Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area is a 3,400 acre multi-use area managed to provide food and shelter for dabbling and diving ducks, Canada geese, other waterbirds, upland game birds, and mammals. Much of the area is designated as a refuge and closed to public access, but designated areas allow hunting, trapping, birdwatching, photography, and nature study under specific regulations. Along the Lower St. Lawrence River from Morristown to Massena, a mix of upland and wetland habitats supports a high diversity of bird species, especially in spring and fall when the river and adjoining wetlands serve as staging areas for waterfowl and other birds. Because of its importance in safeguarding and enhancing bird populations, this area has been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Stretching from Morristown to the Moses-Saunders Dam for approximately 50 miles, the Lower St. Lawrence River Important Bird Area includes wetland and upland habitats that support species such as bald eagles, common mergansers, bank swallows, Canada geese, common terns, and American bitterns. The wildlife management area was acquired by the New York State Power Authority for the St. Lawrence FDR Power Project in the early 1950s and was then developed under a cooperative agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, then called the Conservation Department, primarily to enhance waterfowl habitat. Under that agreement, the Power Authority holds title to the land and the Department of Environmental Conservation manages it for fish and wildlife, and the agreement remains in effect. Green-winged teal, mallards, and ring-necked ducks are the three duck species taken by hunters in the greatest numbers. Each summer, Department of Environmental Conservation wildlife staff, sportsmen and women, and local residents conduct a goose drive to gather biological data on resident Canada geese, promote communication about waterfowl conservation and management, and foster community relations. More than 1,000 geese are rounded up each year, with as many as 200 people helping by canoe and on land to herd molting birds into a corral where they are captured, banded, and released so their movements can be tracked for management practices.