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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking prospective agricultural producers to enter into a Cooperative Agriculture Agreement at the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in Cloverdale, Oregon. The producer may have use of approximately 22 acres of lowland pastures on the Resort Drive Unit of the Refuge. The proposed period of use may be for up to five years. The selected cooperator(s) will be required to manage the lowland pastures by grazing, mowing, haying, and/or green chopping annually between April 15 to October 31, with a partial season in 2025.
The cooperator(s) will be selected through an open and competitive process. Applications received by the deadline will be scored and ranked by a panel of representatives from the Service, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Oregon State University Agricultural Extension. A one-hour site visit to tour the Refuge’s lowland pastures will be held on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 2:00 pm. Interested parties will meet at the gate to the Resort Drive unit at 2:00 pm. Call Kate Iaquinto 541-270-3191 for more information.
The Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) was established in 1991, in part, to protect and enhance habitat for wintering geese. Managed refuge pastures receive sustained waterfowl use from fall through spring and provide quality forage, which improves waterfowl health and survival. Between 6,000 to 11,000 white-cheeked geese, including 18% of the world’s population of the dusky Canada goose winter in the Nestucca Valley. The refuge’s goal is to minimize depredation on private pasturelands by maximizing waterfowl use on refuge lands.
Refuge pasture management is based on recognition of the importance of short grass habitats to geese and a commitment to habitat protection for the mutual benefit of wildlife and the local dairy industry.
To apply, please complete and submit FWS Form 3-1383-C (Commercial Activities Special Use Permit Application) and FWS Form 3-1384Bid Sheet. Forms and more information regarding this opportunity can be downloaded at www.fws.gov/refuge/nestucca_bay. Hard copies can be requested by contacting Kate Iaquinto, Project Leader by phone at 541-270-3191.
Completed applications may be emailed to kate_iaquinto@fws.gov with the subject line, “Cooperative Agriculture Agreement Application” or mailed to the Service using this address: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Attn: Kate Iaquinto, 2127 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365. The deadline for submittal is 4pm on April 15, 2025.
All individuals will be notified of the selection outcome by 4:00 pm on May 6, 2025.
Individual(s) that are not selected will be notified regarding why they were unsuccessful and of their right to appeal any adverse decision in accordance with 50 CFR 25.45. Once awarded, the Service will work with selected cooperator to develop the terms and conditions of the Agreement.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
