Red tree vole
This four-inch mammal lives its entire life in the upper canopy of forests in western Oregon and is a major food source for the threatened northern spotted owl. The species is currently protected by the Survey and Manage Strategy of the Northwest Forest Plan, which requires agencies to "look before they log" and buffer any discovered nests. The Bush administration is currently working to dismantle this protection measure to more easily log its forested habitat. Photo: Nick Hatch
Gray wolf
The gray wolf was systematically eradicated from much of the West both by state and federal governments in the early to mid-20th century by trapping, hunting and poisoning. It was believed by many colonists that wolves and humanity were incompatible. The species was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1974. Wolves have begun to migrate back into Oregon since the reintroduction of the species into central Idaho in 1995. In 2005, the state of Oregon passed a recovery plan to officially allow wolves back into the state in order to meet recovery goals. Currently, the federal government is proposing to delist the species in the West, which will make shooting wolves legal and potentially cripple Oregon's effort to recover the wolf. Photo: International Wolf Center
Northern spotted owl
Known as an indicator species as its population status indicates the health of its habitat, the northern spotted owl continues to teeter on the brink of extinction across its range in the Pacific Northwest. An older forest dependant species, the owl's population has been seriously affected by unchecked logging of its habitat over the past century. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990, the owl's population continues to decline at approximately 3.9 % each year throughout its range. Ongoing older forest logging, wildfire, and barred owl invasion all contribute to this. Unknowns like global climate change, West Nile virus and sudden oak death present further threats to the species that biologists are considering. Photo: James Johnston
Cougar
Like the gray wolf, the cougar is a species that has been long persecuted by humans in the West. In 1994 Oregon voters passed Measure 18, which banned the cruel practice of hound hunting the big cats. This led to a rebound of the species' population. In 2007 the Oregon Legislature passed a bill which was signed by Governor Ted Kulongoski that ultimately overturned Measure 18 by reinstating hound hunting by ordinary hunters. This law helps implement the recently passed Oregon Cougar Management Plan, which proposes to cull the state's big cat population by 2,000. Photo: courtesy of Oregon Wild
Wolverine
An elusive and fierce carnivore in the weasel family, the wolverine prefers expansive, unbroken forested habitat. Known as a "skunk bear" by many for its unpleasant odor it omits and its appearance, the wolverine was heavily hunted and trapped to near extinction for its pelt. There has been an ongoing effort to list the species under the Endangered Species Act for years. It is believed there are a number of remote populations still existing in the Lower 48 including in Washington, Idaho, Montana. Photo: USFWS
