| Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Tidal salt marsh at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine. | |
  Map of the United States | |
| Location | Cumberland County, York County, Maine, United States |
| Nearest city | Kennebunk, Maine |
| Coordinates | 43°21′00″N 70°32′28″W / 43.35008°N 70.5411°W[1] |
| Area | 9,125 acres (36.93 km2) |
| Established | 1966 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge |
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,125-acre (37 km2) National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along 50 miles (80 km) of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues.
The refuge's parcels include protected areas between Kittery and Cape Elizabeth, including land in Wells, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Biddeford, Saco, and Scarborough.
The refuge protects 1,167 acres (4.72 km2) of estuary salt marsh and uplands that drain into the Webhannet River, or about one-ninth of the river's watershed.[2]
The refuge's headquarters are on Route 9 in Wells.
The refuge protects various kinds of habitat, including barrier beach, dune, tidal estuary, salt marsh, and rocky coastline. The piping plover, an endangered species, nests on refuge land.
A mile-long trail within the refuge was designated as a National Recreation Trail.[3]
- ^ "Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Webhannet River Overview" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
- ^ "Carson Trail". NRT Database. Retrieved August 20, 2024.