Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

Jason Wilson is the Manager of the Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge. Jason will discuss the refuge's mission, the lands they manage, the challenges facing the Refuge, and how the refuge fits into the big picture of resource management and restoration in Missouri.

The Big Muddy National Fish & Refuge currently manages 15 separate units.  Twelve of these units are located along the final 367 miles of the Missouri River and fall under the Comprehensive Conservation Plan objectives.  Three additional units away from the river are long-time US Fish and Wildlife Service owned lands that the Refuge recently took under management to allow them to be open for public use (hunting, fishing, etc..)  With the new additions the Refuge is approaching 19,000 acres under management. Jason Wilson also oversees the Swan Lake and Loess Bluff Refuges.

The refuge was started following the 1993 flood, when Congress authorized the purchase of flood-damaged lands from willing sellers. The idea was to reduce flood risk by reconnecting some floodplains to floodwaters (thereby reducing local river crests) and taking frequently flooded properties out of agricultural production. The refuge also provides valuable forest, prairie and wetland habitat along the Missouri River corridor.