James River National Wildlife Refuge

James River National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of James River National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of James River National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of James River National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of James River National Wildlife Refuge
LocationPrince George County, Virginia, United States
Nearest cityHopewell, Virginia
Coordinates37°16′03″N 77°07′45″W / 37.26750°N 77.12917°W / 37.26750; -77.12917
Area4,200 acres (17 km2)
Established1991
Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WebsiteJames River National Wildlife Refuge

The James River National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located along the James River in eastern Prince George County, Virginia. Its management is overseen by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

One of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex, James River National Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1991 to protect nesting and roosting habitat of the bald eagle from development. The refuge's 4,200 acres (17 km2) of forest and wetlands are bordered by Powell Creek to the west, and by Flowerdew A Hundred Plantation to the east.

The land that is now the refuge was the site of Powellbrooke Plantation, whose owner Captain Nathaniel Powell (one of the original 1607 colonists), his wife, and ten others were killed during the Indian massacre of 1622, and later Merchant's Hope Plantation during colonial times.

Ecology & Wildlife Management

Various research and land management projects are active at James River NWR. Including monitoring bird species like Bald Eagles, monitoring arthropod species like endangered Frosted Elfin, and working to restore longleaf pine savannah, an exceedingly rare habitat in Virginia. Longleaf pine restoration has predominantly amounted to cutting down small sections of current loblolly stands, planting longleaf pine and regularly burning the experimental plot in order to control for longleaf dominance.[1]

References

  1. ^ "James River National Wildlife Refuge | What We Do - Projects & Research | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved December 20, 2024.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.


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