Sunburst Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Emmons County, North Dakota, is managed under Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge as a limited-interest refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service holds an easement that allows wildlife habitat management on privately owned land rather than owning the property outright. This type of refuge emerged in the 1930s and 1940s, when falling waterfowl populations overlapped with Depression-era work programs. At Sunburst Lake, as at similar sites, landowners sold easements that let the federal government regulate water levels and restrict hunting. The refuge itself is not open to the public, but wildlife can be viewed from nearby public roads.