The content in this section is updated when new information is available. If you have corrections or additions, please e-mail us at kkelly@defenders.org. To learn more about this state, see the highlighted categories to the right.

Updated 05-06

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Oregon is a rich and diverse state, with landscapes ranging from lush coastal forests and alpine meadows to arid grasslands and the sagebrush steppe of the high desert. Although relatively undeveloped compared to many areas of the world, the landscape and its associated native plants and animals have been profoundly affected by human activities in the last two hundred years.

In 1998, Defenders of Wildlife published Oregon's Living Landscape: Strategies and Opportunities to Conserve Biodiversity. The book contains an assessment of Oregon's habitats and species, organized by ecoregion, and identified 42 different "conservation opportunity areas," which if conserved would go a long way to protecting the full spectrum of biodiversity in the state. Click here to read about the Oregon Biodiversity Project.

In 2005, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife completed a Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy and submitted it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for acceptance. The strategy was developed by the agency with involvement from a broad group of technical experts and stakeholders. Click here to read the comprehensive strategy.

The primary source of funding for conservation in Oregon is the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. In 1998, Oregon Voters approved a constitutional amendment that allocated 15 percent of the state's lottery revenue to habitat and parks. Approximately $25 million per year is available for conservation projects including fish and wildlife habitat protection and restoration . Click here to read more.

Partnerships have become the primary vehicle for large-scale habitat conservation efforts in Oregon. Since 1991, private groups and government agencies working through the Oregon Habitat Joint Venture have conserved more than 150,000 acres of high-value habitat, ranging from estuaries and desert marshes to floodplain forests, oak woodlands, and grasslands. Click here to read more.

Oregon has a number of incentive programs for private landowners to assist them in conserving habitat. For a summary of Oregon's incentive programs, click here.

In 2001, the Oregon Legislature created the Institute for Natural Resources as part of the Sustainability Act. The Institute's role is to create credible, policy-relevant and user-friendly information about natural resources to help people make more informed decisions. Click here to learn more about the institute. Click here to view the Oregon Explorer web site.

Part of the Institute for Natural Resouces is the Oregon Natural Heritage Program, a cooperative, interagency effort to identify the plant, animal, and plant community resources of Oregon. The program works to voluntarily establish natural areas in Oregon, manages the Rare and Endangered Invertebrate Program for the State of Oregon, and manages the Oregon Natural Heritage Databank, containing comprehensive information on ecologically and scientifically significant natural areas in the state. View website.

The Willamette Partnership is a coalition of leaders in conservation, urban planning and management, business, industry, agriculture and science that share a common bond of interest in Oregon's Willamette River basin. Click here for more information.

12-12-05