Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
| Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
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A view to the south from the Duck Inn trail
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| Location | Kent County, Maryland, United States |
| Nearest city | Rock Hall, Maryland |
| Coordinates | 39°02′30″N 76°13′59″W / 39.04177°N 76.233°WCoordinates: 39°02′30″N 76°13′59″W / 39.04177°N 76.233°W |
| Area | 2,286 acres (9.25 km2) |
| Established | 1962 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge |
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, is a 2,286-acre (9.25 km2) island located at the confluence of the Chester River and the Chesapeake Bay. Established in 1962 as a sanctuary for migratory birds, Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge provides natural habitat for over 240 bird species — including bald eagles and transitory peregrine falcons — and is a major staging site for tundra swans.
The refuge comprises the entirety of Eastern Neck Island, projecting into a bend of the Chester River. The island was one of the first settled places in Maryland, where Major Joseph Wickes was granted 800 acres (3.2 km2) in 1650 and built the now-vanished "Wickliffe" mansion.
The island was visited in precolonial times by Woodland period Native Americans, who left shell middens, arrowheads and pottery behind. From 1658 to 1680, Joseph Wickes and his partner Thomas Hynson assembled the entire island under their ownership, farming the land. Captain Lambert Wickes, Joseph's great grandson and captain of the USS Reprisal, is memorialized with a monument on the site of Wickliffe. The island was owned by the Wickes until 1902, who continued to raise a variety of crops on the land. After 1902 portions of the island became hunting preserves. In the 1920s, wealthy individuals from surrounding cities were attracted by the waterfowl concentrations and bought portions of the island for hunting retreats. The present visitor contact station was built as a hunting lodge in 1930.
During the 1950s a property developer proposed to subdivide a portion of the island into 293 house lots. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the entire island between 1962 and 1967, preserving the land for wildlife. This purchase was largely in response to concerns over the development made by the local community. The sole house built for the Cape Chester subdivision now houses park personnel.
The Kent County Department of Parks and Recreation operates the Ingleside Recreation Area, under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, from May 1 to September 30, with facilities for crabbing and car-top boat launching.
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Wikipedia