[CPEO-MEF] Guided tours scheduled for refuge at Savanna Army Depot

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Indiana
THE JOURNAL-STANDARD
Guided tours scheduled for refuge at Savanna Army Depot
By Travis Morse
December 9, 2003

SAVANNA - In order to determine public interest and showcase the natural
resources of the area, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this month is
offering guided tours of the newly established Lost Mound Refuge,
located on part of the closed Savanna Army Depot.

Public access is limited at the depot due to ongoing environmental
clean-up activities, but the tours will highlight some of the unique
aspects of the site.

Ed Britton, district manager of the refuge, said now is an ideal time to
glimpse some of the natural beauty of the area. Eagles congregate and
roost at various locations along the tour and the view can be
"tremendous," Britton said. In March of 2002, up to 600 eagles
congregated at the refuge.

In September 2003, the Army transferred natural resource management
responsibilities on 9,404 acres of Army Depot property for the Lost
Mound Unit of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge. The Lost Mound Refuge, as it is known, is managed by the Fish
and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

About 5,000 acres at Lost Mound are made up of sand prairie land, which
is home to many bird species including eagles and sandpipers.

"It really is an ecosystem unto itself," Britton said. "The Army has
protected it all these years. This is one of the very unique sand
prairies in the state."

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.journalstandard.com/articles/2003/12/09/daily_features/hometown_connections/feature02.txt

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