WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- Washington's State Wildlife Action Plan, which identifies 268 fish and wildlife species with the greatest conservation needs, has been updated and state officials are taking public comment through Sept. 11.

The plan describes key risks to those species and conservation measures designed to ensure their long-term survival.

The draft plan is available on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website, along with instructions for submitting comments.

WDFW staff will provide an overview of the plan via webinar on Aug. 20. Registration information on the webinar is available on the website noted above. 

“This updated plan is designed to guide agency priorities, research efforts and conservation actions over the next decade,” said Penny Becker, WDFW’s wildlife diversity manager. “It will also qualify our state to continue receiving federal grants aimed at conserving fish and wildlife species at risk of decline.”

States are required to develop wildlife action plans and update them every 10 years to qualify for State Wildlife Grants (SWG), administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

WDFW developed Washington’s first plan – then called a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan – in 2005, Becker said. Since then, the state has received $1.2 million in SWG funding for conservation activities each year, she said.

Projects supported by those funds range from restoring habitat for the greater sage grouse in Eastern Washington to reintroducing the native fisher on the Olympic Peninsula.

“A major goal of the federal wildlife grants is to help states keep common species common,” Becker said. “That is also a key goal of our state action plan.”