 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2011) |
| Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
   | |
| Location | Morgan, Limestone, and Madison Counties, Alabama, United States |
| Nearest city | Decatur, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 34°33′28″N 86°57′06″W / 34.55778°N 86.95167°W |
| Area | 34,430.66 acres (139.3359 km2)[1] |
| Established | July 7, 1938[2] |
| Visitors | 700,000 (in 2003) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Wheeler NWR |
The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a 35,000-acre (142 km2) national wildlife refuge (NWR) located along the Tennessee River near Decatur, Alabama. Named after Major General Joseph Wheeler, it was established to provide a habitat for wintering and migrating birds in the Eastern United States.
Of the 35,000 acres of the refuge, about 4,085 acres (16.5 km2) are located within Redstone Arsenal. Around 1,500 acres (6 km2) of the Redstone Arsenal land are administered by the Marshall Space Flight Center. The facility has a 16-person staff with a $1,694,000 annual budget.[citation needed]
Wheeler NWR is charged with the administration of four other NWRs, including Fern Cave, Key Cave, Sauta Cave and Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuges. Until recently, Wheeler NWR also administered the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge (now administered by the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge).
- ^ "National Wildlife Refuges - Acres by State and Unit" (PDF). US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Executive order 7,926 by Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 7, 1938. 3 FR 1669 (Published July 12, 1937).