Salem Hills-Ankeny NWR – State Wildlife Action Plan

Salem Hills Ankenu NWR Area — Photo Credit: Susan Barnes, ODFW

Geographic boundaries of the COAs were updated for the 2026 State Wildlife Action Plan and the associated COA profiles are intended to provide additional information. Content of each COA profile is being refined and will be updated to reflect current conditions when feasible. Please help us by submitting information on Local Conservation Actions, Plans, or Potential Partners to: OCS.revision@odfw.oregon.gov.

The Salem Hills-Ankeny NWR COA (43 mi²) is located southwest of Turner, extending down to the Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge. This COA is adjacent to the Middle Willamette River Floodplain and Santiam Confluences COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance remnant native wet prairie, seasonal wetlands, upland prairie and oak savanna habitat.
Maintain and enhance wetlands, ponds, and associated uplands to support northwestern pond and western painted turtle habitat.
Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology.
Maintain and enhance oak savanna and grassland habitats and their connection to adjacent habitats.
Maintain and restore riparian habitat and ecological function; ensure sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife.
Promote early detection and suppression of invasive plants.
Remove invading conifers and non-native vegetation from oak woodlands.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Greenbelt Land Trust

Special Features

General

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge contains extensive restored shallow-water seasonal wetlands that are heavily used by migrating and wintering waterfowl and shorebirds.
Important area for grassland and oak savanna-dependent birds, rare plants and other wildlife.
The surrounding foothills contain high-quality oak savanna, including projects by private landowners to newly-restore oak savanna, woodland, and riparian habitats.
This COA contains the largest population of Willamette Daisy in the Willamette Valley.

Protected Areas

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge
Wetlands Reserve Program

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)

- WV-16 (Salem Hills – Ankeny NWR)
- WV-17 (Lower and North Santiam Rivers)

Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -22.4 mi² (34% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings

Ecoregions

Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley ecoregion is bounded on the west by the Coast Range and on the east by the Cascade Range. This long mostly level alluvial plain has some scattered areas of low basalt, and contrasts with productive farmland and large urban areas. It has the fastest-growing human population in the state resulting in challenges due to land-use changes.

Key Habitats

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land that were formed through geological processes, such as glacial scouring, tectonic movements, volcanic activity and river meander cutoffs. In Oregon, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes. Depth is not a reference for characterization of …

Example of Oak Woodlands, which is a Strategy Habitat within the State Wildlife Action Plan

Oak Habitats

There are several oak habitat types in Oregon, where oaks comprise most of the canopy. These can include oak woodlands, oak forest, oak chaparral, and riparian oak. Oak savanna is covered in the Grasslands Key Habitat. Oaks may also co-dominate a canopy in oak/fir, oak pine, and oak hardwood habitats.

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.