The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in partnership with the Willamette Valley Oak and Prairie Cooperative, created the Willamette Valley Conservation Area. Establishment of the Conservation Area is in accordance with the Willamette Valley Land Protection Plan and Conceptual Management Plan (USFWS 2022). You can find the final document here.
The purpose of this action is for the National Wildlife Refuge System to help support a mission of protecting, restoring, and maintaining a functional, resilient network of oak and prairie habitats in the Willamette Valley and to assist in the recovery of species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The USFWS does this by permanently protecting oak and prairie habitats and populations of listed species and managing those lands for their wildlife values. Protected lands would become part of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex.