Even so, hidden from view in some places, the wildlife refuges are forever changed by the hunt for energy.

CNN: Wildlife, oil battle nothing new to Louisiana

Roads are underwater and some hard-hit areas are deep in wildlife refuges.

NPR: Cameron Parish Hit Hard by Hurricane Rita

Alaska is criss-crossed with old mining roads and trails established before the national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges that cover 75% of the vast state.

ECONOMIST: By bulldozer, across a national park

He's established seven new national parks, 10 new national wildlife refuges.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Nominates Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior | The White House

He's exploring the parks and wildlife refuges of the East Coast, learning more about the problems encountered by the animals and plants with which we share the planet.

CNN: Trekking 5,000 miles to connect man and wildlife

The Department of the Interior declined to appeal against a judge's reversal of a policy that allowed people to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

Nearly 10, 000 square miles were effected by the spill, including a national forest, four national wildlife refuges, three national parks, five state parks, four state critical habitat areas and a state game sanctuary.

CNN: Conference to assess Exxon Valdez oil spill

Recent visitors can access the newly redesigned recreation.gov, the federal government's one-stop shop for trip planning and reservations on public lands, such as national parks, wildlife refuges, waterways, forests and recreation areas.

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Under Roosevelt, Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were placed under federal protection, making them part of Yosemite National Park, and Roosevelt went on to create five additional national parks, as well as scores of national monuments, bird sanctuaries, wildlife refuges and national forests.

BBC: The trip that changed national parks forever