| UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  | |
| Location | Phillips County, Montana,USA |
| Nearest city | Great Falls, MT |
| Coordinates | 47°36′00″N107°55′00″W / 47.60000°N 107.91667°W /47.60000; -107.91667 |
| Area | 56,048 acres (22,682 ha) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge |
UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a 56,048 acres (22,682 ha) protected area that is located in centralMontana, United States. The refuge, located at the extreme southernmost tip ofPhillips County, is managed and bordered on three sides by theCharles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and theFort Peck Reservoir on theMissouri River. The refuge is managed as part of theCharles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Complex by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.[1]
TheUL Bend Wilderness comprises almost half the refuge (20,819 acres (84 km2)) and provides a high level of protection to the most remote regions. There are no maintained trails in thewilderness area and the only access is either on foot orhorseback. TheUpper Missouri Breaks National Monument is located immediately west of the wilderness. Broken into three sections, the largest portion of the wilderness is characterized by steep sided cliffs of the Missouri River "Breaks" country.
TheLewis and Clark Expedition passed through this region and wrote extensively on the abundance of wildlife and the ruggedness of the countryside.
Along the riverbanks,cottonwood trees flourish and are home to a wide diversity of wildlife. A large species population ofred fox,bald eagle,bighorn sheep,golden eagle,black bear,great horned owl,moose,burrowing owl,coyote,elk,swift fox,bobcat,pronghorn,mule deer, andcougar inhabit this refuge.Prairie dogs are abundant and are the primary food source for theblack-footed ferret, which is listed as anendangered species.
The black-footed ferret has been reintroduced into the refuge in the 1990s after nearing extinction; the sustainability of this relocated species is not yet known, and there are only 1,000 remaining in breeding compounds and perhaps 100 in the wild. Researchers in 2002 were only able to locate a total of 5 ferrets in the entire refuge.
A proposal for the reintroduction ofbison was submitted in 2020.[1]
This refuge is remote, requiring travel by gravel and dirt roads that can be difficult to navigate during inclement weather.
