Oaks area could be added to refuge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to include approximately 88 acres of rare Oregon white oak woodland and savanna forest habitats within the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

The Oaks Unit, that lies along the northern edge of the refuge, supports the slender-billed, white-breasted nuthatch. The small bird relies on the large-diameter oaks to provide cavities for nesting and furrowed bark that supports the insects that the birds eat.