Pierce Refuge was established in 1990 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received a donation of 319 acres from the landowner, Mrs. Lena Pierce, for “wildlife refuge, recreation or park purposes”. In donating the land to Fish and Wildlife, Mrs. Pierce requested that they administer the Refuge as an “inviolate sanctuary” and stipulated that hunting should not be allowed. Following the death of Mrs. Pierce in 1988, Fish and Wildlife acquired the remaining 10 acres of private land within the approved Refuge acquisition boundary under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956.
Refuge habitats include wetlands, Columbia River riparian corridor
blocks, transitional woodlands from willows to cottonwood/ash to white
oak to Douglas fir, improved pastures with some native grasses, and
numerous creeks, seeps, and springs.
| Pierce Refuge: “Pierce Refuge is located in Skamania County, Washington, immmediately
west of the town of North Bonneville and two river miles east of Franz
Lake Refuge. The 329-acre Refuge is fully acquired by the Service. The Service acquired 319 acres of the Pierce Ranch property in 1990
through donation. The warranty deed specified the area can only be used
for “wildlife refuge, recreation or park purposes.” When donating the
land, the donor, requested the Refuge be administered as an inviolate
sanctuary and stipulated that hunting should not be allowed. The land
donation was accepted in accordance with the Migratory Bird Conservation
Act of 1919 … In 1988, the Service acquired the remaining 10 acres of the Pierce Ranch ….” Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2004, “Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan …” |