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OCTOBER 2006
October brings news of increased collaboration and a widening awareness of the Strategy among individuals, groups and state and federal agencies. If you are involved in a Strategy project, we’d like to hear from you and share the progress of your project with the coalition of Oregonians interested in the conservation of the state’s natural resources.
Contents
Frog Survey Makes a Splash
Conservation Registry Site Launched
Strategy Informs USFS Restoration Project
Feral Swine Degrade Habitat
Wildlife Movement Strategy Seeks Supporters
Teaming with Wildlife: 103 strong
Frog Survey Makes a Splash
Counting foothill yellow-legged frogs isn’t always easy. Adults often sit at the water's edge ready to take a dive if danger appears. A splash might be the only clue that they are there. But accounting for them is important as this frog has experienced a severe—more than 50 percent— contraction in its overall geographic range and has been eliminated from almost 60 percent of historically occupied sites in Oregon. The Willamette Basin has experienced some of the highest losses, as frogs are known to exist at only one of 14 historical localities within the drainage.
The good news is that, with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rombough Herpetological Consultants and ODFW staff are surveying up to 547 miles of stream in the Santiam and Calapooia basins. The project will develop and test a protocol that could be used to efficiently survey for the frog throughout its remaining range in Oregon. Knowing locations where frogs are present will allow ODFW and interested landowners to develop conservation strategies and prevent further decline. For more information, contact Peg Boulay, Peg.C.Boulay@odfw.oregon.gov
Like salmon, the yellow-legged frog depends on clean, free-flowing rivers and streams with active gravel bars. It lives in the valleys and foothills of Oregon and California. Its name is derived from the pale yellow to golden hues of the underside of its legs.More information on foothill yellow-legged frogs
Conservation Registry Site Launched
An informational site about the Conservation Registry is now available. The Registry itself will be online late this year or early in 2007. In the meantime interested individuals can learn more about the system and register to receive updates.
Strategy Informs USFS Restoration Project
While Jeff Bohler, U.S. Forest Service district wildlife biologist, was planning a project to rejuvenate shrublands to restore mountain quail habitat and improve hunting opportunities in the Umpqua National Forest, he consulted the Oregon Conservation Strategy.
“We use the Conservation Strategy to help us focus our work on the highest priority species within the forest area,” Jeff said. “The information and guidance it provides allows us to do the right things with limited resources.”
The conservation area, within the Diamond Lake District, is a Ceanothus shrubland―one of the priority specialized and local habitats in the Strategy. The project will benefit a number of Strategy species and other wildlife, including upland game birds, songbirds, reptiles, butterflies and other invertebrates. It also addresses a key conservation issue―invasive species management―through mowing and conifer removal.
This project,led by the U.S. Forest Service, Douglas County and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and supported by ODFW’s Bird Stamp Program, highlights the role partnerships have in addressing habitat needs of game and nongame wildlife and in supporting recreational land use by both sportsmen and wildlife watchers. For more information, contact Jeff at jbohler@fs.fed.us
Feral Swine Degrade Habitat
A recent sighting of two sow swine on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns is disconcerting to wildlife managers and landowners for good reason. Highly adaptable, feral swine can wreak havoc on wild ecosystems. They are responsible for depredation on native wildlife and degradation of forest, meadow and stream habitat.
While plans are under way to remove the pigs from the Refuge, this sighting highlights why ODFW staff have recently stepped up efforts to better determine how many of these destructive animals there are in Oregon and exactly where they are. Jim Gores, ODFW invasive species coordinator, is working with ODFW wildlife biologists as well as managers and field staff for the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Parks, Oregon Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to gather more information on feral swine. The goal is to remove them and prevent their expansion in the state.
For this effort to be successful, we need the help of all landowners and conservation groups. If you see feral swine on public or private property, please report them to the contacts below. Feral swine often look like domestic pigs, but they are deemed feral once they are no longer confined. Rototiller-type diggings along streams, in meadows or on hillsides can be evidence that feral swine live in an area. Please call Jim at 503-947-6308 or 1-866-INVADER.
Expect more information on this subject as Jim was recently appointed chairman of the Oregon Invasive Species Council’s subcommittee on feral swine. E-mail Jim at James.K.Gores@dfw.state.or.us
Wildlife Movement Strategy Seeks Supporters
Last month’s newsletter announced the formation of the Wildlife Movement Strategy team whose goals are to:
- Maintain and improve existing conditions suitable for natural movement of animals across the landscape;
- Improve safety for the traveling public;
- Provide a venue for interagency cooperation and collaboration on wildlife movement issues in Oregon; and
- Develop guidance and recommendations for stakeholders to address wildlife movement.
If you are interested in participating in this effort, contact Audrey Hatch, audrey.c.hatch@odfw.oregon.gov or Melinda Trask, melinda.trask@odot.or.us Please indicate how you are interested in being involved, i.e., attending working group meetings, reviewing draft reports, being notified of major milestones and projects.
Teaming with Wildlife: 103 strong
As of October 10, 2006 Oregon has 103 Teaming with Wildlife coalition members, bringing the national Teaming Coalition to 4,541 members. This is a wonderful show of support by Oregonians—one which exceeds the goal set for the states by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Our 100th coalition member was Governor Kulongoski who said in his letter of support: “Oregon is very fortunate to have a rich diversity of fish, wildlife and habitat and it is up to every Oregonian to help ensure this legacy is passed to future generations in a healthy state. As Governor of the State of Oregon, I am very pleased to endorse the Teaming with Wildlife initiative which is already showing great promise to meet this challenge.”
National Teaming with Wildlife staff continue to focus on future funding levels for the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program―our nation's primary conservation program for keeping species healthy and off the list of threatened and endangered species. There is still time to influence the final SWG appropriation until Congress reconvenes in December. Call or write legislators on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and urge them to support the Senate’s higher $67.5 million SWG funding level. Members of the Appropriations Committees
Several additional organizations have expressed interest in joining Oregon’s Teaming ranks so we expect to keep growing. For more information, contact Martin Nugent at martin.nugent@.state.or.us or visit https://www.teaming.com/
Send us Your News
Thank you for your interest and support.
Holly Michael, Conservation Strategy Coordinator
Meg Kenagy, Editor and Strategy Media Coordinator
Contact Information
Meg Kenagy
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
503-947-6021
meg.b.kenagy@odfw.oregon.gov
www.dfw.state.or.us
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