Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge - Nulhegan Basin Division

The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established in 1997 to conserve, protect and enhance the abundance and diversity of native plant, fish and wildlife species and the ecosystems on which they depend throughout the 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed. Currently, the refuge is comprised of over 36,000 acres within parts of the four watershed states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The Nulhegan (pronounced Nul-HEE-gan) Basin in northeastern Vermont (a Native American term referencing log or deadfall traps used to capture small game) was identified as a high priority special focus area within the watershed when the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was first established. The basin was determined to possess high biological value, because of the presence of rare species, wetlands, and contiguous migratory bird habitat.