Providing Compatible and Sustainable Wildlife-Dependent Recreation
for Public Enjoyment

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, passed in 1997, identified six uses— hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation—that receive enhanced consideration in planning and management over all other general public uses on refuges. When compatible, these wildlife-dependent recreational uses are to be strongly encouraged. These uses, as well as other current or proposed uses, receive an extensive compatibility review in the CCP before being allowed.

The key programmatic issues and improvements for public use that need to be addressed in the CCP are described below.

Environmental Education: A small but active and growing environmental education program exists at the Willamette Valley Complex. Approximately 2,600 students and 120 teachers participated in the program in 2006. There are currently no buildings set up for the purpose of environmental education. Students and teachers currently gather at existing kiosks and use Refuge trails, but this limits the ability of Refuge staff to provide display items and other materials. The construction of the new refuge Headquarters creates an opportunity to create new space or design space within existing buildings to support the environmental education program.

Growing demand for wildlife viewing: Nationally (USFWS 2007a) and statewide (USFWS 2007b), demand for wildlife viewing is growing by double digits each decade. In addition, by 2040, an additional 1.7 million people will be living in the Willamette Valley ,doubling the population that lived in the Valley in the year 2000 (OSER 2000). According to the 2003-2007 Oregon Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department 2003), the Nature/Wildlife Observation activity grew by 170% statewide from 1987-2002. Within the region encompassing the Refuges (SCORP Regions 2 and 3), participation in Nature/Wildlife Observation activity grew by 254% during those 15 years and was the activity with the single highest growth rate.

To provide quality wildlife viewing, wildlife needs to be present and free from excess disturbance. To date, the Refuges have balanced the needs of wildlife against the pressure of human disturbance by providing core areas that are closed to visitors October through March. These closed areas are effective in providing sanctuary for wintering waterfowl. To allow visitors opportunities to better see large concentrations of wildlife during the winter months, boardwalk trails, blinds and observation platforms have been created to provide visitors targeted access along the edges of the closed areas. Such facilities allow visitors to view wildlife while minimizing disturbance.

Accommodating wildlife dependent recreation on the refuges for the long term - in a manner that minimizes disturbance and does not impact the habitats protected on the refuges - is a critical topic for the CCP.

Interpretation: Currently, Ankeny and Finley Refuges have extensive and well placed interpretative and informative panels along trails, inside blinds, kiosks and overlooks. Baskett Slough is currently lacking quality interpretative panels along trails, kiosk and overlooks. Baskett Slough receives over 160,000 visitors a year who come to the refuge to participate in wildlife dependent recreation. The little interpretative information that is available at Baskett Slough is not well distributed and is outdated. There is a need to have interpretative displays at Baskett Slough to complete the interpretation at all of the refuges.

Law Enforcement: Vandalism, disturbance to wildlife by trespassing in closed areas, and other violations have been increasing in recent years. As visitation numbers increase there is a growing likelihood for increased violations of rules and regulations. Presently the Complex has a Zone Law Enforcement Officer that is stationed at Baskett Slough NWR. This officer is also responsible for law enforcement at all other refuges in Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington.

To aid visitors in understanding and following Refuge rules, all Refuges have boundary signs, area closed signs, and additional signs that provide the visitor with detailed descriptions of refuge rules and regulations. Additionally, volunteers monitor the Refuges throughout the year and educate visitors about various regulations and why they are needed.

Maintenance of Facilities: Over the last ten years, many improvements to visitor facilities were completed and visitation increased. More visitors have experienced quality wildlife observation, interpretation and environmental education. Yet the facilities upon which these users depend are beginning to age. Facility maintenance needs to be a priority, both to ensure visitor safety and to avoid long-term degradation of capital investments.

Big Game Hunting: Currently big game hunting occurs only at W.L. Finley, for Black-tailed deer, under special regulations. The Refuge provides an early season archery hunt and a later season shotgun hunt. The program is not designed to meet a biological purpose but is simply available as recreational hunting.

Currently, hunting can occur anywhere on the Refuge outside of the safety zones near Refuge Headquarters and Refuge Shop area as well as the closed area near Mill Hill trail and Woodpecker Loop trail. In the areas where hunting is allowed there is a potential for different user groups (hunters and birdwatchers) to occupy the same areas, each disrupting the quality of the experience for the other.

The number of people hunting on William L. Finley is small and has been declining in recent years, a trend also seen for hunting regionally and nationally (USFWS, 2007a; USFWS 2007b). The number of deer reported harvested on William L. Finley has totaled less than three per year in each of the last 10 years.

Some people have suggested that elk hunting could occur on W.L. Finley, in part to contribute to local population management strategies for elk.

Waterfowl hunting: When the Refuges were first established, some waterfowl and upland bird hunting occurred. Waterfowl and upland gamebird hunting was discontinued in the 1980s due to the low midwinter index of duskys and the disturbance that resulted from hunting. A compatibility determination determined that “conducting a waterfowl hunt program on any of these refuges for ducks and/or geese would result in significant disturbance to these species as well as all other wetland related wildlife using the refuge. This disturbance would force waterfowl, particular geese, off of the refuges and onto private agricultural lands resulting in crop depredation.” Since this determination there has been no waterfowl hunting allowed on any of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuges. The restriction on waterfowl hunting helps to meet a primary objective of the interagency Canada Goose Depredation Plan, which calls for increasing goose use on public land via habitat improvements as well as public use restrictions. Sanctuary on public lands is recognized in the Depredation Plan as a specific strategy that helps alleviate depredation on surrounding private lands.

Before the Snag Boat Bend unit was acquired in 1999, waterfowl hunting occurred on or adjacent to the property below the ordinary high water mark along the Willamette River. Interim compatibility determinations in the Conceptual Management Plan, that were written to guide management until a CCP could be developed, indicated that hunting or fishing would not be compatible above the ordinary high-water line or from non-navigable waters surrounding the unit. The Service has no management authority on navigable waters at the property or on waters below the ordinary high-water line; some waterfowl hunting still occurs in these areas.

Key questions to be addressed in the CCP:
What changes, if any, should be made to the current wildlife observation and interpretive programs and facilities? As the population of the Willamette Valley grows and visitation numbers at the refuges rise, will the current areas, facilities and seasons available for visitation be able to meet visitor needs without compromising the wildlife and habitat? Should any additional hunting or fishing opportunities occur within the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex? If so, what kind of program would be compatible with the Refuges’ purposes and goals? What improvements can be made to law enforcement capabilities to safeguard important Refuge facilities and resources? Should an entrance fee program be initiated for the Complex to offset costs to maintain public use facilities and programs?

References:

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. 2003. 2003-2007 Oregon Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. http://egov.oregon.gov/OPRD/PLANS/scorp_review.shtml

Oregon State of the Environment Report 2000, accessed at http://egov.oregon.gov/DAS/OPB/docs/SOER2000/Ch4_2.pdf.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007a. 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation: National Overview, Preliminary Findings, May 2007.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007b. 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation: State Overview, Preliminary Findings, May 2007.