Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1990 to protect, conserve, and restore habitat for wildlife native to the river's floodplain. The refuge consists of twenty-two islands and three mainland tracts scattered along nearly 400 miles of the Ohio River. Most of the refuge's 3300 acres of land and underwater habitat are located in West Virginia; however, Pennsylvania and Kentucky each have two refuge islands. The refuge is important in conserving the "wild" Ohio in a river system occupied by many competing interests. Refuge islands are gradually returning to forested conditions after years of farming, oil and gas extraction, and other activities. Planning is underway to evaluate mainland wetlands and backwater areas for possible inclusion in the refuge.