Refuge named for historic hunter.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials made history recently when they dedicated a new national wildlife refuge  National Wildlife Refuge to the memory of famed
hunting guide Holt Collier Holt Collier (1848 - 1936) was a noted African-American bear hunter and sportsman who contributed to popular culture by helping to create the Teddy Bear phenomenon. BiographyBorn in 1848 as a slave in Mississippi, he joined the Confederate military during the U.S. . It is the first refuge ever to be named for an African-American. A native Mississippian, Collier was an expert marksman, a freed slave, a Confederate soldier, and President Theodore Roosevelt's hunting companion on his legendary 1902 hunt. As he explored the Mississippi Delta This article is about the geographic region of the U.S. state of Mississippi. For other uses, see Mississippi Delta (disambiguation). The Mississippi Delta is the distinct northwest section of the state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo that year, Collier probably could not have imagined the conservation legacy he would leave behind. As legend goes, Holt captured and tied up a black bear as punishment for threatening his hunting dogs, but when the president refused to shoot the bear, the incident sparked publicity that included two front-page editorial cartoons on The Washington Post and the creation of the teddy bear. Over a century later, the new refuge near Collier's historic hunting grounds at Darlove, five miles east of Hollandale. was named in Collier's honor. U.S. Senator Thad Cochran William Thad Cochran (born December 7, 1937) is the senior United States Senator from Mississippi. He is a Republican. Early life He was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi to William Holmes Cochran and Emma Grace (nee Berry),[1] and U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson For the football player of the same name see Bennie Thompson (American football). Bennie G. Thompson (born January 28, 1948) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He has been a member of the U.S. , who co-sponsored legislation to establish the refuge, took part in the dedication ceremony along with First Lady Marsha Barbour, Fish and Wildlife Service officials, and descendants of Collier himself. The land for the refuge is expected to encompass more than 2,000 acres when future acquisitions are complete. The Holt Collier refuge is part of the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex The Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex is the largest refuge complex in the state of Mississippi. ,
formerly the Central Mississippi Refuge Complex.
The refuge currently allows hunting of rabbits in February and archery hunting for deer October through January. For those more interested in the site's recreational aspects, officials hope to eventually provide an infrastructure for wildlife observation, fishing, photography, and environmental education. Holt Collier died in 1936, but his legacy will live on through conservation,, as the refuge will provide habitat and resources for threatened and endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. , even one that in Collier's time was plentiful, Much of the land will eventually be reforested with native trees to help provide essential habitat for the threatened Louisiana black bear, officials say. For more details on the refuge, visit holtcollier.fws.gov. |
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