Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge In Noyac Bears Traces Of Government Shutdown

The Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Noyac, along with thousands of other national parks, is facing the effects of a lack of funding during the federal government shutdown.

The 187-acre peninsula on Noyac and Little Peconic bays, which consists of fields, ponds, a salt marsh, beaches and a lagoon, will go unstaffed until funding from the federal government is accessible again.

“Please enjoy your public lands but take out what you bring in,” a notice that was duct-taped to the trash and recycling bins at the Morton Wildlife Refuge said on Monday afternoon. Garbage pick-up has been cut off at the park, as well as at thousands of other parks nationwide.

Hikers and bird enthusiasts will be still be able to visit the Noyac refuge at their own risk. A notice on the visitors center station says, “Visitors are advised to use caution if choosing to enter units of the National Wildlife Refuge System … Any entry during this period of federal government shutdown is at the visitor’s sole risk.”

There is another national park on the South Fork, the 36-acre Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge which is located on the shore of Atlantic Beach in Amagansett on Atlantic Avenue. However, there are no amenities there, and only the beach section of the refuge is open to the public, while the dune area is always closed to entry.

The U.S. Department of the Interior along with the Fish and Wildlife Service sent out a notice on December 21, 2018, stating that as of December 26, all units of the National Wildlife Refuge System nationwide would be closed to public visitation and use. Only a relatively small number of “excepted personnel” will be on duty during the shutdown period at the larger and more dangerous parks, the letter states. The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages national lands and waters set aside for conservation of America’s fish, wildlife and plants. A variety of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, eastern chipmunk, chickadees, turtles, green frogs, songbirds and osprey call the Morton Refuge their home.

Typically, the Elizabeth Morton Refuge opens half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset. No pets are allowed on the refuge because their presence may disturb wildlife. Poison ivy and ticks are found seasonally and guests are urged to stay on the trails to limit exposure.