Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species. 

Refuge staff use a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover, or enhance plant and wildlife values. Management techniques are carefully considered and employed in varying degrees according to needs.

Water levels are carefully monitored and controlled to foster desired plant growth. Sometimes, sensitive areas are closed to the public so that the land can recover more quickly. Predator control is conducted on the Refuge to protect nesting birds and enhance their nesting success. Prescribed burning, mowing, and seeding are also some techniques used to help native plants recover on the Refuge.

Standardized ground and aerial wildlife and vegetation surveys are conducted on Refuges throughout the year to inventory populations and document habitat use. Units are evaluated by how well they met habitat and wildlife use objectives. 

Bear River Refuge staff set habitat objectives by linking ecological and physical aspects of Refuge lands with priority species requirements. Objectives concisely state habitat conditions needed for priority species. Finally, Refuge staff use ecological data, scientific literature, expert opinion, key historical Refuge data, and staff expertise to generate a list of potential management strategies for each habitat type. The most appropriate management strategy is selected each year during the annual habitat management process. The strategy selection is based on the effect of management on habitat and species of concern from the previous year, as captured through monitoring, as well as on the predicted water supply of the Bear River for the coming year.