The tide was rising when the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge was officially dedicated on October 1 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited. 

Hundreds of people from all parts of Oregon converged on the coastal estuary, braving blustery winds and rain to celebrate the formal dedication and the ocean's return to the marsh. 

During the ceremony, Congressman Peter DeFazio of Oregon, USFWS Deputy Director Rowan Gould and USFWS Regional Director Robyn Thorson all praised Ducks Unlimited's leadership in managing the project, which is now the largest estuary restoration project in Oregon. 

However, without support from Capitol Hill, funding for projects like Bandon Marsh may be smaller in amount and less frequent in the future. Tom Dwyer, Director of Conservation Programs for DU, voiced DU's appreciation for Congressman DeFazio's ongoing campaign to protect endangered wetlands important to fish and wildlife. As the dedication concluded, Congressman DeFazio was honored for his work in securing a large portion of the funding for the project. He helped secure $765,000 in land acquisition funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and $4.2 million in SAFETEA-LU High Priority project for North Bank Lane improvements.