Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state
of Montana
. Renamed after the late U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf
from its original title in 1978, the refuge encompasses 2,800 acres (11 km2). The refuge was primarily established to protect habitat for migratory bird
species, but fish
and mammal
s are also equally protected. 238 species
of birds have been documented, with over 100 building active nesting areas on the refuge.
The Refuge's Wildlife Viewing Area consists of 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of ponds, sloughs, and river bottom woodland. It includes two nature trails (.9 mi. and .7 mi.), and a half-mile, paved, wheelchair-accessible trail from the parking lot to the picnic area. The viewing area is equipped with a wildlife viewing and fishing structure, outdoor restroom facilities, benches, and information kiosk.
One of the nature trails, the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Viewing Trail, was designated as a National Recreation Trail
in 2005.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Renamed after the late U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf
Lee Metcalf
Lee Warren Metcalf was an American politician of the Democratic Party and was a United States Representative, and a United States Senator from Montana....
from its original title in 1978, the refuge encompasses 2,800 acres (11 km2). The refuge was primarily established to protect habitat for migratory bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species, but fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s are also equally protected. 238 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of birds have been documented, with over 100 building active nesting areas on the refuge.
The Refuge's Wildlife Viewing Area consists of 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of ponds, sloughs, and river bottom woodland. It includes two nature trails (.9 mi. and .7 mi.), and a half-mile, paved, wheelchair-accessible trail from the parking lot to the picnic area. The viewing area is equipped with a wildlife viewing and fishing structure, outdoor restroom facilities, benches, and information kiosk.
One of the nature trails, the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Viewing Trail, was designated as a National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Over 1,000 trails in all 50 U.S. states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to in length, have been designated as NRTs...
in 2005.