Alternative Text Description for National Wildlife Refuges

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the external boundaries of National Wildlife Refuges approved for acquisition by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service across the state of Florida. The map shows the locations and extents of individual refuges as distinct outlined areas overlaid on a grayscale base map. Each refuge is represented by a color-coded boundary corresponding to its specific designation, with over 30 different refuges identified in the legend.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida and surrounding waters. Major cities labeled on the map include Tallahassee in the northern panhandle, Jacksonville in the northeast, Orlando and Tampa in central Florida, and Miami in the southeast. The western panhandle area near Dothan, Alabama is visible, as are Valdosta, Georgia to the north, Gainesville in north-central Florida, Palm Coast on the Atlantic coast, St. Petersburg and Lakeland in the Tampa Bay area, Cape Coral on the southwest coast, Port St. Lucie on the southeast coast, and Cape Spring in the far southeast near Miami. The Gulf of America is shown along the entire western and southern coastline, while the Atlantic Ocean borders the eastern coast.

KEY INSIGHTS

National Wildlife Refuges in Florida are distributed throughout the state with notable concentrations in several regions. The northern interior shows refuge areas near Tallahassee and the northern border region. The panhandle coast displays refuge boundaries along the Gulf of America shoreline. Central and southern Florida contain numerous refuge areas, particularly in the Everglades region. Coastal areas show refuge boundaries along both the Gulf of America and Atlantic coastlines. The southeast region near Miami and Cape Spring shows multiple refuge areas. Several refuges appear as island or coastal water boundaries extending into marine environments. The distribution pattern suggests that refuges protect diverse ecosystems including coastal wetlands, interior forests, marine environments, and the unique Everglades ecosystem.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

National Wildlife Refuges

This layer represents the approved external boundaries of lands and waters designated for acquisition and protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Florida.

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (pink/light magenta outline)

Appearance: Light pink or magenta outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in the southeastern portion of the state, north of Miami

Notable locations: Positioned in the northern Everglades region between the Atlantic coast and interior wetlands

Spatial patterns: Forms a large, irregularly shaped area representing extensive wetland habitat

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge (light blue outline)

Appearance: Light blue outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in northern Florida

Notable locations: Appears in the panhandle or northern region of the state

Spatial patterns: Smaller refuge area representing inland aquatic and wetland habitat

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (pink outline)

Appearance: Pink outlined boundary

Distribution: Located along the Gulf of America coast in west-central Florida

Notable locations: Positioned north of Tampa along the coastline

Spatial patterns: Coastal refuge area extending along the shoreline

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge (light green outline)

Appearance: Light green outlined boundary

Distribution: Located on the Gulf of America coast in west-central Florida

Notable locations: Positioned near the community of Crystal River, north of Tampa

Spatial patterns: Small coastal refuge area protecting marine and estuarine habitat

Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area (tan/beige outline)

Appearance: Tan or beige outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in central Florida

Notable locations: Positioned in the interior region that serves as watershed for the Everglades ecosystem

Spatial patterns: Large area representing critical water source protection for downstream ecosystems

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (pink outline)

Appearance: Pink outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in southern Florida

Notable locations: Positioned in southwest Florida near the Everglades region

Spatial patterns: Refuge area protecting critical habitat for the endangered Florida panther

Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge (tan outline)

Appearance: Tan outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in the Florida Keys region

Notable locations: Positioned in the island chain extending south from the mainland

Spatial patterns: Marine and island refuge protecting habitat for wading birds

J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (light blue outline)

Appearance: Light blue outlined boundary

Distribution: Located on the southwest coast of Florida

Notable locations: Positioned in the barrier island region near Cape Coral

Spatial patterns: Coastal island refuge protecting mangrove and estuarine ecosystems

Key West National Wildlife Refuge (pink outline)

Appearance: Pink outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in the far southern Florida Keys

Notable locations: Positioned at the western end of the Keys island chain

Spatial patterns: Island and marine refuge in tropical waters

National Key Deer Refuge (pink outline)

Appearance: Pink outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in the lower Florida Keys

Notable locations: Positioned in the mid-to-lower Keys region

Spatial patterns: Island refuge protecting habitat for the endangered Key deer subspecies

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (pink outline)

Appearance: Pink outlined boundary

Distribution: Located on the central Atlantic coast of Florida

Notable locations: Positioned near the community of Melbourne Palm Bay

Spatial patterns: Small coastal refuge, historically the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States

St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge (light green outline)

Appearance: Light green outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in northeastern Florida

Notable locations: Positioned along or near the St. Johns River system

Spatial patterns: Refuge protecting riverine and wetland habitat

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (light green outline)

Appearance: Light green outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in the panhandle region south of Tallahassee

Notable locations: Positioned along the Gulf of America coast in the Big Bend region

Spatial patterns: Large coastal refuge protecting diverse coastal marsh and forest ecosystems

Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (pink outline)

Appearance: Pink outlined boundary

Distribution: Located in southwestern Florida

Notable locations: Positioned in the coastal region south of Naples and north of the Keys

Spatial patterns: Extensive coastal and island refuge protecting mangrove islands and marine habitat

Additional Refuges

Multiple additional refuges are identified in the legend, each with distinct color-coded boundaries including Archie Carr, Caloosahatchee, Cedar Keys, Crocodile Lake, Egmont Key, Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area, Farm Service Agency Interests (AL, FL, GA), Hobe Sound, Island Bay, Lake Wales Ridge, Lake Woodruff, Lower Suwannee, Matlacha Pass, Merritt Island, Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound, Okefenokee, Passage Key, Pine Island, Pinellas, St. Vincent, and Welaka National Fish Hatchery. These refuges are distributed across northern, central, and southern Florida, representing diverse ecosystem types from coastal to interior environments.

Overlapping Patterns

Some refuge boundaries appear in close proximity to one another, particularly in the Everglades region, the Florida Keys, and along coastal areas, indicating coordinated protection of connected ecosystems and wildlife corridors.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map serves as a comprehensive inventory of federally protected wildlife refuge lands in Florida managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The boundaries shown represent areas approved for acquisition, which may include both currently acquired lands and areas designated for future protection. The map is intended for planning, conservation, and public information purposes. Not all refuge facilities, visitor centers, or internal management units are depicted at this scale. The map focuses solely on refuge boundaries and does not show internal land ownership patterns, habitat types, or management zones within each refuge.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source: The primary source for this information is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Realty program, which maintains official records of refuge boundary approvals and land acquisition areas. The data layer is sourced from USFWS_NWR_APR25.

Definition Query: No definition query or filter criteria was applied. The map displays all National Wildlife Refuges approved for acquisition in Florida.

Scale Information: The map is displayed at a statewide scale appropriate for showing the overall distribution and general extent of all refuge boundaries across Florida. Individual refuge details and internal features are not visible at this scale.

Coordinate System: NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content: The data represents refuge boundaries as approved through April 2025 (APR25 in the source layer name).

Limitations: The boundaries shown represent approved acquisition areas and may not reflect current ownership status or completion of land purchases. Actual refuge management may occur on a subset of the approved boundary area. Internal land ownership patterns, private inholdings, and cooperative management agreements are not depicted. The map does not show refuge facilities, trails, or public access points.

Map Coverage: The map covers the entire state of Florida from the panhandle region in the northwest to the Florida Keys in the south, including adjacent portions of Georgia and Alabama for geographic context. Marine waters of the Gulf of America and Atlantic Ocean are included to show coastal and offshore refuge boundaries.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.