Oregon wildlife officials have identified 321 species that they say need conservation efforts the most.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is revising its State Wildlife Action Plan, which it calls the Oregon Conservation Strategy. It must do this every ten years to stay eligible for some federal grants.
The state's revision would list 27 more species in the “greatest need” category when compared to the plan from 2016. This denotes that a species has a small or shrinking population, or is otherwise at risk or the subject of concern.
The category would now include 79 plant species, 73 invertebrates, 63 birds, 45 fish, and more.
Sristi Kamal, the Deputy Director at the Western Environmental Law Center, said the additions show that current conservation strategies in Oregon aren’t fully working.
“In my view, this is the most direct proof that species decline is a serious problem in Oregon," said Kamal. "And without intervention, this will be a roadmap to species extinction in Oregon as well.”
Kamal said one problem is that the action plan receives no dedicated state funding to protect the species listed. And she said there's uncertainty over whether federal grants will be available with the Trump administration.
In this year's legislative session, Oregon conservation groups tried to help pass HB 2977, which would provide more funding for conservation efforts. The measure was approved in the Oregon House, but did not make it to the Senate floor for a vote.
"There is no money for any of the species that are not hunted or fished," said Kamal. "And 88% of Oregon species are not hunted or fished."
Oregon must now submit its revision of its State Wildlife Action Plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approval.
