SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015
Oregon chub removed from Endangered Species List
CORVALLIS — The Oregon
chub has become the first fish
in the United States to be taken
off the federal Endangered
Species List as the result of
population recovery.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service announced the delist-
ing today during a ceremony at
Finley National Wildlife
Refuge near Corvallis, which
provides habitat for Oregon
chub.
Listed as endangered in 1993
when there were only about
1,000 fish remaining, the
Oregon chub has grown to an
estimated 140,000 fish. The
recovery was attributed to a
multi-agency campaign to
recover the Oregon chub popu-
lation through securing new
habitat, improving floodplain
management and transplanting
fish to more than 20 new loca-
tions.
Curt Melcher, director of the
Oregon Department of Fish and
Sailors
from 1B
After finding themselves
trailing by a single basket at the
end of the first period, 14-12,
the Sailors went on a 10-3 scor-
ing run in the second quarter to
enter the half leading 22-17.
Sophomore guard Hunter
Simington sparked the second-
dam construction, and agricul-
tural practices, coupled with
competition and predation from
the introduction of nonnative
species such as bass, bluegill
and mosquitofish.
The recovery effort was
spearheaded by the Oregon
Chub Working Group, which
includes representatives from
the ODFW, USFWS, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.
Forest Service, Oregon State
Parks, Oregon State University,
the McKenzie River Trust and
the Grand Ronde Tribe and oth-
ers.
The voluntary assistance of
private landowners was also
pivotal to the recovery effort,
according to Brian Bangs,
ODFW’s Oregon chub project
leader.
For more information, visit
ODFW’s Oregon chub web-
page at www.dfw.state.or.us/
fish/species/chub.asp.
Wildlife, said Oregon is proud
to have the first fish to achieve
delisting and hailed this accom-
plishment as a major milestone
under the Endangered Species
Act and a testament to the
power of cooperation and col-
laboration.
“The Oregon chub is the first
fish in the nation to be recov-
ered under the Endangered
Species Act because of the sus-
tained effort by many individu-
als and organizations,” said
Melcher. “Collaborating and
applying the best possible sci-
ence helped recover the Oregon
chub and benefited many other
species as well.
“Our success here is a good
reminder that by working
together species recovery is
possible.”
The
Oregon
chub
(Oregonichthys crameri) is a
small minnow found only in
the Willamette River basin of
western Oregon. This little
speckled fish reaches a maxi-
mum length of three inches and
spends its entire life in low
velocity sloughs and marshes.
At one time, Oregon chub
thrived throughout lowland
areas of the Willamette Valley.
However,
its
numbers
declined due to habitat losses
associated with flood control,
period rally with a steal and
fastbreak bucket to tie the score
at 14. Senior forward Chris
Free then nabbed a steal and
put the Sailors ahead on a fast-
break lay-up.
Though Alsea was able to
sink a 3-pointer on its next pos-
session, it was the only basket
of the quarter for them as the
Sailors high-pressure defense
forced multiple turnovers and
blocked shots, along with extra
possessions from rebounding
by freshman post Dominic
Wells and senior guard Jack
Hardisty.
Coming back from the half,
Alsea managed to score a pair
of quick buckets before the
Sailors made an adjustment on
defense, forcing the Wolverines
to rethink their offensive strate-
gy. Meanwhile, rebounding
from Free and Wells held Alsea
to single-shot opportunities,
with pressure from sophomore
Tyler Packebush and Hardisty
at the point limiting those
shooting opportunities.
The Sailors entered the
fourth quarter ahead 39-29 as
Tucker held Alsea’s top scorer,
Micah DeWolfe, to just 11
points in the game.
Tucker and Free scored the
first five points of the period as
the Sailors went on to outscore
the Wolverines 12-10 in the
quarter and secure the win, 52-
41.
Ford led all scoring with 22
points, eight rebounds, three
steals and one blocked shot.
Free had his third-consecutive
double-double with 14 points
and 12 rebounds. Simington
had nine points, three rebounds
and five steals. Wells had five
points, eight rebounds, one
steal and a blocked shot.
Hardisty had three points
and six rebounds for the
Sailors.
“It feels great,” Free said
after the win. “No one on this
team has ever made it this far
into the playoffs, and that was
one of our goals this season.”
Today, the Sailors will face
Lowell for a chance to secure a
trip to the state 1A playoffs.
Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at
Northern Christian University,
828 E. 11th Ave., in Eugene.
Admission is $5 for adults,
$3 for students and senior citi-
zens, and $4 for children in
kindergarten through eighth
grades.
Ranger District and ONDRA
District Ranger. “I feel the end
result is a decision that
addresses the complex issues
on the dunes, including public
access for recreation and
ecosystem restoration needs.”
With the designated routes
decision now final, the Forest
Service will begin implementa-
tion this spring. Initial imple-
mentation will include posting
signs and notices identifying
which areas and routes are
open to motorized use.
Public education regarding
the management changes will
be the primary focus of imple-
mentation efforts. Also as part
of implementation, user-creat-
ed routes that have not be des-
ignated in the final ROD will
be signed as closed, blocked, or
allowed to naturally revegetate,
and will no longer be available
for motorized use.
The Siuslaw National Forest
is now focusing attention on
the Dunes Restoration Strategy,
a multi-partner collaborative
effort aimed at planning and
implementing
ecological
restoration of the Oregon
Dunes.
Facilitated by the Forest
Service, the Dunes Restoration
Strategy brings together stake-
holders representing a variety
of interests (including motor-
ized and non-motorized recre-
ation advocates, biologists,
community members, and
more) to focus on the mutual
goal of restoring the ecological
functionality of the Oregon
Dunes.
To view the final ROD, visit
www.fs.usda.gov/project.
PHOTO BY RICK SWART/ODFW
Oregon chub, which are found exclusively in Oregon’s
Willamette Valley, were listed as “endangered” under the
Endangered Species Act in 1993. Recently, the chub made
history after becoming the first fish to be taken off the
Endangered Species List because its population has increased
to the point where it no longer faces extinction.
Decision
from 1B
of public input we received
related to this project,” says
Michele Jones, Central Coast
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