| Environmental Principles and Priorities: Endangered Species |
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| Why is this important? What are the key issues? |
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Recreational and commercial fishing are important contributors to Oregon’s economy, particularly for many coastal communities, yet over the last twenty years, several fish, wildlife and plant species in Oregon have been listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). When species are listed under the ESA it means they have declined to a point where they are at risk of extinction, and while there have been ESA listed species in Oregon for a number of years, the most recent listings have affected almost every part of Oregon – including Oregon’s Native American Tribes. The decline of these fish species occurred because of: overharvest; decline in high quality fresh water habitat; poor ocean conditions; and hatchery practices.
ESA listing decisions and a series of court challenges to them resulted in federal recovery planning efforts taking a back seat to the listing process until 2005. Oregon developed the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds to begin its own state led recovery efforts in advance of federal recovery plans being completed. (http://www.oregon-plan.org )
ESA listings place limits on everything we do from commercial fishing to recreation. They also increase the regulatory burden of doing business in Oregon whether it is protecting or restoring habitat or other economic ventures, all activities must go through added regulatory red tape to ensure there hasn’t been a “take” of a listed species.
Protecting our at-risk habitat is important, but in order for the ESA to work effectively it must provide regulatory certainty and incentives for landowners and businesses, to participate in actions that will support the recovery of listed species.
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| My Strategies |
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The Governor’s Natural Resources Office (GNRO) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), are working with Federal NOAA Fisheries, stakeholders and several state natural resource agencies, to complete a project that addresses the conservation of Oregon Coastal coho to meet the following objectives:
- Develop a conservation/recovery plan for Coastal Coho. The Coast Coho Conservation Plan is now available for public review and comment at http://www.oregon-plan.org/OPSW/cohoproject/coho_proj.shtml
- The GNRO and ODFW, working with NOAA Fisheries, stakeholders and several state natural resource agencies, will develop and implement conservation/recovery plans for salmonids listed in the Lower Columbia, Upper Willamette, Mid-Columbia, Snake and South Coast areas.
- The state is pursuing ESA legal assurances for those activities carried out that are consistent with the Oregon Plan and conservation/recovery plans approved by ODFW and NOAA Fisheries.
- The GNRO is monitoring and participating in Congressional efforts to reform the ESA to ensure that protections needed for at-risk species are not weakened while procedural obstacles to gaining public participation in recovery efforts are addressed.
- The state is monitoring and participating in efforts by NOAA Fisheries and US Fish and Wildlife Service to complete Biological Opinions for the Columbia and Willamette River dams.
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