| Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  | |
| Location | Washington,Door County, Wisconsin andFairbanks,Delta County, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°19′N86°57′W / 45.317°N 86.950°W /45.317; -86.950 |
| Area | 1,600.7 acres (6.478 km2)[1] |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge |
Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge is aNational Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in the state ofWisconsin. It includes all or part of six islands inLake Michigan:Hog Island,Plum Island,Pilot Island, part ofSt. Martin Island andRocky Island.[2] Additionally it includes part ofDetroit Island.[3] The islands are nearWashington Island off the tip of theDoor Peninsula of Wisconsin and theGarden Peninsula of Michigan.
Anexecutive order in 1913 declared Hog Island anational preserve for the benefit of native birds. Plum and Pilot Island were transferred from theU.S. Coast Guard to theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2007.
The Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge became the second National Wildlife Refuge inGreat Lakes area and the 28th overall.Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuge was created under the same executive order. In 1970, the islands which at the time where included in the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuge were declared part of theWisconsin Islands Wilderness Area. This wilderness area is one of the smallest in the entire United States.[4] The refuge is managed by staff at theHoricon National Wildlife Refuge, inMayville, Wisconsin.[5] Public use of the land is prohibited on the islands which are located in the wilderness area,[1] contrary to the testimony given before a joint meeting of several U.S. House subcommittees in preparation for the establishment of the Wilderness Area.[6] In 1969, the U.S. Representatives present at the subcommittee meeting were told that out of a group of six lake islands including the islands in the proposed Wisconsin Islands Wilderness, five out of six of them would be open to the general public.[6]
Lighthouse facilities were constructed on Plum Island and Pilot Island. By 1939, the Coast Guard had taken control of Plum Island, and acquired control of the lighthouse on the island. The old wooden lighthouse was eventually replaced with a steel structure in 1964, and workers were moved to the island in order to oversee the operations of the lighthouse. At this time the lighthouse usedrange lights. By 1969, these lights were replaced with an automatic lighting system. The lighthouse is still in use today, but Coast Guard employees no longer remain on the island to operate it.[7] ThePlum Island Range Lights and thePilot Island Light are listed in theNational Register of Historic Places.
On October 17, 2007, Pilot and Plum Islands were officially added to the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Previously under the control of the United States Coast Guard, they are now managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.[8]
Hog Island covers 2 acres (8,100 m2) of land, Plum Island 325 acres (1.32 km2), and Pilot Island approximately 3.7 acres (15,000 m2).
The islands are part of theNiagara Escarpment as opposed to theBlack River orMagnesian escarpments. The underlying bedrock isdolomite.[1] The area was sculpted by glaciers. The islands have been eroded, inundated, and re-shaped over many years by changing water levels.[4]
Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge contains a variety of plants native to the area. Hog Island has an abundance ofCanada yew.[9] This plant was functionally extirpated on St. Martin's Island because of the introduction ofwhite-tailed deer and their appetite for this shrub.[10] The raredwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris) can be found along the shoreline of Plum Island.[9] Plum Island is most well known for having large forests ofbasswood,sugar maple, andwhite cedar. These trees are associated with the dolomite geology of the area.[4]
The Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for many kinds of wildlife, especially birds. The refuge was established first for the purpose of conserving native birds of the Great Lakes Basin. Great blue herons,red-breasted mergansers, andherring gulls are common. Migratory birds breed undisturbed by human presence on the islands. No development has occurred on Hog Island due to its small size, remoteness, and landing difficulties.
Plum Island is open to public use. The local flora provides habitat for birds.[1] Pilot Island provides a safe haven for approximately 3,600double-crested cormorant nests and about 650 herring gull nests.Black-crowned night herons also find nesting habitat there.[9]Smallmouth bass are commonly found in the waters northwest of Plum and Pilot Islands.[11]
In 1964, theUnited States Congress passed theWilderness Act of 1964, which created theNational Wilderness Preservation System. This bill declared almost 9 million acres (36,000 km2) of land across the United States federal wilderness.[12] In 1970, Hog Island andGravel Island became one of the smallest areas of land protected by the Wilderness Act, and thus became known as the Wisconsin Islands Wilderness Area.[4]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.