Calhoun Counties, the Aransas Refuge was selected as a study site for the 

 coastal uplands ecosystem. The most desirable features of the Aransas 

 Refuge were the upland sites and the amount of environmental information 

 available. 



Brazoria and San Bernard National Wildlife Refuges - Both the 4,040-ha 

 Brazoria and 7,840-ha San Bernard Refuges lie in Brazoria County, Texas, 

 due south of Houston; they were chosen as study sites because of their 

 coastal marsh ecosystems. The Brazoria and San Bernard Refuges had some 

 very interesting sites due to recent construction and evidence of a blowout 

 accident. Additionally, there were very good control areas nearby. 



Delta National Wildlife Refuge - The 19,750-ha Delta Refuge lies in 

 Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, 120 km southeast of New Orleans, on the 

 east bank of the present Mississippi River delta. The refuge was chosen 

 as an example of the delta marsh ecosystem. The Delta Refuge represented 

 and extensive operation in a highly dynamic environment. The natural 

 changes in this environment may have actually overwhelmed the effects of 

 oil and gas development. 



Sabine National Wildlife Refuge - The Sabine Refuge is located on the 

 Texas-Louisiana border in the southwestern corner of Cameron Parish, 

 Louisiana; it comprises 57,000 ha. The Sabine Refuge was selected to 

 represent coastal wetland ecosystems. The Sabine Refuge represented a 

 set of ecosystems \/ery characteristic of the Louisiana coast. There was 

 much activity, some of it very old, on this refuge. There were good 

 control sites nearby and some interesting innovations, including pipeline 

 corridors, trestles, marsh-buggy ramps, and combination sites. 



These four refuges were all Federal holdings and represented a range of 

 ecosystems, management techniques, climate, and differences in State law, age 

 and size of refuge, various oil and gas developments, refuge missions, and 

 mineral holdings. 



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