PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – In an effort to protect vital species, the Department of the Interior established a new wildlife refuge in the Willamette Valley.
Officials introduced the Willamette Valley Conservation Area on Tuesday, explaining the 600-acre space in Brownsville will help protect numerous threatened and endangered species.
“Today’s announcement is the result of robust relationships that are coming together for the benefit of people and wildlife,” said United States Fish and Wildlife Services Director Martha Williams. “It’s because of these partnerships that today we celebrate the new Willamette Valley Conservation Area, which will help support Oregon’s outdoor economy while protecting and restoring threatened and endangered species.”
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As part of the project, the Willamette Valley Conservation Area acquired the Diamond Hill wetlands, in an effort to permanently protect oak and prairie habitats, which have suffered “extreme” loss, officials said.