Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1940, Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge is located in three counties (Noxubee, Oktibbeha, and Winston), and was created from lands obtained through the 1930s Resettlement Administration. In 2012 the refuge was renamed Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in honor of Sam D. Hamilton, a former director of the Fish and Wildlife Service who grew up in this area. 

Originally established for the conservation of migratory birds, especially waterfowl, the refuge is also home to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and many neotropical migratory bird species which benefit from the variety of habitats the refuge provides.  Four green-tree reservoirs, two major lakes (Bluff Lake – 800 acres and Loakfoma Lake – 400 acres), 16 small impoundments, and assorted wetland areas provide important habitat for the wood stork, American alligator, bald eagle, and wintering waterfowl. The National Audubon Society has designated Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge as an Important Bird Area, one of five of global importance in Mississippi.