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National Wildlife Refuge
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2021) |
| National Wildlife Refuge System | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Official logo | |
| Location |  United States |
| Area | 859 million acres |
| Established | 1903 |
| Visitors | 65 million (in FY 2022) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
The National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) is a system of protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the system has grown to over 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts encompassing about 859,000,000 acres (3,476,200 km2).
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