The Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge is one of seven refuges in the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is a National Wildlife Refuge located on Bogue Phalia near

Darlove, Mississippi Darlove is an unincorporated community located in Washington County, Mississippi, Darlove is approximately southwest of Kinlock and approximately north-northeast of Hollandale. Darlove is located on the west boundary of the Holt Collier Na ...

. The Refuge was named after

Holt Collier Holt Collier (c. 1848 – August 1, 1936) was a noted African-American bear hunter and sportsman. While leading a hunt for U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt in November 1902, Collier unwittingly set the stage for the event that originated Roose ...

(1846–1936), a Confederate veteran, cowboy, and tracker; and was created in order to provide a habitat and resources for over 250

songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5000 ...

s.Wildlife and Habitat Management
Accessed July 10, 2007.''<--Broken link, November 2015.'' Moreover, approximately has been set aside for

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debat ...

History

Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge is the only refuge to be named in honor of an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

. Before 2004 the Farmers Home Administration managed the lands for the purpose of conservation until they were transferred to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.Excerpt from Holt Collier's biography
Accessed November 18, 2015.

References

National Wildlife Refuges in Mississippi Protected areas of Washington County, Mississippi Protected areas established in 2004 2004 establishments in Mississippi {{WashingtonCountyMS-geo-stub