Protecting Ridgefield refuge from fame, growth

By JILL STERRETT
EDAW

In 1804, Merriweather Lewis and his friend William Clark assembled more than 40 men and one Indian woman into the Corps of Discovery. They were charged by visionary President Thomas Jefferson to explore the unknown country west of the Mississippi and to find a route to the Pacific Ocean.

The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is located at the northern border of the expanding Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area and is an important site on the Lewis and Clark Trail. The number of visitors to the refuge has been steadily increasing as more people look for natural sites close to the metropolitan areas for walking and wildlife observation. Visitation is expected to increase even more as the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration of 2003-2006 approaches.

Their voyage changed the course of the young nation. The journals they kept during their three-year adventure document the native peoples, the wildlife and the landscape they crossed that had never before been recorded by Euro-Americans.

Today, an ever-increasing number of federal agencies, local communities and private enterprises are planning to commemorate the upcoming bicentennial of this historic adventure. EDAW, Inc. supported this national effort in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Together, EDAW and the Service selected the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge as the site of EDAW’s Summer Student Program. This two-week intensive workshop brought together 18 students selected from more than 80 applicants worldwide to join the Service’s local and regional staff and EDAW professionals from five offices around the country to produce a plan for this refuge.

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a 5,150-acre complex of sites located in Washington along the Lower Columbia River, at the confluence of the Lewis River. It was established in 1964 as a refuge for migrating waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway. In addition to providing important wintering habitat for waterfowl, the refuge includes wetlands, grasslands, oak knolls and a number of other habitats characteristic of the maritime Pacific Northwest.

The Corps of Discovery recorded this site in their westbound journals in November 1805 and camped at the site in March 1806 to meet with the Chinook people inhabiting the ancient town site of Cathlapotle. The “large village” they described was one of the largest on the Columbia with an estimated 900 inhabitants at that time.

Archaeological research reveals that the Chinook people made this area their home for more than 2,000 years. The wetlands and floodplains of the Columbia River provided rich sustenance and the river provided their trade routes between the tribes of the coast and the interior.

There are several opportunities and challenges facing the refuge as it enters the 21st century. The refuge is located at the northern border of the expanding Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area and is an important site on the Lewis and Clark Trail. The number of visitors to the refuge has been steadily increasing as more people look for natural sites close to the metropolitan areas for walking and wildlife observation. Visitation is expected to increase even more as the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration of 2003-2006 approaches.

However, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge currently has few trails, no visitor center and limited facilities for interpretation and education. There are no facilities at the refuge that can house artifacts from the cultural sites. In addition, there are continuing needs for habitat restoration and exotic plant species control.

From June 10 to June 23, EDAW’s Summer Student Program examined Ridgefield’s rich natural and archaeological heritage to discover how to restore the landscape and how to interpret the natural and cultural resources for thousands of visitors. The primary purpose of the program was to assist the Service in planning new interpretive and education facilities at Ridgefield. The program also examined the roles the refuge can play in the region and in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration.

Workshop studies examined several important questions about the refuge, including:

• What natural and cultural resources on the refuge should be the focus of the interpretive/education program and how could they be integrated?
  
  
• How can the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Native American perspective be used to provide context to the education/interpretation program?
  
  
• What habitats occurred on the refuge at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
  
  
• How did Native Americans use or influence habitats and wildlife populations?
  
  
• How have the habitats and vegetation changed since the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
  
  
• How can Native American sites and artifacts be interpreted to the public without jeopardizing their cultural and research value?

To answer these questions and to develop a plan for the refuge, students explored:

1. The regional context of Ridgefield in terms of other refuges, parks and natural areas; regional plans for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration; and conservation of sensitive natural resources.

2. Locations for major facilities including a visitor’s center, archaeological archives, a museum, educational facilities, offices and parking.

3.Locations for trails and interpretive sites to foster understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural heritage while still protecting these resources.

4. Opportunities for habitat and species restoration including control of invasive plant species and anadromous fisheries restoration.

When the workshop was completed on June 23, the 18 students presented their findings to an invited audience of federal, state and local elected officials; federal agency staff; representatives of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration; sponsor organizations; and the local media.

The products of the workshop helped refuge supporters, the community and regional leaders understand the role of the refuge in protecting and interpreting the lasting legacy of the abundant natural and cultural resources protected there.

Workshop products illustrated the importance of the new interpretive and education facilities in fulfilling the refuge roles and legacy and will be used to encourage Congress, educational partners and philanthropic organizations to provide the needed funding.

Copies of the Summer Student Program plan for the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge are available through EDAW’s Seattle office.