Located in southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon, the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer was established in 1972 specifically to protect and manage the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer. The refuge contains over 5,600 acres (23 km2) of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes, and sloughs along the Columbia River in both Washington and Oregon. The refuge is named for Julia Butler Hansen, a former member of the United States House of Representatives for Washington state.