Visit Us
Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge is not open to the public and entry is only allowed through a Special Use Permit when the activity is deemed appropriate with purposes to the refuge establishment.
Location and Contact Information
About Us
Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 and expanded in 2009 as part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to include submerged lands out to 50 nautical miles from the island. The Refuge includes 410,999 acres, of which 648 acres are terrestrial and 410,351 acres are submerged. A shallow fringing coral reef surrounds the island, but most of the submerged area is deep coral and other unexplored habitats.
What We Do
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Our Organization
There are many ways to support your national wildlife refuges. There are non-profit organizations that support wildlife and restoration projects within the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Volunteer opportunities can also be found at volunteer.gov.
Our Species
Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to numerous species of unique wildlife. The low reef island is part of an ancient coral reef cap and massive underlying volcano. Beyond the shallow fringing reef and terrace, the slopes of the extinct volcano drop off sharply to the deep floor of the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
