Habitat management
Evaluating New Refuge Lands in Southern Maryland

States

Massachusetts

On September 24, 2024, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a Land Protection Plan (LPP) to establish an acquisition boundary for the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge. The FWS Northeast Region Division of Realty settled on a 31.38-acre parcel in Nanjemoy, Charles County, Maryland, to formally establish the refuge on December 5, 2024.

Final Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment 

For more information about this project, please see the Press Release, Frequently Asked Questions and the final Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment document.

Library

Facilities

Nest of with eight American black duck chicks
Chesapeake Bay Ecological Services Field Office
We work with landowners, private and community organizations, government agencies and others to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay area including Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Our conservation priorities include: endangered, threatened and at-...
Conservation Office
Annapolis,MD
Green Heron standing on branch
Patuxent Research Refuge
Created to conserve and protect wildlife and wildlands through research, Patuxent Research Refuge offers 13,000 acres of tranquil forest, meadow and wetlands amid a densely populated urban area. Countless birds, mammals, pollinators, amphibians, and more call it home. Immerse yourself in this...
National Wildlife Refuge
Laurel,MD

News

Programs

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA
A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.
Program
Washington,DC
A bright orange sky with a setting sun with a pond and vegetation in the foreground
The realty division of the National Wildlife Refuge System supports the acquisition and management of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, using Migratory Bird Conservation and Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars.
Program
Falls Church,VA