Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Management Techniques

To help plants and wildlife, refuge staff uses a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plant and wildlife values. Refuge staff carefully considers any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation. 

Water levels are carefully monitored and controlled to foster desired plant growth. Sometimes, sensitive areas are closed to the public so that the land can recover more quickly. Prescribed burning, mowing, and seeding are also some of the techniques used to help native plants recover on national wildlife refuges.

Standardized ground and aerial wildlife surveys and vegetation surveys are conducted on some refuges throughout the year to inventory populations and document habitat use. Units are evaluated by how well they met habitat and wildlife use objectives.

Rare Habitats

At Baskett Slough NWR, carefully evaluated management techniques are vital due to the rare habitats found here. For example, wet prairie habitat was once the most widespread type in the Willamette Valley, now less than 1% of this area is left intact. Wet prairie habitat supports birds such as the western meadowlark, streaked horned lark and Oregon vesper sparrow. Several threatened and endangered plant species can also be found there.

Another rare habitat type found on the refuge is the oak savanna. Historically, the oak savanna was the primary habitat type in the Willamette Valley uplands. The cavities of large Oregon white oak trees provide vital nest sites for cavity nesting birds such as the acorn woodpecker and white breasted nuthatch. Associated with this habitat are rare plants such as Kincaid's lupine and golden paintbrush, which are both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.