Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge is a 50000 acres (202 km²) nature preserve in southeast Indiana
, USA near Madison, Indiana
. The refuge is the largest of Indiana's three, and is located in parts of Ripley
, Jefferson
, and Jennings
counties.
The refuge was formed in 2000 after a 1989 order to gradually close the Jefferson Proving Ground
, a World War II
era munitions testing facility, which was completed by 1995. The refuge is located north of the historic firing line and surrounds a 1000 acres (4 km²) parcel operated by the Indiana Air National Guard
. A zone used for firing tests remains off limit to the public due to the prohibitive cost of cleanup.
According to the official webpage for the facility, "Due to the past use-history of the property as an ordnance testing facility, all visitors must view a safety video and sign an Acknowledgement of Danger form annually prior to entering the refuge."
The official webpage asserts that "Over 200 species of birds and 46 species of mammals are found on the refuge."
Public uses of the refuge include hunting (white-tailed deer and wild turkey), fishing and bird-watching.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA near Madison, Indiana
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
. The refuge is the largest of Indiana's three, and is located in parts of Ripley
Ripley County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,523 people, 9,842 households, and 7,273 families residing in the county. The population density was 59 people per square mile . There were 10,482 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
, Jefferson
Jefferson County, Indiana
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 32,428. The county seat is Madison.-History:Jefferson County was formed in 1811...
, and Jennings
Jennings County, Indiana
Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 28,525. The county seat is Vernon.-History:...
counties.
The refuge was formed in 2000 after a 1989 order to gradually close the Jefferson Proving Ground
Jefferson Proving Ground
The Jefferson Proving Ground , located in Madison, Indiana, was principally a munitions testing facility of Test and Evaluation Command of the United States Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command...
, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era munitions testing facility, which was completed by 1995. The refuge is located north of the historic firing line and surrounds a 1000 acres (4 km²) parcel operated by the Indiana Air National Guard
Indiana Air National Guard
The Indiana Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is, along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of the Indiana National Guard.-Mission:...
. A zone used for firing tests remains off limit to the public due to the prohibitive cost of cleanup.
According to the official webpage for the facility, "Due to the past use-history of the property as an ordnance testing facility, all visitors must view a safety video and sign an Acknowledgement of Danger form annually prior to entering the refuge."
The official webpage asserts that "Over 200 species of birds and 46 species of mammals are found on the refuge."
Public uses of the refuge include hunting (white-tailed deer and wild turkey), fishing and bird-watching.