Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer

Located in southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon, United States, the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer is a wildlife refuge. It was established in 1972 specifically to protect and manage the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer. The refuge contains over 5600 acre of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes, and sloughs along the Columbia River in both Washington and Oregon.

The valuable habitat the refuge preserves for the deer also benefits a large variety of wintering birds, a small herd of Roosevelt elk, river otter, various reptiles and amphibians including painted turtles and red-legged frogs, and several pairs of nesting bald eagles and osprey. Today, about 300 Columbian white-tailed deer live on the refuge.

Another 300-400 live on private lands along the river. The areas upstream from the refuge on Puget Island and on the Oregon side of the river are vital to reestablishing and maintaining viable populations of the species. The refuge works with private and corporate landowners to maintain and reestablish deer on their lands.

The refuge is named for Julia Butler Hansen, a former member of the United States House of Representatives for Washington state. Originally named the Columbian White-Tailed Deer Refuge, the name was changed in 1990.

In April, 2012, high river flow levels coupled with a collapsing dike, that keeps the Columbia River from flooding the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge, was reported to be a threat to the resident population of Columbian white-tailed deer.