Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex, along with Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Further into the Columbia River Gorge, there are two more refuges that are part of the Complex, Pierce and Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuges. The refuges are “Complexed” for the purpose of management efficiencies and resource sharing. They are also all connected by a common natural resource, the Columbia River.
Official Refuge Website
Supporting Partner
Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Habitat and Access Improvement Projects
A Refuge for Wildlife and People
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge consists of two distinct sections (or “Units,” as we call them): The “Carty Unit” to the North and the “River ‘S’ Unit” to the South. Each of these Units offers unique ways for visitors to experience wildlife and their habitats.
The Refuge was established in 1965 to provide wintering habitat for the dusky subspecies of the Canada goose. Today, the Refuge provides a window to the past, present, and future of nature and the human relationship to it. It preserves and enhances habitat for wildlife, while revealing and protecting the evidence of the people who once thrived on this landscape and maintain their cultural connection to this day.
Embedded within the fast-growing city of Ridgefield, WA, the Refuge is woven within the fabric of the community. Upcoming habitat and public access improvement projects are not only addressing today’s needs, but are anticipating the coming needs and impacts of a larger, urban community.