Gail Achterman Wildlife Area

The Gail Achterman Wildlife Area (GAWA) is a riparian hardwood-forested island located west of Salem, Oregon, on the mainstem of the Willamette River. Purchased by the State of Oregon in 2016 through the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program (https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/willamette_wmp/index.asp) and managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the site has been preserved in perpetuity for conservation of its natural resources. Once slated for gravel extraction, the site now protects significant biological functions for the multitude of plants and animals dependent on this declining ecosystem.

Formerly Hayden Island, the site was renamed in honor of Gail Achterman, an Oregon conservation leader committed to an economically and ecologically sustainable future for the Willamette Basin. Her passion for the natural world inspired the coming together of citizens, land trusts, charitable foundations, non-governmental organizations, and state and federal agencies, to secure the funding and partnerships necessary to support the purchase of the Gail Achterman Wildlife Area and ensure permanent conservation of the site’s natural values.

Open to the public, access is by river only. ODFW hosts regular outreach and educational events at the site. For more information, contact Ann Kreager, 541-757-5246. menos ↑