State Wildlife Action Plan updated for 2026 amid proposed federal funding rollbacks
By Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle
More than 320 species of plants and animals living in Oregon are in need of greater protection, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, up from 294 about a decade ago, the last time the agency updated its State Wildlife Action Plan.
The 2026 plan, adopted by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission on Aug. 15, outlines what the state’s conservation priorities should be to maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations. The last time it was updated was in 2016. Since then, 27 species were added, including porcupines, Western grebe, California condors and sea otters.
States must update their wildlife action plans every 10 years to qualify for federal and tribal wildlife grants. Oregon’s fish and wildlife agency has until October to submit their updated plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approval.
Despite being billed as an action plan, the state fish and wildlife department does not get consistent, dedicating funding to undertake conservation and species protection work. Lawmakers earlier this year introduced a bill that would have increased the state’s transient lodging tax from 1.5% to 2.5% to ensure regular and robust funding for wildlife conservation programs meant to address the needs of species on the state’s list. The bill passed the Oregon House, but it died upon adjournment before it could reach the Senate.
To learn more about the State Wildlife Action Plan, visit the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
“Oregon is home to some of the most iconic wildlife in the country, from puffins to pika, salmon to sand hill cranes,” Oregon Wild Wildlife Program Manager Danielle Moser said in a statement, “but our wildlife is facing a very real extinction crisis. Without dedicated funding, Oregon’s conservation plan is just words on paper.”
Oregon is 5th among states with the highest number of at-risk animals in the U.S., according to a 2023 report by Virginia-based nonprofit conservation group NatureServe. More than half of Oregon’s amphibian species, 10% of the state’s bird species and 20% of all reptile species are already in decline.
Meanwhile, federal support for conservation is facing cuts. Trump administration officials have proposed cutting U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s 2026 budget by $170 million, and proposed rolling back species protections enshrined under the Endangered Species Act.
“The Trump administration’s attacks on wildlife conservation make clear: the federal government is abandoning its responsibility, and states like Oregon will need to step up,” Moser said.
Mia Maldonado covers Oregon and state legislature with a focus on social services for Oregon Capital Chronicle. She started her career in journalism with Oregon Capital Chronicle’s sister outlet in Idaho, the Idaho Capital Sun.
