Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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| Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 West over Bayou Heron showing pilings from old logging road bridge in center of photo. Grand Bay, Mississippi | |
  Map of the United States | |
| Location | Mobile County, Alabama, Jackson County, Mississippi, United States |
| Nearest city | Grand Bay, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 30°24′57″N 88°25′11″W / 30.41583°N 88.41972°W[1] |
| Area | 32,000 acres (130 km2) |
| Established | 1992 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge |
Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 under the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 to protect one of the largest expanses of undisturbed pine savanna habitats in the Gulf Coastal Plain region. The refuge is located near Grand Bay, Alabama in Mobile County, Alabama and Jackson County, Mississippi, and when complete will encompass over 32,000 acres (130 km2). The refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. The Refuge Complex Manager also administers the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Access to refuge lands (especially interior portions) is limited, but is available mostly on the Mississippi side and by boat.
The habitat is varied and includes wet pine savannah, maritime forest, tidal flats, nontidal wetlands, salt pans, salt marshes, bays and bayous.[3]
