Bird watchers spend $36 billion annually in pursuit of their hobby. In doing so, they contribute significantly to the economies of the birding places they visit in Oregon. Along with their binoculars and cameras, bird watchers bring their dollars to spend on food, lodging, entertainment, gifts, and other services. Many birders pursue their passion throughout …
During drought, sagebrush plants produce fewer stems, leaves, and flowering shoots, resulting in a smaller canopy coverage. Drought can reduce perennial grass and forb production and result in smaller insect populations. Both forbs and insects are of dietary importance to sage-grouse during brood rearing. During dry years, sage-grouse shift to wet meadow areas earlier in …
Coastal Ecotourism Ecotourism along the Oregon Coast is a rapidly growing sector of the hospitality industry. While all of Oregon’s ecoregions have excellent ecotourism opportunities, the Coast Range currently has the greatest economic activity directly linked to healthy fish and wildlife populations. The Oregon coast also enjoys some of the highest expenditures on wildlife viewing …
Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides, such as purifying and cooling water or storing carbon dioxide. Worldwide, there is growing interest in harnessing market forces to drive conservation and restoration. Market-based approaches to ecosystem services can: Provide a pivotal link between people willing to pay for actions that improve and protect our environment …
2012 was a very significant year in wildlife conservation. Our nation’s symbol, the Bald Eagle, was removed from the Oregon state threatened species list. Its recovery has been called “remarkable” and “amazing”. In 1963, only 487 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles remained in the nation. The pesticide DDT, habitat loss, and illegal shooting had taken …
Restoring a Cultural and Ecological Landscape in the West Cascades Foothills The West Cascades foothills once had extensive woodlands and savannas of widely-spaced, large Oregon white oak, ponderosa pine, and Douglas-fir trees with a grass and wildflower understory. Native Americans are thought to have maintained these habitats through the use of fire, which produced forage …
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s (RMEF) work doesn’t always conjure up a vision of aquatic preservation, but the John Day Headwaters Project has changed that. In December 2013, after years of dedication and hard work, RMEF acquired 13,082 key acres of private lands in the headwaters of the John Day River (shown in red, above), …
The Luckiamute Watershed Council began a knotweed control program in 2010 with willing landowners along the upper Luckiamute River. Japanese knotweed is labeled one of the world’s worst invasive species by the World Conservation Union. After a few years of successful outreach and ongoing control, the Council pursued funding for the remaining extent of the …
Tiny but not Forgotten Millicoma dace are tiny forage fish found only in the Coos and Millicoma rivers. It had been nearly 20 years since anyone checked in on this Oregon native, but in 2014 ODFW’s Native Fish Investigations Program (NFIP) and the Charleston Fish District partnered with Oregon State University to survey the fish. …
Cooperation between landowners, non-profit organizations, and state and federal agencies that began decades ago resulted in a remarkable feat: in 2014, the Oregon chub was the first fish to be taken off the Endangered Species List since the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted 40 years ago. When Oregon chub were listed in 1993 as …