Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer, National Wildlife Refuge along Columbia River, United States.
The Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer is a national wildlife refuge along the Columbia River, on the border between Washington and Oregon. It covers pastures, forested tidal swamps, marshes, and sloughs that form a varied wetland landscape.
The refuge was established in 1972 to protect a rare deer whose habitat along the Columbia River had sharply declined. It was renamed in 1990 to honor former Representative Julia Butler Hansen, who had played a key role in securing its creation.
The refuge takes its name from Julia Butler Hansen, a former congresswoman from Washington who fought to protect this rare deer. Visitors today can see how the land is actively managed to support the survival of a single animal species.
The Center Road Trail offers an easy walk through the refuge and is a good starting point for first-time visitors. Arriving early in the morning gives the best chance of spotting deer, as they tend to be most active at that time of day.
The Columbian white-tailed deer found here is a subspecies that exists only in a small area along the Columbia River and nowhere else in the world. The refuge cooperates with neighboring private landowners because the deer regularly cross beyond the official boundaries.
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