The non-listing of Oregon Coast coho was a point of pride for Oregon, a demonstration that reevaluating the science could show that the fish were really healthy and the Oregon Plan was sufficient to continue protecting them into the future. The magistrate found otherwise; in the rather devastating language of the law, she wrote that the decision not to list the coho was “arbitrary and capricious.” The Oregon Governor’s office and the state fish and wildlife agency believes that having a species on the endangered species list discourages cooperation with landowners. TU’s experience in other states, particularly in California and Washington, is that ESA listings encourage collaboration and provide funding for collaborative projects. TU will increase our efforts to “walk the talk” of collaborative, volunteer recovery projects through our Oregon Council and Portland-area chapters, as well as in conversations with the state to identify local candidate projects for cooperation.
Oregon Coast Coho Press Release
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