South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)
Building a Legacy
The National Wildlife Refuge System
| — | Celebrating a Century of Conservation | — |
1903 Pelican Island established in Florida
1905 Congress establishes the Wichita Mountains Forest and Game Preserve
1908 National Bison Range established in Montana
1912 National Elk Refuge established in Wyoming
1918 Congress passesd the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
1933 The Civilian Conservation Corps provides the labor for many refuge projects
1934 FDR convenes a committee to save waterfowl. Aldo Leopold cartoonist J.N. Darling, and publisher Thomas Beck suggest the duck stamp. The Duck Stamp is passed by Congress
1935-1936 J.N. "Ding" Darling, head of the U.S. Biological Survey sends J. Clark Salyer to purchase prime wetlands nationwide
1940 Service scientist Rachel Carson writes the Conservation in Action series
1956 The Fish and Wildlife Act broadens the authority for acquisition and development of refuges
1958 Congress amends the Duck Stamp Act to authorize the Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) program
1960 Arctic National Wildlife Range established by the Eisenhower Administration
1962 Refuge Recreation Act
1964 The Wilderness Act
1966 The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration
this page online
1973 The Endangered Species Act
1976 The Bicentennial Land Heritage Program
1980 The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
1994 500th National Wildlife Refuge established at Canaan Valley in West Virginia
1997 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act
1998 The Volunteer & Community Partnership Enhancement Act
2000 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Act
2003
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior
National Wildlife Refuge System
Celebrating a Century of Conservation
Erected by Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.
Location. 41° 22.991′ N, 71° 35.132′ W. Marker is in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, in Washington County. It can be reached from Matunuck School House Road 0.3 miles east of Walden Way when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1040 Matunuck School House Rd, Wakefield RI 02879, United States
Regionally, this marker is on Narragansett Bay and in South County. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge (within shouting distance of this marker); Habitat Restoration at Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Samuel E. Perry Grist Mill (approx. ¾ mile away); Cross' Mills Common Burying Ground (approx. 2.9 miles away); Cross' Mills (approx. 3 miles away); Fort Ninigret (approx. 3.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Ninigret (approx. 3.2 miles away); From Trawl to Table (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in South Kingstown.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 4, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
