Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

Overview

Vieques National Wildlife Refuge is managed by .

Vieques NWR was created to maintain and preserve dry forest habitat and wetlands ecosystem for resident and migratory birds and threatened and endangered species; to protect historical and archeological resource sites; and to provide a safe environment for people to enjoy wildlife oriented public use. It is the only wildlife refuge in the system with a subtropical moist forest located in the Neotropical life zone.

In addition to its ecological value, the Wildlife Refuge contains important archeological and historic resources, including artifacts of the aboriginal Taino culture and the island’s sugar cane plantation era.

Over sixty years, the Navy used the Vieques NWR for military practices.  Large tracts of the Vieques NWR and its surrounding waters were designated as a superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).