The Columbia Press
January 22, 2021
5
Status of three threatened state species reviewed, unchanged
The tufted puffin, north-
ern spotted owl and mon-
arch butterfly – all prevalent
species in Oregon – recently
have had their federal pro-
tected statuses reviewed.
While none showed prog-
ress, their status remained
unchanged.
Tufted puffin
The puffin, a charismatic
seabird with flamboyant fa-
cial features, doesn’t warrant
listing as threatened or en-
dangered under the Endan-
gered Species Act, according
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
“The tufted puffin is an es-
sential member of the coast-
al and marine ecosystems in
which it resides,” said Stew-
art Cogswell, a supervisor for
Fish and Wildlife. “Although
the species does not warrant
listing under the Endangered
Species Act, we will contin-
ue to work with others to
monitor and conserve this
iconic seabird throughout its
range.”
The finding follows a com-
prehensive review, Cogswell
said.
The tufted puffin fishes the
deep open ocean for much of
the year, but in summer can
be seen nesting in burrows
on islands and cliffs along the
coast from California to Alas-
ka.
The most recent population
estimate is 3 million birds.
Most of the population ap-
pears to demonstrate stable
or increasing trends, accord-
ing to the agency. But it’s im-
pacted by climate change, oil
spills and other threats, Cog-
swell said.
The service’s status review
found that there are fewer
puffins in the southern end of
its range, but the species con-
tinues to be widely distribut-
ed across the northern part of
its range and maintains high
overall abundance.
Northern
spotted owl
The owl’s status
as “threatened”
will remain, the
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
decided.
The agency gave
it a “warranted but
precluded” find-
ing, which means
Ram Papish, USFW
a reclassification
Tufted
puffin
from threatened
to endangered is warranted,
tions under the Endangered
but the service won’t make the
Species Act, nor substantially
change because other endan-
impact the conservation of
gered species have been given
spotted owls.
higher priority.
Fish and Wildlife vowed
This decision is based on a
to continue working with
scientific report reviewed by
federal and state agencies,
academic, industry and re-
timber interests, and other
source agency experts. The
stakeholders to conserve the
primary threat is competition
spotted owl’s territory while
from the aggressive and in-
supporting timber harvest
vasive barred owl. Ongoing
and rural communities, the
habitat loss, primarily from
agency said.
wildfire, constitutes an addi-
An experiment was initi-
tional threat.
ated in 2013 to test whether
A change in status from
the removal of barred owls is
threatened to endangered
feasible. Preliminary results
would not result in any ad-
have been promising.
ditional regulatory restric-
County has open budget panel seats
If you’ve got a head for num-
bers, Clatsop County has a spot
for you.
The county needs citizens to
serve on several local budget
committees.
The citizen committees re-
view proposed budgets and
make recommendations to
the county commission. Each
committee is made up of five
county commissioners and five
residents.
The committees generally
meet in May to review the pro-
posed budgets.
Open seats:
• Clatsop County Budget
Committee: One full term end-
ing Feb. 28, 2024, represent-
ing District 3 and a one un-
expired term ending Feb. 28,
2022, representing District 4.
• Road District 1 Budget
Committee: Two full terms
ending Feb. 28, 2024, and two
unexpired terms ending Feb.
28, 2023. Applicants must live
in an unincorporated area of
the county.
• Westport Sewer Service
District Budget Committee:
Two full terms; members must
be residents of the sewer dis-
trict.
• 4-H & Extension District
Budget Committee: Three full
terms ending Feb. 28, 2024.
Deadline to apply is Feb. 8.
The County Commission will
make the appointments.
Applications are available
online at co.clatsop.or.us or by
calling 503-325-1000.
Monarch butterfly
Monarch butterfly
As with the spotted owl, the
assessment of the butterfly’s
status will be “warranted but
precluded.”
During the past 20 years,
scientists have noted declines
in North American monarchs
overwintering in Mexico and
California, where the butter-
flies cluster.
USFW
Northern spotted owl
The agency has added the
monarch butterfly to the
endangered candidate list
and assigned it a listing pri-
ority number that indicates
threats are moderate yet im-
minent.
Monarchs are known for
their phenomenal spring
and fall migrations, traveling
across the continent to and
from wintering sites.