The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a wildlife preserve, one of the National Wildlife Refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Headquartered in Ridgefield, Washington, it oversees the management of five refuges in the southwestern part of the state including: Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Conboy Lake NWR, and three refuges in the Columbia River Gorge - Franz Lake, Pierce and Steigerwald Lake NWR.
Ridgefield NWR, located in the westernmost part of Clark County, has a total of 5,150 acres (20.8 km2) of marshes, grasslands and woodlands. Preservation of the natural Columbia River floodplain is the management objective of the Carty, 2 mile (3 km) self guided hiking trail, Roth and Ridgeport Dairy units. The River 'S', 4.2 mile (7 km) auto tour route and 1.2 mile (2 km) seasonal hiking trail, and Bachelor Island units are managed to maximize habitat for waterfowl and other wetland wildlife.
The refuge was established (along with 3 other refuges in the Willamette Valley of Oregon) in 1965, in response to a need to establish vital winter habitat for wintering waterfowl with an emphasis on the dusky Canada goose whose nesting areas in Alaska were severely impacted by the violent earthquake of 1964.
Stately sandhill cranes, shorebirds, and a great variety of songbirds stop at the refuge during spring and fall migrations. Some bird species such as mallards, great blue herons, and red-tailed hawks are year-round residents that nest on the refuge. Black-tailed deer are the largest mammal on the refuge. Coyote, raccoon, skunk, beaver, river otter and brush rabbits are occasionally seen.
Read more about Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge: Gallery
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