PNW Saves

Thank you to all of our PNW Saves followers! We hope you learned something new about endangered animals in the PNW and the different charities that work to conserve them these past few weeks.

The Defenders of Wildlife Northwest region is dedicated to promoting proactive wildlife conservation legislation at the state level for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

The decline of the Oregon silverspot in Washington is directly attributed to habitat destruction. The development of residential and business establishments, public parkland development, and parking areas or lawns destroy the butterfly's dwellings. Excessive use of salt-spray meadows by grazing animals and off-road vehicles also contributes to this. Additionally, fire suppression, herbicide/pesticide applications, and the introduction of non-native plants also contributed to the decline of this buttertly.

The Department of Wildlife has been conducting management and recovery efforts aimed at acquiring and restoring suitable habitat since 1990.

Time is running out for the streaked horned lark, prompting the Audubon Society of Portland and the Center for Biological Diversity to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday to list the species as endangered — rather than threatened, its current status — under the Endangered Species Act.

This week's endangered species is the Oregon Silverspot Butterfly.

1991 was the first time a population of salmon in the Pacific Northwest was declared to be endangered.

Climate change is exacerbating a significant number of challenges facing salmon, including habitat loss, stormwater pollution, stream temperature, predation and barriers to migration.

Communities for a Healthy Bay is a small Tacoma, WA, based environmental non-profit organization with a focus on preserving and supporting Commencement Bay and its surrounding waterways.

The largest threat to the Pygmy Rabbit population is the degredation and destruction of their sagebrush habitats through fires, drought, and human development. In recent years, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have made great efforts to conserve the Pygmy Rabbit population in the PNW. By constructing artifical pens that can be moved to safer locations, their long-term survival rate increased 8-10%, to a total of 40%, in 2021.

In the Pacific Northwest, five landscapes are being prioritized for investments. In Washington state, they include the Northeast Washington landscape on the Colville National Forest and the central Washington initiative on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest. In Oregon, they include the Central Oregon landscape on the Deschutes National Forest, the landscape around the Mount Hood National Forest, and the Klamath River Basin landscape, which includes portions of the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Oregon as well as several California forests.

This week's Animal Spotlight is on the Pygmy Rabbit! They are the smallest rabbit species in North America and are identified by their short ears and tiny back legs. You can find these creatures hiding in tall sagebrush near water features.

The recent European green crab invasion has proven to be a major concern. The invasive crabs have no natural predators in the Pacific Northwest – their arrival has sounded alarm bells within the science community. In 2022, Gov. Jay Inslee bumped the species profile when he issued an emergency order to increase tracking, and eradication efforts.

Northern giant hornets spotted in Whatcom County can wipe out an entire honeybee colony. There is a concern that if the species were to establish itself in the Pacific Northwest it would eventually work its way throughout the United States. That would be detrimental to the U.S. agricultural industry – farms ship in honeybee colonies to pollinate crops.

Gypsy moths are regularly discovered in Washington communities – they are capable of damaging entire forests, nurseries and parks. The USDA estimates that the moth causes $30 million worth of damage a year.

Wolves, rabbits, orcas, salmon, and many more animals who call the Pacific Northwest home are considered endangered. The time to act is now.

"An animal is considered threatened or endangered when there are so few of them left that they are in danger of becoming extinct. Extinct means that there are no more of these animals alive anywhere in the world."