Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

The only international wildlife refuge in North America, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is located along the lower Detroit River and western shoreline of Lake Erie - just 20 miles south of Detroit, Michigan and 50 miles north of Toledo, Ohio. Situated in a major metropolitan area, the refuge’s location is unique, as is the history of how the refuge was created.In 2001, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was established by Congress as a result of efforts by U.S. and Canadian politicians, conservation leaders and local communities to build a sustainable future for the Detroit River and western Lake Erie ecosystems. In recognition of this collaboration and with the understanding that wildlife don’t understand political boundaries, the refuge was given international status, making it the first and only of its kind in North America.While the refuge consists of more than 6,200 acres of habitat, it is not one contiguous plot of land. Made up of more than 30 separate parcels, known as refuge units, each were acquired either through purchase, donation or cooperative agreement. While some refuge units have specific covenants or stipulations about how they are to be managed, all are governed by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.In 2010, the international Ramsar Convention designated Humbug Marsh as its 28th Wetland of International Importance. The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Sites are designated based on their international significance in terms of ecology, hydrology and biological communities. The Ramsar list includes more than 2,400 wetland sites worldwide, and Humbug Marsh became the first Ramsar designation in Michigan.Humbug Marsh meets five of the nine Ramsar criteria that make it a Wetland of International Importance, including:Criterion 2: Importance to threatened, endangered and vulnerable species and ecological communitiesCriterion 3: Importance for maintaining biological diversityCriterion 4: Importance as habitat for plants or animals in critical stages of their lifecyclesCriterion 7: Importance to indigenous fish biodiversityCriterion 8: Importance as a food source, spawning, nursery or migration area on which fish depend Humbug Marsh provides habitat for a number of species and is considered essential for the preservation of migrating raptor species, as well as other migrating waterfowl and passerines. It also serves as a spawning and nursery for many native fish species.