WILDLIFE REFUGE PROGRAM — GABRIELSON 315 



colonies of interesting nongame birds. Many of these consist of 

 islands in rivers or lakes where breeding colony -nesting forms are 

 protected. For example, those on the Oregon coast protect colonies 

 of miirres, puffins, cormorants, and similar birds. Anaho Island in 

 Pyramid Lake offers sanctuary for a great nesting colony of pelicans. 

 Those on the Florida coast protect colonies of brown pelicans, 

 herons, and egrets of various kinds. A number of these have been 

 added in recent years, and the tendency is for more of this type to 

 be established. One of the difficulties in developing such a pro- 

 gram is that while some birds remain in the refuges, others, includ- 

 ing the brown pelicans, herons, and egrets of Florida, do not. They 

 will nest on some island for a number of years and then abandon it 

 for an adjoining one. It is the policy of the Service to retain title 

 to all these islands, however, in the event that the birds should move 

 back at some future time, and to add new ones when utilized. 



As money has become available, an increasingly efficient work 

 service has added to the protection accorded these refuges for non- 

 game birds and increased their value for the purpose for Avhich 

 established. The latest refuge of this character is the Great White 

 Heron Refuge, which has been added directly to the Key West 

 Refuge. It occupies several hundred small islands that extend for 

 a distance of approximately 60 or 70 miles along the Florida Keys. 

 This refuge is giving protection to the great white heron and the 

 white-crowned pigeon, as well as to numerous other birds that fre- 

 quent the area. 



There is also the national big-game refuge system, which began 

 with the establishment of the National Bison Range in Montana. 

 This has expanded greatly in recent years with the growth of the 

 plan. There should be an area provided for each major species of 

 animal within its natural range. With this in mind, the Little Pend 

 Oreille in northern Washington was set aside and developed par- 

 ticularly to preserve the large white-tailed deer found in that terri- 

 tory. Hart Mountain and Charles Sheldon, between them, preserve 

 the antelope and the sage hen. The Desert Game Range in Nevada 

 and the Kofa and Cabeza Prieta in Arizona protect the fast-vanish- 

 ing bighorn sheep. Others on this list are ecological types and areas 

 that should eventually be included in this system, where indigenous 

 species of upland game may be preserved for all future time. These 

 refuges vary in size from less than 1,000 acres ( Sully s Hill) to some- 

 thing over 2,000,000 (Desert Game Range) and are adequate for the 

 purpose for which developed. At tlie present time all are under 

 tentative management and patrol, with the purpose of building up 

 the herds of animals that are on them. 



