Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
| Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
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 Location in Washington state
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| Location | Thurston and Pierce counties, Washington, USA |
| Nearest city | Lacey, WA |
| Coordinates | 47°04′57″N 122°43′18″W / 47.08250°N 122.72167°WCoordinates: 47°04′57″N 122°43′18″W / 47.08250°N 122.72167°W |
| Area | 4,529.21 acres (18.3291 km2) |
| Established | 1974 |
| Visitors | 137,000 (in 2004) |
| Governing body | United States Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR |
The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on the Nisqually River Delta near Puget Sound in northeastern Thurston County, Washington and northwestern Pierce County, Washington. The refuge is located just off Interstate 5, between the cities of Tacoma and Olympia.
The 12.6 km2 refuge was created in 1974 to provide habitat and nesting areas for waterfowl and other migratory birds. It includes a protected estuary, salt marshes and open mudflats, freshwater marshes, open grassland, and riparian woodland and brush. An additional 3.2 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) is protected by the disjoint Black River Unit on a tributary of the Chehalis River.
On December 18, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Billy Frank Jr. Tell Your Story Act into law, redesignating the wildlife refuge in honor of Nisqually tribe leader and treaty rights activist Billy Frank, Jr., who died in 2014.
The wildlife refuge is home to the Nisqually River Delta, which has the unique status as Washington’s largest relatively undisturbed estuary. The confluence of the freshwater Nisqually River and the saltwater south Puget Sound has created a variety of unique environments, each rich in nutrients and natural resources for the local wildlife. The delta provides habitats for more than 300 different species of fish and wildlife.
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