The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats. The Service manages a diverse network of more than 500 National wildlife Refuges, a system which encompasses more than 92 million acres of public land and water. National Wildlife Refuges are established for specific purposes and provide habitat for more than 5,000 species of birds, mammals, fish, and insects. The Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge (9,300 acres) is one of the newest refuges in the system. It was established to protect bottomland hardwood habitats along the Marais des Cygnes River in Linn County, Kansas.