DNR’s plan to protect it will reduce timber harvests on state trust lands. The BNR alternative fails to incorporate the best available science for recovery of marbled murrelets that nest in older forests across western Washington. Timber-producing areas in western Washington never recovered, and I’m told the marbled murrelet may be the last straw for around 1,200 people in the timber industry. Requires department to conduct murrelet surveys on private forestland prior to harvest. These sea-birds are small — only about the size of a robin — and get their name from the marbling pattern of black, gray and white that covers their backs during the non-breeding season. The marbled murrelet DPS in Washington, Oregon, and California continues to warrant protection under the Act, for the reasons described in the 12-month Finding on a Petition to Remove the Marbled Murrelet from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2010 . take action to protect a threatened or endangered . PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation groups submitted petitions today asking the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Board of Forestry to take new measures to better identify and protect important forest areas for protected marbled murrelets. In 2013, the Washington State Audubon Conservation Committee (WSACC) adopted a resolution to support science-based conservation strategies, planning, and policies for the endangered Marbled Murrelets in our state forests. Marbled Murrelets are secretive and nest as solitary pairs at low densities, typically in old-growth forests within 30 km of the sea. It reminds me of the heavy-handed federal action years ago to protect the spotted owl. PORT ANGELES — The final environmental impact statement for the long-term conservation of the marbled murrelet on state timber lands has been released as the state nears the end of more than 20 years of gridlock on how best to protect the threatened bird. The Port Orford resident with a bachelor of science in field biology is a co-founder of Coast Range Forest Watch, an all-volunteer group that does citizen science to protect the coast range forests. About The marbled murrelet is a member of the auk family, which includes birds like auklets, guillemots, and puffins. The BNR alternative does not preserve enough older forest habitat for the rapidly and steadily declining murrelet population. From 2014 to 2016, for example, marine prey plummeted in parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean due to a massive heat wave known as “The Blob.” Such episodes could portend a future under the influence of climate change—and yet another challenge for the Marbled Murrelet. Greater Protections Sought for Threatened Marbled Murrelets in Oregon. Board Petition Proposed Rule. Marbled murrelets do not breed until they are several years old, and adults do not necessarily breed every year. In Canada, Marbled Murrelets are found only on Canada’s Pacific coast. species. Help Protect the Marbled Murrelet in Washington State. Some experts believe that, even under ideal circumstances, more than 50% of marbled murrelet nests fall victim to predation. If ocean conditions are unfavorable, the murrelet may not even breed at all. After more than two decades, state and federal agencies are finally developing a long-term conservation plan that could protect and restore marbled mur­­relets in Washington. Marbled Murrelet surveys are a big part of what they do. Marbled Murrelet populations are in decline, particularly in Washington, Oregon, and California. WILD NW Action Alert #283: Through Thursday, 12/6, you can help protect endangered marbled murrelets and their habitat. For today, we are celebrating the fact that Oregon Department of Forestry and its Board is taking a step in the right direction in the conservation of marbled murrelet for … We, the U.S. Clean-cut in a slacks and tie, Max does not look the stereotype of a forest defender. When murrelets are breeding, they molt to a plain brown plumage. “These protections still don’t go far enough—to save the marbled murrelet we need to protect the near-shore areas it needs for feeding and the remaining old-growth forest habitat in Oregon, Washington, and California,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), request public comment in regard to our designation of critical habitat for the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). What is the future of Washington state's forests? And its acceptance by the Board is a small victory on a long path to protecting murrelet habitat in Oregon. In 2018, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to list the marbled murrelet as an endangered species, then reversed itself. Marbled murrelet: Photo Rick Bowers / Audubon.