[ODFW-News] Statewide wildlife conservation and management strategy being developed in Oregon

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: 	Information and Education, or toll-free within Oregon
1-800-720-6339 (ODFW)	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us   
	

For Immediate Release	Friday, October 15, 2004

Statewide wildlife conservation and management strategy being developed
in Oregon

BEND - Oregon has embarked on the first-ever initiative to catalog the
distribution and abundance of all species of fish and wildlife
throughout the state, determine their habitat needs and any barriers to
meeting those needs, and develop approaches to conserve and manage those
species, according to a report made to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission at its Oct. 15 meeting in Bend. 

"The goal of this effort is to identify incentives for voluntary
approaches and cooperative solutions to reduce the risk that additional
species will be added to state or federal threatened and endangered
lists," said Gail McEwen, Special Assistant to the Director, who is
coordinating the effort on behalf of ODFW. The effort is being funded by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has required all states to
develop similar conservation plans in order to retain eligibility for
continued State Wildlife Grant (SWG) funds for non-game species.

While ODFW regularly develops management objectives for Oregon's game
species, this is the first time such an effort has been undertaken to
address the conservation needs of the 88 percent of Oregon fish and
wildlife that are non-game species.

The result of this effort will be to create what will be known as the
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. The strategy is being
developed with the input and guidance of a Technical Review Committee
and a Stakeholder Advisory Committee. 

The Technical Review Committee is composed of biologists, wildlife
managers and ecologists. Its purpose is to provide scientific and
technical advice to the department and the Stakeholder Advisory
Committee.

The 28-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee brings together
representatives from 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 USFWS 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 final statewide strategy will consist of separate but interrelated
strategies for each of the state's eight ecoregions. Those ecoregions,
moving from west to east, are the:

* Coast Range,
* Willamette Valley,
* Klamath Mountains,
* Cascades,
* Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills,
* Columbia Plateau,
* Blue Mountains, and
* Northern Basin and Range.

The strategy development process, which will result in a written
report, will provide a variety of opportunities for public input and
involvement, noted McEwen. Public involvement activities include
presentations to groups upon request, regular public meetings of the
advisory committee throughout the state, and news releases and Web
postings.

The public may submit comments in person at any of the presentations
and meetings, by e-mail to ODFW.Comments at state.or.us, by fax to
503-947-6009, or by mail to ODFW Director's Office, 3406 Cherry Avenue
NE, Salem, OR 97303-4924.

More information about the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy
and the related development process can be obtained at
www.dfw.state.or.us or by calling Gail McEwen at 503-947-6044 or
Holly Michael at 503-947-6321.


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