ICYMI: Senator Murray Visits New Community Nature Center at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Highlights Longstanding Support for Conservation

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Ridgefield, WA - U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, toured the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge's new Community Nature Center, which officially opened in May. The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge has over 5,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands, and forests along the Columbia River floodplain and is especially well known for migratory birds and waterfowl, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, and deer. The Community Nature Center is a new public space designed to be an environmental education hub and a welcoming community gathering space. The Center took several years of planning and construction and includes classroom and meeting spaces, visitor information and orientation areas, outdoor education and explorations areas, and improved trail access. It will eventually feature interactive interpretive exhibits and expanded nature exploration areas.

"As the city of Ridgefield continues to grow, the new Community Nature Center will be a valuable way to preserve the community's connection to nature," said Senator Murray. "This project is the product of decades of work by local, state, and Tribal partners to make sure we are not just preserving the natural beauty of our state, but that we're making it more accessible to everyone. I'm proud to have worked to protect federal funding to help make this Center a reality."

The project was led by the nonprofit Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with the goal of creating a "gateway to nature" for families, school groups, and people who may not already feel connected to outdoor spaces. The Refuge has been preparing for the Community Nature Center for over a decade, and it was part of a larger initiative to allow for a continuous 5-mile experience through the City of Ridgefield, the Refuge, and the Port of Ridgefield. In February 2021, Senator Murray sent a letter, along with Senator Cantwell and former Representative Herrera Beutler, to USFWS, pressing the agency to maintain funding in the FY22 budget for the Center after it was initially removed from the agency's five-year plan.

In FY26, Senator Murray secured $56.7 million for Partners for Fish and Wildlife, including $1.28 million for Washington State Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups, which carry out important ecosystem restoration projects to support salmon recovery efforts. Senator Murray also secured $5.4 million for the Lower Snake River and Columbia River Basin through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to assist states and tribes with critical capital and maintenance projects to improve salmon and steelhead facilities along the basin.

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