Wood Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Benson County, North Dakota, is part of the Devils Lake Wetland Management District and operates as a limited-interest refuge on privately owned land. Through a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service easement, the federal government manages wildlife habitat while ownership remains private. Such refuges emerged in the 1930s and 1940s as declining waterfowl populations and New Deal programs drove habitat protection and employment efforts during the Great Depression. At Wood Lake, landowners sold easements allowing regulation of water levels and restrictions on hunting. The refuge is closed to public access, though wildlife may be viewed from nearby public roads.