Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge established 1932 on northern shore of Pamlico Sound -- first large migratory bird refuge in NC -- 15.5K acres of marsh and forest -- administration later transferred to nearby Mattamuskeet NWR

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge established 1934 -- largest natural lake in NC -- probably created by fire that burned into the peat during a dry period (perhaps about 6000-8000 years ago) -- Mattamuskeet means "dry dust" in Algonkian language -- 18 miles long by 6 wides wide by 3 feet deep in center

Mattamuskeet has astonishing history -- NC legislature forms Mattamuskeet Drainage District 1909 and sells lake to Southern Land Reclamation Company (later New Holland Farms) 1911 -- this company begins dredging the 7-mile-long Outfall Canal to Pamlico Sound 1914 -- also constructs then largest steam-powered pumping station (1.2M gallons/min) -- also builds a model community (New Holland) -- pumps cannot keep lake dry and pumping ceases 1917 -- second company (North Carolina Farms) tries but also goes bankrupt 1923

New Holland Corporation (owned by wealthy New Yorker August Hecksher) resumes large-scale draining and farming for third time 1926 -- arranges for new NC state prison near lake to provide contract labor -- after continual struggle with wet soils, company goes backrupt 1933 leaving unharvested crops in the soggy fields -- US government purchases lake and pumping station 1934 for a Migratory Bird Refuge (now called National Wildlife Refuge) -- Civilian Conservation Corps converts pumping station to a lodge for visitors (including remodeling the huge chimney for the steam engines into a "lighthouse" with sweeping views over the lake) -- lodge opens 1937 and closes in 1974 but reopens in 1997 for school groups -- in 2001 closes once again for $6M remodeling (thanks to strings pulled by Senator Helms) with plans to reopen soon!

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge established 1938 -- occupies the Outer Banks from south side of Oregon Inlet to town of Rodanthe (about 13 miles) -- Outer Banks were then wide flat sand banks -- overgrazing by livestock had destroyed the dunes in many places -- in 1930's Civilian Conservation Corps erected sand fences along the beaches to stabilize the islands -- reconstruction of dunes continued by Corps of Engineers and National Park Service until 1950's -- dunes in southern part of refuge again reconstructed 1997 and NC12 highway relocated about 100 m farther west away from dunes

refuge created to protect winter feeding grounds of the large subspecies of Snow Goose which nests in northern Greenland and northernmost Canadian Arctic (often called Greater Snow Goose with no alleles for blue morph until recently) -- geese often feed on dune peas (which give Pea Island its name) -- CCC also constructed artificial ponds to provide habitat for wintering ducks -- no motorized vehicles allowed on the beaches -- the farthest north point on the US coast where sea turtles nest

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge established 1985 -- over 140,000 acres -- includes vast primeval pocosins and cypress swamps -- farthest northern location for American Alligators until recently when they appeared in Great Dismal Swamp on NC/VA boundary -- reintroduction of Red Wolf began 1986 (first wolves released 1987) -- Nature Conservancy received this land from Georgia Pacific lumber company for a tax loss -- then transferred administration to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge established 1989 -- 111,000 acres located north of Lake Mattamuskeet -- includes vast areas of pocosin (peat swamps with thickets of shrubs and trees) -- most of this land cleared by First Colony Farms in 1970's -- ditches drained the soil for farming but dry peat soil becomes highly flammable -- disastrous wildfires 1981 and 1985 damage 20K acres -- proposals to mine the peat for use as fuel fail because of declining fuel costs and stricter regulations protecting wetlands -- First Colony Farms goes bankrupt 1989 -- Conservation Fund proposes to buy their land for $8.8 M -- but Japanese corporation outbids them and revives plans to mine peat

after several court cases (initiated by Southern Environmental Law Center and NC Wildlife Federation), Japanese corporation withdraws -- Conservation Fund donates land to U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990 -- new Pocosin Lakes NWR also includes former Pungo Lake NWR (12000 acres, established 1963) -- some land also transferred between Alligator River NWR and Pocosin Lakes NWR

notice that the large refuges established recently in eastern NC have been acquired by nongovernmental organizations and then transferred to US Fish and Wildlife Service

Referemces

Alexander, J., and J. Lazell. 1992. Ribbon of sand: the amazing convergence of the ocean and the Outer Banks. Algonquin, Chapel Hill (recently reprinted by UNC Press). Astonishing accounts of history, natural history, and ecology.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pamphlets for each refuge