The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) manages 730 properties statewide, comprising more than 1 million acres (673,887 acres owned and 471,533 acres owned by other entities, but managed by DFW). Since several state agencies purchase land for the purpose of habitat or wildlife protection, and management responsibilities for these properties are often transferred to the DFW, the acreage of land continues to increase. The properties managed by DFW include the following: 111 wildlife areas, 136 ecological reserves, 139 public access areas, and 20 fish hatcheries.