Press Release
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides opportunity for public comment on the translocation of endangered deer
Cathlamet, Wash. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to translocate up to 35 Columbian white-tailed deer from Puget Island, Washington to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer in 2014 and an additional 10-20 deer to Ridgefield NWR in 2015. The draft environmental assessment of the proposed translocation is available for public comment. The draft EA public comment period will be open for 30 days, from December 12, 2013 to January 12, 2014.
Columbian white-tailed deer are unique to southwest Washington and western Oregon and are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Julia Butler Hansen Refuge and Ridgefield NWR contain existing populations of Columbian white-tailed deer, suitable habitat, and are within their historical range. The Service will capture and move the deer in partnership with the Cowlitz Tribe, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Service has proposed the translocations to promote the recovery of the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer by stabilizing both the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge and Ridgefield NWR subpopulations. The proposed translocations would occur from January 20 - April 15, 2014 and December 15, 2014 - April 15, 2015.
The draft EA can be downloaded from the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge website https://www.fws.gov/jbh/translocation.html or the Ridgefield NWR website http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/.
Comments, and requests to obtain a copy of the draft EA on CD-ROM, can be sent by any one of the following methods: Email - willapa@fws.gov; Fax - Attn: Project Leader, (360) 484-3482; or U.S. Mail - Project Leader, 3888 State Route 101, Ilwaco, WA 98624.
For more information on the refuges or Columbian white-tailed deer, please visit the following websites: Julia Butler Hansen NWR: http://www.fws.gov/jbh.html or Ridgefield NWR: http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/
Columbian white-tailed deer are unique to southwest Washington and western Oregon and are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Julia Butler Hansen Refuge and Ridgefield NWR contain existing populations of Columbian white-tailed deer, suitable habitat, and are within their historical range. The Service will capture and move the deer in partnership with the Cowlitz Tribe, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Service has proposed the translocations to promote the recovery of the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer by stabilizing both the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge and Ridgefield NWR subpopulations. The proposed translocations would occur from January 20 - April 15, 2014 and December 15, 2014 - April 15, 2015.
The draft EA can be downloaded from the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge website https://www.fws.gov/jbh/translocation.html or the Ridgefield NWR website http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/.
Comments, and requests to obtain a copy of the draft EA on CD-ROM, can be sent by any one of the following methods: Email - willapa@fws.gov; Fax - Attn: Project Leader, (360) 484-3482; or U.S. Mail - Project Leader, 3888 State Route 101, Ilwaco, WA 98624.
For more information on the refuges or Columbian white-tailed deer, please visit the following websites: Julia Butler Hansen NWR: http://www.fws.gov/jbh.html or Ridgefield NWR: http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/
