Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge

The former top secret air base has become a peaceful haven for wildlife.

Chickadees and migratory songbirds find safe haven here.

In northern Maine, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge preserves a portion of the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. The refuge was created in 1998, when 4,700 acres were transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

During America’s Cold War with Russia, the Strategic Air Command was stationed at Loring from 1950 to 1994, flying long-range bombers capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Caribou Air Force Station was a top-secret, self-contained base in the northeast corner of Loring.

In a portion of Maine where the landscape is dominated by potatoes fields and broccoli crops, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge protects valuable wetland and streamside habitats.

East Loring Lake, Butterfield Brook and Greenlaw Brook provide habitat for American black ducks, whose populations are decreasing.

Wood ducks, ring-necked ducks, and hooded mergansers are also common. Canada geese are seen here during spring and fall migrations.

The majority of the refuge is forested uplands, which offer nesting habitat for migratory songbirds. Warblers, including black-throated green, Canada, bay-breasted, Cape May, and Blackburnian, are common in the spring and summer.

These neotropical migrants breed here and winter in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Habitat destruction throughout the Western Hemisphere threatens these species.

Today, refuge staff are working to remove structures, including buildings, storage bunkers, roads, and fences.

Birds such as upland sandpipers, chestnut-sided warblers, American woodcock, and ruffed grouse require open fields in which to live. Controlled burns are removing old

vegetation, promoting new growth, and rejuvenating grasslands. Timber harvesting in small blocks opens additional areas for these species.

Dabbling ducks, such as black ducks and wood ducks, need water not more than 15 inches deep in which to feed. Water control structures on refuge wetlands allow staff to regulate levels to benefit these waterfowl.

About 2,400 acres of conservation easements have been established within Aroostook County. Refuge staff manage these properties in partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Farm Services Agency, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The Alert Visitation Center, a building on the east side of the refuge, has been converted to a visitor center. The building, when fully operational, will provide information to visitors. A network of hiking trails are also planned to start at the visitor center.

To reach the refuge, head north on I-95 from Bangor, take Exit 62 to Houlton. Turn left on Route 1 north. In Caribou, take Route 89 West toward Limestone. Turn left onto Loring Commerce Center and proceed for about two miles. Cross the railroad tracks, bear right at the fork. The refuge office and visitor center are on the right.