The Roanoke River bottomlands in eastern North Carolina are some of the most extensive forested wetlands in the U.S. The site hosts a wide diversity of bird life, from rare species like Swainson’s and Cerulean Warblers to wintering and migratory waterfowl. 

Audubon and more than 300 of our members submitted comments in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal to expand the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge and bring more of this important habitat into conservation.  

“The Roanoke River bottomlands is one of the last big wild areas on North Carolina’s inner coastal plain,” Audubon North Carolina Interim Executive Director Curtis Smalling said. “The southeast has lost a majority of its functional bottomland forest in the last century, and the refuge expansion will help us keep what remains. We’re very pleased the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to grow its conservation of this critical habitat and are proud of our members for speaking up in support.” 

The current boundaries of the wildlife refuge encompass 21,000 acres and is part of a larger 100,000 acre protected area complex that involves NC Wildlife Resources Commission and the Nature Conservancy. The proposal could bring up to 150,000 more acres into conservation and spans a 137-mile forested corridor of the Roanoke River from the town of Weldon to the Albermarle sound. It would connect habitats that benefit migratory birds and other wildlife, improve water quality, protect against rising seas, and much more. Expansion of the refuge would occur through land acquisitions from willing sellers and conservation agreements with private landowners.