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  **U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service**

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**Department of the Interior**

**U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service**

**Pacific Regional Office**

**911 NE 11^th^ Avenue**

**Portland, Oregon 97232-4181**

**Phone: 503/231-6121**

**Fax: 503/231-2122**

[http://pacific.fws.gov]{.underline}

Contact: Ralph D. Webber, Refuge Manager, 503-625-5944 08-42

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Addition Approved

As part of a suite of wetlands acquisitions, the Migratory Bird
Conservation Commission has approved the addition of 180 acres to the
Wapato Lake Unit of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) near
Sherwood, Oregon.

The addition will provide habitat for a variety of waterfowl species,
including the tundra swan, five important duck species (mallard,
northern pintail, canvasback, ring-necked duck and lesser scaup), and
six varieties of Canada geese (dusky, lesser, Taverner, cackling,
western and Aleutian). The Wapato Lake Unit is located near the
community of Gaston in the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley.
The 180-acre addition is located in Washington and Yamhill counties.

The Commission awarded a grant of \$631,000 for the 180 acres.

"This addition starts a new chapter in the history of wildlife
conservation for the Willamette Valley and the state of Oregon," said
Refuge Manager Ralph Webber. "The addition is good news for the new
refuge unit as we begin to ramp up an acquisition program, setting the
stage for habitat restoration in the near future."

The Tualatin River NWR addition is one of four refuge additions in the
nation approved June 12 by the Commission, which is chaired by Secretary
of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and comprised of members of Congress and
federal cabinet secretaries.

"The purchase of these lands symbolizes the tremendous investment our
nation's sportsmen and women have put into conservation through their
purchase of Federal Duck stamps and the taxes on firearms and
ammunition," said Secretary Kempthorne. "Their contribution helps ensure
the songs and sounds of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife
will be enjoyed by all Americans for years to come."

The three parcel 180-acre addition at Tualatin River NWR is the first of
several the refuge hopes to add to the 4,310 acre approved acquisition
boundary of the Wapato Lake Unit. The refuge's Wapato Lake Unit supports
wetlands, meadow prairies and a riverine complex of bottomland forest,
which are all considered imperiled wildlife habitats of the Willamette
Valley. Unique organic peat soils of the lake bed support a relic shrub
wetland community fringed by Oregon ash and dense stands of wapato in
the upper marsh, an important food source for tundra swans.

"As a result of its historical and continued importance to swans and
other wintering waterfowl, the Service has been interested in conserving
this area for years," Webber said.

In late 2000, a large number of local landowners petitioned the Service
to establish the unit as a national wildlife refuge and formal approval
by the agency occurred in early 2007. The purchase of tracts within the
established refuge unit will protect and conserve imperiled habitats
supporting regionally and nationally important wildlife species
including waterfowl, shorebirds and marshbirds, federally listed
anadromous fish, raptors and breeding species of neo-tropical migratory
birds.

"Plans to protect and conserve this regional and national resource could
not have happened without the tremendous support received from local
landowners and the community at large," Webber said.

Other refuge acquisitions approved today by the Migratory Bird
Conservation Commission included Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
in Minnesota, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in North
Carolina, and Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge in Maine.

More information about the grants and summaries of the projects approved
today is available on the Web at:
http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others
to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their
habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both
a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known
for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural
resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For
more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov.