Air Quality | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Maintaining good air quality is important not only for human health but also for the health of natural resources. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitors air quality in selected sites to minimize harm from human-caused air pollution to wildlife and sensitive wildlife habitat on national wildlife refuges. These efforts promote biological integrity and diversity and the environmental health of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

What We Do

Our Services

Polluted air injures plants and other wildlife, acidifies water and degrades habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working with other federal agencies, states and regional networks, protects air quality by ensuring compliance with the Clean Air Act, the Wilderness Act and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, with a special emphasis on Class I Wilderness Areas, described below.

Where We Monitor

Class I Wilderness Areas are sites of more than 5,000 acres that Congress formally designated as wilderness before August 1977. As a federal land manager for wilderness, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for protecting the air quality of these sites, including visibility affected by human-made air pollution.

Below are Class I sites monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (NM)
Breton National Wildlife Refuge (LA)
Brigantine Wilderness Area, part of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (NJ)
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (SC)
Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (FL)
Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge (ND)
Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge (MT)
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (MO)
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (ME)
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (GA, FL)
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (MT)
Salt Creek Wilderness Area, part of Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NM)
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (FL)
Seney National Wildlife Refuge (MI)
Simeonof Island, part of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AK)
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge (NC)
Tuxedni Wilderness, part of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AK)
UL Bend Wilderness Area, part of UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge and Charles M. National Wildlife Refuge (MT)
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (OK)
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge (GA)

Access Air Quality Data

The Clean Air Status and Trends Network offers downloadable data and more information about monitoring air quality. See the data collected.

Clean Air Act Information

Learn more about the effects of poor air quality and how researchers monitor air quality for human health. See effects and research here.