Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge
in Poquoson, Virginia
, located on the southwestern corner of the Chesapeake Bay
. One of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex
, it was owned by the United States Department of Defense
before being transferred to the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
in 1972. The 3501 acres (14.2 km²) refuge is located at about the midpoint of the Atlantic Flyway
. As it was previously used as a bombing range
, there is a good deal of unexploded ordnance about, as a consequence of which only the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Cow Island part of the refuge is open to the public.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
in Poquoson, Virginia
Poquoson, Virginia
Poquoson is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula, in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 12,150 according to the 2010 Census...
, located on the southwestern corner of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. One of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex
The Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a complex of four National Wildlife Refuges in Virginia whose management is overseen by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service...
, it was owned by the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
before being transferred to the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
in 1972. The 3501 acres (14.2 km²) refuge is located at about the midpoint of the Atlantic Flyway
Atlantic Flyway
The Atlantic Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Maritimes and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in...
. As it was previously used as a bombing range
Bombing range
A bombing range is an area used for testing explosive ordnance and practicing to accurately direct them to the target. Bombing ranges are used for munitions that either explode or produce too much destruction to use at a shooting range, such as kinetic energy penetrators or very large caliber...
, there is a good deal of unexploded ordnance about, as a consequence of which only the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Cow Island part of the refuge is open to the public.