William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge is a natural area in the

Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, United States. It was created to provide wintering habitat for dusky Canada geese. Unlike other Canada geese, dusky Canada geese have limited summer and winter ranges. They nest on

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Copper River Copper River may refer to several places: *Copper River (Alaska), in the United States * Copper River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (afte ...

Delta and winter almost exclusively in the Willamette Valley.

Habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, predation, and hunting have caused a decrease in population. Located ten miles south of

Corvallis, Oregon Corvallis ( ) is a city and the county seat of Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2020 United ...

, the refuge protects many of the historic habitats of the valley, including the largest remaining tract of native Willamette Valley wet prairie. Fields of wildlife food crops are interspersed with Oregon white oak savannah, meandering creeks with bottomland

Oregon ash ''Fraxinus latifolia'', the Oregon ash, is a member of the ash genus '' Fraxinus'', native to western North America. Description ''Fraxinus latifolia'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree that can grow to heights of in height, with a trunk diame ...

forest, old growth

bigleaf maple ''Acer macrophyllum'', the bigleaf maple or Oregon maple, is a large deciduous tree in the genus '' Acer''. It is native to western North America, mostly near the Pacific coast, from southernmost Alaska to southern California. Some stands are al ...

, and native prairie. Other management goals are to preserve native species and enhance biodiversity including the rare oak savannah, upland prairie, and wet prairie habitats. Endangered and threatened species such as

Oregon chub The Oregon chub (''Oregonichthys crameri'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Oregon in the United States. From 1993 to 2015 it was a federally listed threatened species. This chub is native to the drain ...

, and

Bradshaw's desert parsley ''Lomatium bradshawii'', also known as Bradshaw's desert parsley, is an endangered perennial herb native to Oregon and Washington, United States. ''Lomatium bradshawii'' was thought to be extinct until 1979, when it was rediscovered by a Univers ...

find protection and sanctuary on the refuge. A herd of

Roosevelt elk The Roosevelt elk (''Cervus canadensis roosevelti)'', also known commonly as the Olympic elk and Roosevelt's wapiti, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk (''Cervus canadensis'') in North America by body mass (although by antle ...

can be found in the bottomland forests or farm fields on the refuge. Under cooperative agreements, area farmers plant refuge fields to produce nutritious grasses preferred by geese. The geese also need water for resting and foraging habitat. Many refuge wetlands occur naturally; others are created by dikes and levees. Some refuge wetlands, drained or channelized by previous owners, are being restored in low-lying areas of the refuge to increase diversity and desirability of habitat for wildlife. The majority of wetlands are being managed as moist soil units, to promote growth of wetland food plants (millet, smartweed, sedges, etc.) used as food by waterfowl and other wildlife. By resting in undisturbed areas on the refuges, wintering geese regain energy reserves required for migration and nesting. This sanctuary reduces depredation problems on neighboring private lands. Of historic interest is the Fiechter House, completed in 1857, and thought to be the oldest house in Benton County. The refuge was named for

William L. Finley William Lovell Finley (August 9, 1876 - June 29, 1953) was an American wildlife photographer and conservationist from Northern California. The William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge was named in his honor. Family He was born on August 9, ...

, an early conservationist who persuaded President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

to set aside the first

National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...

west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. Two county roads passing through the refuge are open to the public throughout the year. Similar access is also provided at four viewpoints (kiosks and bulletin boards) and two trails (Woodpecker Loop and Mill Hill). To provide a quiet resting area, waterfowl habitat is closed to public entry while the geese are in residence, from November 1 through March 31. This winter waterfowl closure includes all portions of the refuge except the two trails, kiosks, bulletin boards, and headquarters building.

References

External links

* {{authority control Willamette Valley Protected areas of Benton County, Oregon National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon Wetlands of Oregon 1964 establishments in Oregon Landforms of Benton County, Oregon Protected areas established in 1964

See also

References

External links