Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio was established in 1961 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act as a sanctuary for migratory birds, using Federal Duck Stamp funds to assemble land from former hunt clubs and farmlands. Expanded from 4,682 acres to about 7,000, it preserves part of Lake Erie’s once extensive coastal wetlands and helps protect remnants of the Great Black Swamp alongside nearby refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Important for fish and many bird species, especially spring migrant songbirds and bald eagles, it is both a major conservation area and a well-known birding destination.