Dozens of people gathered at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge’s headquarters on Dec. 16 to commemorate the opening of an administration and multipurpose building. The building was a result of years of securing government funding and will serve as a headquarters for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s efforts.
Established in 1965 as a habitat for wintering Canada geese, the refuge has become a symbol of Ridgefield’s commitment to wildlife. Before the new facility, Fish and Wildlife employees operated out of a modular trailer.
A number of dignitaries spoke at the official ribbon-cutting, which included those representing Native peoples.
Chinook Indian Nation Vice Chair Sam Robinson said the money for the facility was talked about for years, but it never materialized as the federal budget shifted.
“Finally, the funding came our way,” Robinson said.
Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairwoman Patty Kinswa-Gaiser noted the refuge sits on aboriginal land for the tribe.
“This has been a long time coming,” Kinswa-Gaiser said.
Ridgefield Mayor Jennifer Lindsay said that apart from forming the city’s western border, the refuge serves as a draw for visitors who have an impact on the city’s livelihood.
“A large part of Ridgefield’s identity stems from a connection to the refuge,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay said project backers believed funding for the facility was secured in 2018.
“But mother nature had other ideas,” Lindsay said. That year, Kilauea in Hawaii erupted, causing millions in damage to Fish and Wildlife Service infrastructure, she said. The recovery efforts drained the already meager budget for the agency, making the refuge’s facility more of a hope than a reality.
“Our funding quite literally went up in smoke,” Lindsay said.
The mayor said the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge showed “never-ending support” of the facility.
Friends President Jim Maul echoed the mayor’s sentiments on what the refuge means for the city.
“I think it signals how important the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is,” Maul said.
Maul noted the refuge isn’t a park, but a place where the region’s natural wildlife can exist with limited effects of the human world. He mentioned the refuge’s involvement with migratory birds from British Columbia and Alaska, who use the environment as a stopping point in their seasonal journey.
He said the refuge serves as a reminder that humans are participants in the overarching ecosystem.
“We’re not separate from the Earth, the land. We’re not separate from the animals,” Maul said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Hugh Morrison said the new facility will allow the service to assist the community. The overarching refuge complex, which includes places like the recently reopened Steigerwald Lake, brings in 300,000 visitors annually, Morrison said.
“This is really a community asset,” Morrison said, adding later that the building is “a stepping stone to wildlife and natural exploration.”
Lindsay said the construction budget for the whole federal department ranges from $13 million to $40 million annually. The lower range is about the entire cost of Ridgefield’s facility upgrades, which include the soon-to-come nature center.
U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, made an appearance in what may be her last as a congresswoman for Washington’s Third District. She said the facility is a place close to her family as she grew up in Clark County.
“It just brings such an honestly soul-filling experience,” Herrera Beutler said.
The congresswoman noted the previous facility was nothing more than a trailer. Now, the expansive rooms allow for a place that is more welcoming than in the past.
“They get to welcome this community and visitors from across the nation in a wonderful, beautiful facility that better reflects what we feel about this refuge,” Herrera Beutler said.
Ridgefield’s mayor noted that through the setbacks, the city always had a champion in Washington, D.C.
“None of these challenges phased the congresswoman,” Lindsay said.
