Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1929 by President
Herbert Hoover to protect a breeding ground for colonial nesting migratory
birds during a time when market hunters, desiring feathers for the ladies'
apparel industry, were slaughtering millions of birds.

Today, the threat is much different - coastal islands are being rapidly
developed and habitat is lost forever. Congress strenghtened the refuge in
1972 when it designated four of the original refuge islands as National
Wilderness Areas under the Wilderness Act. Presently, the refuge is comprised
of 13 islands ranging in size from 1 to 120 acres and totaling 762 acres.

The most recent addition to the refuge was Atsena Otie Key, which was
purchased in 1997 by Florida's Suwannee River Water Management District and
managed as part of the refuge through a partnership agreement.

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1929 by President Herbert Hoover to protect a breeding ground for colonial nesting migratory birds during a time when market hunters, desiring feathers for the ladies' apparel industry, were slaughtering millions of birds. 
Today, the threat is much different - coastal islands are being rapidly developed and habitat is lost forever. Congress strenghtened the refuge in 1972 when it designated four of the original refuge islands as National Wilderness Areas under the Wilderness Act. Presently, the refuge is comprised of 13 islands ranging in size from 1 to 120 acres and totaling 762 acres.
The most recent addition to the refuge was Atsena Otie Key, which was purchased in 1997 by Florida's Suwannee River Water Management District and managed as part of the refuge through a partnership agreement.

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge is bisected by 20 miles of the famous Suwannee River and includes
30 miles of coastal marsh habitat along the Gulf of Mexico. Established on 10
April 1979, the salt marshes and tidal flats at the river's mouth are a
paradise for shorebirds and fish. The flow of the Suwannee River fuels the
highly productive estuarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico providing habitat for
Gulf sturgeon and feeding grounds for resident and migratory shorebirds,
wading birds and waterfowl that make this place their home. The refuge also
encompasses an unusual diversity of floodplain hardwoods, cypress-lined
sloughs, cabbage palm and cedar islands, cypress domes, hydric, mesic, and
xeric hardwood hammocks, and low pine flatwoods.

The refuge is bisected by 20 miles of the famous Suwannee River and includes 30 miles of coastal marsh habitat along the Gulf of Mexico.  Established on 10 April 1979, the salt marshes and tidal flats at the river's mouth are a paradise for shorebirds and fish.  The flow of the Suwannee River fuels the highly productive estuarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico providing habitat for Gulf sturgeon and feeding grounds for resident and migratory shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl that make this place their home.  The refuge also encompasses an unusual diversity of floodplain hardwoods, cypress-lined sloughs, cabbage palm and cedar islands, cypress domes, hydric, mesic, and xeric hardwood hammocks, and low pine flatwoods.

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

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Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge