Over 100 National Wildlife Refuges are served by the Portland, Oregon regional staff of the National Wildlife Refuge Sysytem. Refuges range in size from one million plus acres Desert National Wildlife Refuge to tiny Atolls in the Pacific Ocean. They encompass wetlands, estuaries, grasslands, rain forest, to deserts and all of the variations in between. Endangered species are a focus on some refuges.
Many refuges serve birds migrating from or to other countries.
A collection of managers, biologists, outdoor recreation planners, visual information specialists, fire specialists, and others serve the field offices in at least six program areas. These programs are habitat management, public use, fish and wildlife population management, resource protection, cooperative programs, and operational maintenance. In addition, a realty branch surveys, evaluates and acquires land to augment existing refuges and create new ones in areas with nationally significant wildlife resources.