The U.S. array of wildlife refuges and related areas grew Tuesday with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement that the new Willamette Valley Conservation Area in Oregon is joining the roster.
The addition of the 600-acre Willamette Valley site brings to 572 the number of units in the overall National Wildlife Refuge System.
“Today’s announcement is the result of robust relationships that are coming together for the benefit of people and wildlife,” Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in Oregon, adding that the conservation area will “help support Oregon’s outdoor economy while protecting and restoring threatened and endangered species.”
Conservation areas are akin to national wildlife refuges, but instead of federal land ownership they mostly rely on conservation easements on private lands. The Willamette Valley Conservation Area is the 15th such area to be folded into the overall Fish and Wildlife Service-managed refuge system.
