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Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge

Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges Over 1400 islands, rocks, and reefs; saltmarshes; old-growth forest; and headlands along 320 miles of rugged coastline are protected by the six National Wildlife Refuges along the .

In these protected places, sea lions and return each year to breed on coastal rocks, and waterfowl return to saltmarshes, as they have for thousands of years.

USFWS Photo Astoria The Coastal The relatively small amount of land Refuges Protect protected by the six National Wildlife Seaside 5 a Variety of Refuges along the Oregon Coast Cannon Beach Habitats belies their tremendous value to fish and wildlife. Oregon Islands and 26 Three Arch Rocks

NWRs support 205 some of the most NWR 6 important Three Arch Rocks NWR 84 nesting colonies in Tillamook the . 101 Over a million Nestucca Bay NWR seabirds, including 22 murres, puffins, 18 cormorants, and 18 storm-petrels nest 22 Salem Lincoln City here. Without these protected Bay NWR nesting areas many seabird 5 populations would be in jeopardy. Newport 20 Corvallis Nestucca Bay, Siletz Bay and Bandon Marsh NWRs provide vital feeding areas for shorebirds and Waldport 34 waterfowl during their migrations. Protecting and restoring saltmarsh Yachats habitat in these refuges will also 101 benefit recovery of wild salmon and steelhead Florence 126 populations. Eugene Cape Meares NWR protects old-growth forest used by Reedsport marbled murrelets, 38 N peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and many other Bandon 5 species. Marsh NWR Oregon The Oregon Coast Refuges are part Bandon Roseburg of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a network of over 520 42 refuges set aside specifically for 101 wildlife. Managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the System is a Port Orford living heritage, conserving wildlife and habitat for generations to come.

Grants Pass

Red dots on map indicate Gold Beach 199 the major rocks, reefs, and islands of Oregon Islands National Wildlife 5 Refuge and Wilderness Area. Brookings Wildlife Viewing Visiting the Refuges along the Fall Thousands of shorebirds migrate Highlights Oregon Coast is rewarding year- along the Oregon coast in the round, because each season brings and fall, stopping at estuaries to feed different wildlife viewing and rest. Shorebird numbers peak in opportunities. April as they fly north to arctic breeding areas, and again in Spring Spring is one of the best times to September as they fly south to visit the Oregon coast. Nesting wintering areas. Nestucca Bay, Siletz seabirds, including common murres, Bay, and Bandon Marsh are excellent tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, and places to watch for migrating Brandt’s, pelagic and double-crested shorebirds and waterfowl. cormorants breed on many of the coastal rocks and islands. Northward- migrating gray whales are visible from March through May from the same Brown viewpoints pelican overlooking Oregon USFWS Photo Islands NWR. Watch for endangered brown pelicans beginning to arrive during this time.

Summer Seal and numbers peak around mid-July and late August. Young seabirds fledge in July and Winter Sea ducks and waterbirds are most August. Raptors such as peregrine abundant during the winter. Common falcons and bald eagles hunt the species include surf, white-winged nesting seabirds and waterfowl that and black scoters, harlequin ducks, migrate along the coast, and can be common and Pacific loons, and seen at Cape Meares, Nestucca Bay, western, horned, and red-necked Siletz Bay, and Bandon Marsh. grebes. Estuaries host wintering ducks, geese and a variety of raptors. Gray whales migrate south in and January on their way to calve in the coastal lagoons of Baja Mexico.

Long-billed dowitcher © Thomas Rountree Pigeon guillemots Three Arch Rocks One of Oregon's best known National Wildlife landmarks, Three Arch Rocks NWR Refuge lies 1/2 mile offshore from the community of Oceanside. Did You Know... This refuge supports Oregon's largest breeding colony of tufted puffins, and the largest breeding colony of common murres south of . Three Arch Rocks NWR is also the only breeding site for Steller sea lions on the northern Oregon ...that common murres use a distinct body language coast. which allows them to get along with others of their kind in crowded nesting colonies? A murre can share one square foot of space with six others!

© Roy Lowe Visitor Waters within 500 feet of this Opportunities refuge are closed to all watercraft . . .that designated Three Arch Rocks as the first National from May 1st through September Wildlife Refuge west of the 15th each year. To prevent disturbance to extremely sensitive River in 1907 because of its importance to nesting seabirds? seabirds and marine mammals, the refuge rocks are closed to public entry year-round. Oceanside Beach and Cape Meares provide excellent Above: views of Three Arch Rocks. ...that the male is the only North American sea lion that roars? Much larger than sea lions, Stellers Below: Three may reach 2,200 pounds. Arch Rocks NWR

© Roy Lowe Oregon Islands Oregon Islands NWR, a designated National Wildlife National Wilderness Area, includes Refuge over 1400 rocks, reefs and islands, and two headland parcels along the Did You Know... Oregon coastline. Thirteen species of seabirds nest here, including common murres, tufted puffins, Leach's and fork-tailed storm-petrels, rhinoceros auklets, Brandt's, pelagic and double- crested cormorants, and black oystercatchers.

This rocky, wave-battered refuge provides essential habitat for thousands of (seals and sea lions) for breeding and haulout areas.

Visitor Coquille Point is open to the public. A hiking , beach access, and Opportunities ...that Simpson Reef at Cape Arago is the world’s interpretive panels are open during northernmost pupping site for northern elephant daylight hours. To protect sensitive seals, and is the largest marine mammal haulout wildlife, all offshore rocks, islands site on the Oregon coast? and reefs are closed to public entry, but can be viewed from many sites along the coast. ...that without oil to 5 waterproof their feathers, 101 cormorants must spread their wings out to dry

205 after diving for fish? Coquille Point Tillamook Portland 84 is a mainland unit of Oregon Islands NWR Salem Lincoln City and can be

reached by Newport Corvalis going west on USFWS Photo 11th Street in Waldport Bandon until ...that Oregon’s population of nesting seabirds is Florence you reach the Eugene larger than California’s and ’s beach. Reedsport combined? Murre colony Coos Bay Red dots indicate Bandon Roseburg Oregon the major rocks, reefs, and islands of Oregon Islands Port Orford National Grants Pass Wildlife Refuge. 101 5

Brookings © Matt How © Shari Erickson ...that Cape Meares has been in operation since 1890 and has the shortest light tower (38 feet) on the Oregon Coast? ...that the peregrine falcon ...that the speeds up to 200 can reach hour in a dive miles per prey, while pursuing the fastest making it animal in the world? ...that gray whales migrate over 2000 miles from their summer feeding areas in Alaska to their winter calving grounds in Mexico? Migrating whales can be seen from Cape Meares December through May. Did You Know... You Did Oregon N growth forest in Oregon. growth forest was acquired Cape Meares U.S. Coast Guard from the was designated in 1938 and Natural as a Research Area in 1987. Huge Sitka spruce and westernsome hemlock, over 200 feet tall and

Cape M oad ea R Oceanside NWR r es Loop Cape Meares N Located on Three Capes Scenic Capes Three on Located Cape Tillamook, west of Route, few one of the protects NWR Meares old- of coastal stands remaining old, provide hundreds of years bird species, habitat for threatened including northern owls, bald spotted murrelets.eagles, and marbled at adjacent Interpretive overlooks provide Park Cape Meares State opportunities for viewing seabirds, peregrine falcons, and marine mammals. In addition, the popular runs through the refuge. State Park

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Opportunities Visitor Refuge National Wildlife National Cape Meares Cape Nestucca Bay Established in 1991, Nestucca Bay National Wildlife NWR provides habitat for a variety Refuge of fish and wildlife, including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, small Did You Know... mammals, and amphibians. Refuge habitats include managed pastures, ...that Aleutian Canada geese wooded uplands, riparian wetlands, almost went extinct after dunes, sphagnum and saltmarsh. arctic foxes were introduced by fur trappers to their nesting Nestucca Bay supports islands in Alaska? As a result of the only coastal removing the foxes and other population of dusky management efforts, numbers Canada geese of Aleutian Canada geese and a wintering increased from a low of 800 birds population of 100-130 in 1962 to over 36,000 by 2000. Semidi Islands Aleutian Canada geese. Nestucca Bay and its tributaries also support large runs of chinook and , © Shari Erickson , and steelhead. ...that the short grass pastures around Nestucca Visitor Visitor access is being developed. Bay host the largest concentration of wintering Opportunities Contact the refuge manager for Canada geese on the Oregon Coast. more information.

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101 Nestucca Bay Long-toed NWR Salamander Siletz Bay Established in 1991, Siletz Bay NWR National Wildlife is located just south of Lincoln City, Refuge Oregon. This estuarine refuge protects a variety of coastal habitats Did You Know... including saltmarsh and brackish marsh, tidal sloughs and mudflats, and coniferous and deciduous forestland. These habitats are essential to a variety of fish and wildlife species including shorebirds, waterfowl, wading birds, anadromous fish including coho and , steelhead and cutthroat trout and other estuarine- dependent finfish, and wildlife populations. ... that bald eagles are nature’s Visitor Opportunities for public use are Opportunities being developed. Contact the refuge opportunists? Along the Oregon coast, bald eagles feed primarily on manager for more other birds, especially waterfowl information. and seabirds.

...that estuaries, areas where fresh and salt Lincoln Oregon City water mix, are among the earth’s most productive habitats? Acre for acre, they 101 produce 4 times more plant material than a good hay field. This material forms the base of the estuarine food chain.

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N Gary Whitley ...that young salmon venture into tidal channels in 229 101 Siletz Bay NWR saltmarshes to feed on insects, tiny and other ? Food is so abundant here that they State Tidelands can add 6 percent to their weight each day. That’s like a 165-pound person gaining 10 pounds a day! Bandon Marsh Bandon Marsh NWR is located near National Wildlife the mouth of the in Refuge Bandon, Oregon. The refuge was established in 1983 because of its Did You Know... value as habitat for migratory shorebirds ...that river otters and sea otters and waterfowl. are the only members of the weasel family that spend time in The refuge protects salt water? the largest remaining tidal saltmarsh within the Coquille River estuary. Recent acquisition of over 320 acres of diked pasture land just upstream of Highway 101 will eventually be restored to tidal marsh.

Visitor Bandon Marsh is renowned for Opportunities shorebird viewing opportunities. The marsh and interpretive facility on Gary Whitley Riverside Drive are open to the public sunrise to sunset. ...that thanks to Other public uses abundant fish, shellfish, include photography, and waterfowl the clamming, hunting, number of Native and fishing. Americans living near Bandon Marsh hundreds of years ago was as large as Bandon’s present Oregon population? Horner Collection (#6580)

Bullards Beach State Park ...that Oregon has lost over 75% of its saltmarshes, vital habitat for many species of o fish and wildlife, such as the coho salmon? n a r e v ce i Bandon s R O e

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a N Coquille River Light S N q South Jetty County Park o Bandon 42 CoquilleN Point 11th Street 101 A History of By the early 1900s, many seabird Managing Today, the men and women of the Wildlife colonies on the were in Habitats for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation danger of being wiped out. During Wildlife continue to honor the work of Finley the California , egg and Bohlman by protecting and hunters harvested millions of eggs monitoring wildlife populations as annually to supply restaurants in San well as maintaining, and sometimes Francisco and the gold fields. Adult creating, the habitat fish and wildlife birds were slaughtered for target need for survival. practice as weekend sport. Unfortunately, most Island habitat is people were unaware managed by of the problem. minimizing human presence as much as In the early 1900s, possible and naturalist and monitoring wildlife photographer populations by William L. Finley and photos from air or his partner Herman water. Other habitats Bohlman visited the Oregon are managed by a Coast and documented the variety of techniques devastation. They launched open and approaches: dike boats through heavy surf and removal, replanting then literally risked life and limb native species, to haul heavy equipment up and restoring riparian down steep, treacherous cliffs. areas and native Finley informed President grasslands, and Theodore Roosevelt of the enhancing national importance of this freshwater marshes. seabird nesting area, convincing him to issue an Order designating Three Arch Rocks the first National Wildlife Above: Refuge on the west coast Aerial photo in 1907. Oregon Islands survey of seabird National Wildlife Refuge populations over followed in 1935. Three Arch Rocks NWR. H.T. Bohlman and William L. Finley preparing to photograph Reforestation of murre colony at Three Sitka spruce at Arch Rocks, 1903. Bandon Marsh. Oregon Historical Society Negative # Finley A-2520 Other Nearby Oregon State Parks and other scenic Wildlife Viewing Here are a few tips to make watching Wildlife overlooks along the Oregon Coast Tips wildlife enjoyable and rewarding: Recreation provide excellent observation areas Opportunities for viewing wildlife inside the Plan your visit according to the National Wildlife Refuges. They also season and time of day. Wildlife is offer excellent opportunities for generally more active in mornings wildlife viewing of their own. and early evenings than in the afternoon. Some of the best locations are: Keep voices down while approaching 1. a viewing area to avoid scaring between Seaside and Cannon wildlife away before you get there. Beach Although animals may disappear when you arrive, they often return 2. at Cannon Beach shortly if you are quiet and still.

3. Outstanding Use binoculars and spotting scopes to Natural Area, Newport bring animals “closer” to you without disturbing them. 4. Heceta Head Lighthouse / Devils Elbow State Park Bring a field guide to help you between Yachats and Florence identify various species and the habitats they prefer. 5. southwest of Coos Bay Avoid Disturbing Public use at the Oregon Coast Wildlife Refuges is restricted to limit 6. State Park disturbance to wildlife and their south of Bandon habitats. ALL COASTAL ROCKS AND ISLANDS ARE CLOSED TO 7. Boardman State Park PUBLIC ACCESS AND ALL north of Brookings WATERCRAFT SHOULD STAY AT LEAST 500 FEET AWAY. For Further Consult the Oregon Wildlife Viewing Information Guide, local chambers of commerce, Caution Coastal areas, with their steep cliffs, or contact the Refuge Manager at strong currents, and heavy surf, can (541) 867-4550. be extremely dangerous. Exercise caution during your visit. Stay away from cliff edges, and observe posted warnings. Avoid climbing on driftlogs as they can roll in the surf at any time. Consult weather forecasts and tidal charts before boating, canoeing, or kayaking.

Harlequin ducks

© Roy Lowe Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex 2127 SE OSU Drive Newport, Oregon 97365 (541) 867-4550

For National Wildlife Refuge System Information 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov

Photos © David Pitkin unless otherwise noted.

September 2000

View of Mack Reef from Crook Point, Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

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