"Urban National Wildlife Refuge Approved for Albuquerque"

"ALBUQUERQUE -- Acquisition of 570 acres to establish a national wildlife refuge along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque has been approved, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today in Albuquerque."

"With the support of Bernalillo County, the Trust for Public Land, New Mexico's Congressional delegation, and many partners, New Mexico will gain its first urban national wildlife refuge,' Salazar said.

Only a few of the nation's more than 550 National Wildlife Refuges are in urban areas. Located just five miles from downtown, this former dairy farm is one of the largest undeveloped agricultural properties in the metropolitan Albuquerque area."

Environmental News Service had the story September 29, 2011.