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In 2002, the federal State Wildlife Grants program provided funding nationwide for wildlife conservation planning. To receive funding, each state and territory was required to develop a comprehensive State Wildlife Action Plan. The purpose of these plans is to chart a course for conservation by promoting strategic and voluntary conservation actions that benefit at-risk species and their habitats, and in so doing, reduce the possibility of future federal or state listings under the Endangered Species Act. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies website provides additional information on the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program as well as information about state wildlife action plans and the conservation planning efforts of other states.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) took the lead in planning for Oregon and developed the Oregon Conservation Strategy. This was an ambitious project to synthesize the best available science and knowledge into a broad vision and conceptual framework for the long-term conservation of Oregon's native terrestrial, aquatic, and estuarine fish and wildlife, and their habitats. The Oregon Nearshore Strategy, prepared by ODFW’s Marine Resources Program, is the marine component of the Oregon Conservation Strategy providing details on nearshore marine fish and wildlife, their habitats, and conservation needs. The Oregon Nearshore Strategy also stands on its own for readers interested specifically in marine issues. Together these documents were first adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2005 and published in 2006 to assist the Department in developing a strategy and partnerships for the long-term sustainable management of Oregon’s fish, wildlife and their habitat.
In 2012 several new components were added to the Oregon Nearshore Strategy. The Marine Resources Program reviewed the progress made implementing the recommendations of the Nearshore Strategy from the time it was published through 2011. Significant progress and new information from both ODFW research programs and academic institutions enhanced our knowledge about Oregon’s Nearshore marine environment, its species and habitats. After a review and evaluation of its implementation, ODFW published Oregon Nearshore Strategy Implementation: Six Years – Progress to Date and Next Steps. Global climate change was added as the seventh key conservation issue in the Oregon Conservation Strategy in June of 2012. The Marine Resources Program examined the potential effects of global climate change on Oregon's Nearshore environment and resources. These effects are laid out in a technical supplement designed for use by resource managers and decision makers and in a series of fact sheets focused on open water, subtidal, and intertidal habitats and species that live there.
State Wildlife Plans are living documents. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires each U.S. state and territory receiving State Wildlife Grants to review and update its State Wildlife Action Plan at least every 10 years. In 2015 after an extensive public process reviewing and updating the Oregon Conservation Strategy and Nearshore Strategy, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the updated documents for submission to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These documents have now been integrated into a cohesive whole and brought to life in a new web-enabled version featuring pictures, videos, and interactive features to search for topics of interest about Oregon’s fish and wildlife species, their habitats, and many of the conservation issues they face.
The updated Nearshore Strategy provides a wealth of information on key nearshore species and habitats, information gaps and needs, and opportunities for public/private conservation actions and partnerships. Updates include:
- The term “Nearshore” was expanded to include all of Oregon’s Territorial Sea, shoreline areas in the supratidal zone, and portions of Oregon’s estuaries;
- New information on coastal communities;
- Reorganization to make it easier to find information on species, habitats, factors affecting species and habitats, and updated research and monitoring needs;
- Revisions to species lists based on new information, inclusion of estuaries in the definition of Nearshore, and integration with the Oregon Conservation Strategy;
- Incorporation of the federally-adopted Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard to describe habitats;
- Extensive information on the effects of global climate change and ocean acidification on Oregon’s nearshore and coastal waters;
- Updated recommendations for 1) Education and Outreach; 2) Research and Monitoring; 3) Management and Policy
The Strategy is designed help inspire Oregonians to explore, appreciate and protect our state’s natural resources. We invite you to explore the new web-enabled Oregon Nearshore Strategy.
To find out more about the Oregon Nearshore Strategy, the Oregon Conservation Strategy, or to provide input please use the contact information provided below.
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