Features

  • Coots

    American Coots

    Have you ever heard of the Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team? Ever wonder what a mud hen is? We’ve got an answer for you.

    American Coots

  • Black-billed Magpie Promo

    Black-billed Magpie

    The drama queens of the high desert, if the desert had a reality show, magpies would be the stars, constantly insisting on being the center of attention.

    Black-billed Magpies

  • Osprey & Fish

    Ospreys

    If you’ve got water, there’s a good chance you’ve got an osprey, or “fish hawk.” Lucky you.

    Ospreys

Of Special Interest

Youth Conservation Corps

May 1, 2016 YCC Logo

Looking for a summer job that stills leaves some time for enjoying the summer? Then consider applying for the Youth Conservation Corp Crew Leader.

Youth Conservation Corps Crew Leader

McNary & Cold Springs Land Exchange

Surveyor

The FWS is considering divesting lands at McNary NWR in order to acquire lands at Cold Springs NWR. The FWS would divest itself of lands of limited wildlife habitat value at McNary while acquiring lands at Cold Spring of excellent habitat value. The FWS has decided to issue the right-of-way permit to the East Improvement District to construct irrigation pipelines in the McNary lands proposed for divesting. The FWS deferred a final decision on the land exchange until the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 process with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is complete. The Land Exchange Plan and Environmental Assessment and FONSI are now available. A revised Environmental Assessment focusing on the land exchange will be available once the Section 106 process is complete.

McNary & Cold Springs Land Exchange Plan & Environmental Assessment
Watching Wildlife

Native Plant Appreciation Day April 28, 2018

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Join us at McNary NWR for our first Native Plant Appreciation Day on April 28th! The Friends of Mid-Columbia River Wildlife Refuge and the Columbia Basin Chapter of the Native Plant Society have partnered with USFWS to host this new event. It offers an opportunity for families and friends to come together to celebrate the amazing varieties of wildflowers that we have here in the Columbia Basin.There will be plenty of activities for children and adults alike. We will be offering guided wildflower walks of the “Two Sisters” as well as presenting a talk on the Flowers of the Shrub Steppe. Throughout the event there will be children’s crafts, Refuge walks, and microscopes for everyone to take a closer look at the amazing world of our shrub steppe plants and flowers. Please mark your calendars for a fun day of exploration, and hopefully appreciation of the jewels that our special shrub steppe puts at our feet in the spring. The event starts at 9:00 a.m. and concludes at 1:00 p.m. Be there early to sign up for our popular van tours to the Wallula Gap. You don’t want to miss it! Refreshments provided.

About the Complex

Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex

McNary National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Read more about the complex
About the NWRS

National Wildlife Refuge System

NWRS Logo

The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants.

Learn more about the NWRS
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