[ODFW-News] Oregon Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Stakeholder Advisory Committee to meet

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
For more information call 800-720-6339 (ODFW) or 503-947-6002	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  


For immediate release	Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004

Oregon Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Stakeholder
Advisory Committee to meet

SALEM - The next meeting of the Oregon Comprehensive Wildlife
Conservation Strategy
Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting will take place Tuesday, Oct.
19, at the Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road in Portland. The meeting will
begin at 9:30 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. 

The 28-member advisory committee was created to help ODFW prepare a
non-regulatory, statewide approach to species and habitat conservation
in Oregon. Committee members represent agriculture, forestry and
rangeland management; conservation organizations; fishing and hunting
interests; tourism interests; local governments; landowners; and groups
and organizations that work with landowners on conservation and
restoration efforts. 

Development of the strategy is required to maintain Oregon's
eligibility for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant
(SWG) funds. Oregon received $1,398,427 in SWG funds in FY 2002 and
$1,048,820 in FY 2003. To meet USFWS requirements, the strategy must:
* Identify species of greatest conservation need and their habitats,
* Describe the [REH1]limiting factors facing these species and
habitats,
* Determine priority research and survey efforts needed to identify
factors to assist in restoration efforts,
* Describe needed conservation actions,
* Propose monitoring plans, and
* Document that meaningful opportunities for public participation have
been provided during development and implementation of the plan.

Federal requirements also call for the strategy to be reviewed and
approved by USFWS by October 2005. There also are additional interim
timeframes for various stages of the strategy development. 

The purpose of the Oct. 19 meeting is to continue reviewing information
about the Willamette Valley and Blue Mountain ecoregions for
incorporation into a document to guide the implementation of proactive
species and habitat conservation to reduce the risk of species becoming
federally listed as threatened or endangered. 

The public is invited to attend advisory committee meetings. Reasonable
accommodations will be provided as needed for individuals requesting
assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters or large-print
materials. Individuals needing these types of accommodations may call
the ODFW Director's Office at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044 at least 24
hours in advance of the meeting.


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