The Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin Ecoregional Assessment

The Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin Ecoregional Assessment considers 833 conservation targets identified by expert teams, proposing that if those targets are represented in an ecoregion, a majority of species, including those which lack data, will be included.

For each target, the teams gathered all available records of location and status and set goals identifying the numbers and distribution that indicate a healthy population. Finally, they identified 372 priority conservation areas. The assessment is intended as a tool for conservation planners.

From the report:

The Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin Ecoregional Assessment is a resource for planners and others interested in the status or conservation of the biological diversity of this ecoregion. This assessment has no regulatory authority; it is simply a guide for prioritizing work on the conservation of habitats that support the ecoregion’s extraordinary biological diversity.

We encourage users of this assessment to treat it as a first approximation, and to share any suggestions for improvement of future editions with the authors. The authors will review the use of the assessment and feedback received from users to determine the timing and focus of future editions.

Users are advised to be aware of the large scale at which this assessment was prepared. The portfolio does not include some sites that are locally significant for biodiversity conservation, such as small wetlands and small, high-quality patches of common habitat types. Mapped site boundaries are approximate and may include areas that are unsuitable for conservation mixed in with highly suitable areas. We expect that local planners equipped with more complete information and higher resolution data will develop refined boundaries for these sites.

There are large gaps in our knowledge of nature and these are reflected in this assessment. In particular, the marine and freshwater elements of this assessment do not provide a full picture of conservation priorities in these environments. The assessment report and the final product data behind it are available to all interested parties. The assessment provides information for decision-makers who wish to ensure a future for the natural systems and species that have attracted us here and that will be treasured by those who follow. The Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will use its results and those of similar assessments for other northwest ecoregions to guide their prioritization of projects and funding. Governments, land trusts, and others are encouraged to use the assessment as a supplementary resource to other planning information.

Download the full report.