ODFW
ODFW
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Portland Audubon
$8,821
The Pacific Coast population of the Snowy Plover is an Oregon Conservation Strategy species and is listed as Threatened by ODFW and the USFWS. Snowy Plovers historically occurred on dunes / beaches along the Oregon Coast, but by the early 1990s the population had dwindled to fewer than 50 breeding birds. Intensive management has led to population growth, and today there are over 500 breeding birds in Oregon. Snowy Plovers have recolonized some north coast sites that had been unoccupied for over 40 years. This species is on the road to recovery, but maintenance of the population depends on monitoring and adaptive management. The Plover Patrol Program was initiated by OPRD and in partnership with Portland Audubon since 2018 with the aim of bolstering Snowy Plover recovery efforts on the north coast. Plover Patrol provides an enhanced breeding bird monitoring and outreach program utilizing community scientist volunteers. As dictated by the Beach Bill, OPRD is responsible for recreational management of Oregon ‘s ocean shore while also conserving Snowy Plovers. In this proposal we are requesting funds to include a new partner in Plover Patrol: Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC), part of the Institute for Natural Resources. Due to COVID-19 related budget cuts, OPRD capacity has been severely reduced. Support from ORBIC will enable the necessary ESA-mandated training and seasonal check-ins with Portland Audubon ‘s Volunteer Coordinator (as OPRD had done in the past). Once the Volunteer Coordinator is trained under the ESA sub-permit, the Coordinator can then legally train new community science volunteers. Without this support, this program will be in jeopardy since critical support from ORBIC is necessary to successfully execute the overall project. The long-term goal of this project is to bring back stable nesting populations of Snowy Plovers to all 4 north coast Snowy Plover Management Areas and meet the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) goals in Oregon.