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt on March 14, 1903, Pelican Island was the first National wildlife refuge in the United States.[3] It was created to protect egrets and other birds from extinction through plume hunting. The oldest government wildlife refuge of any kind in North America is the Lake Merritt Bird Refuge in Oakland, California. Oakland Mayor Samuel Merritt declared it a wildlife refuge for migrating birds in 1869. In 1870, the state of California designated Lake Merritt a state game refuge.

  1. ^ "Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  2. ^ "FLORIDA - Indian River County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. September 23, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Archived March 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine at National Historic Landmarks Program Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine