Contacts:
Nick Cady, Cascadia Wildlands, (314) 482-3746, nick@old.cascwild.org

Oregon Bans Trapping of Humboldt Martens

PORTLAND, Ore.— In response to a petition from conservation groups, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-3 late Friday to protect Humboldt martens from trapping. Fewer than 200 of the martens survive in the state’s coastal forests.

The new trapping guidelines ban all marten trapping west of the Interstate 5 corridor. The rules also ban all commercial and recreational mammal trapping in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and all traps and snares suspended in trees in the Siskiyou and Siuslaw national forests.

“I’m so relieved Humboldt martens will scamper wild and free in our coastal forests without fear of dying in a trap,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Banning trapping is a big first step toward safeguarding these cute creatures. Now we need wildlife crossings on highways and reconnected forest habitats.”

Only two isolated marten populations survive in Oregon. One group is in the Siskiyou National Forest, and another is in the Siuslaw National Forest. The lack of mature forest habitat on state and private forests stretching between the two populations has isolated them and put them at high risk of local extinction.

“We applaud the fish and wildlife commission for following recommendations in the published science and helping these little carnivores have a fighting chance at surviving for future generations,” said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands.

Coastal martens are proposed for protection as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act, with a final listing expected in October.

“The commission did the right thing in protecting Humboldt martens from trapping so that Oregonians can have the opportunity to observe these special animals in our coastal forests,” said Danielle Moser, wildlife coordinator at Oregon Wild.

Humboldt martens were once common in the coastal mountains, from the Columbia River south to Sonoma, California. But logging of old-growth forests and fur trapping decimated and separated populations. California banned coastal marten trapping in 1946 and protected Humboldt martens as endangered in 2018.

“If any species needs our help, it’s the Humboldt marten, so it’s great that the state has finally taken an important step to protect them,” said George Sexton with KS Wild, based in southern Oregon.

Humboldt marten populations on the central coast are threatened by vehicle mortalities on Highway 101 and lack of suitable mature forest habitat for dispersal. Populations on the southern coast are now threatened by severe wildfires and rodent poisons used in marijuana cultivation.

Last year the state rejected a petition from conservation groups seeking state Endangered Species Act protection for Humboldt martens. That petition was filed by Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Oregon Wild.

Background
Martens are typically 2 feet long and have large, triangular ears and a long tail. They eat small mammals, birds, berries, reptiles and insects, and are eaten by larger mammals and raptors.

They are so rare they were thought to be extinct until a remote camera snapped a picture in the redwoods in 1996. Genetic studies then revealed that Oregon’s coastal martens are part of the Humboldt marten subspecies and are a different subspecies from the martens in the Cascade Range, which are not imperiled.

The post Oregon Adopts Petition; Bans Trapping of Humboldt Martens! first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Oregon Sued for Not Stopping Coastal Marten Trapping

State’s Last Two Populations of Cat-like Carnivores at Risk of Local Extinction

PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands sued the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today for failing to ban the trapping of imperiled Humboldt martens in Oregon’s coastal forests.

Today’s lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, comes after the secretive animal, a relative of the mink, was proposed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Fewer than 200 Humboldt martens survive in Oregon.

In August the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission directed the Department of Fish and Wildlife to draft rules to curtail coastal marten trapping, in response to a petition from conservation groups seeking a ban on marten trapping west of Interstate 5. Marten trapping season opened statewide Nov. 1, but the department did not enact rules to limit marten trapping in coastal forests, despite the directive.

“Oregon needs to immediately ban coastal marten trapping, or future generations may never get to encounter these furry, fierce little forest creatures,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center. “Science, the law and common sense all say the state must end this unsustainable trapping before we lose them forever.”

Following the largest mammal survey ever conducted in the state, researchers from Oregon State University and the U.S. Forest Service recommended eliminating trapping of coastal martens as a first step in rebuilding the state’s imperiled populations.

Scientists concluded that the human-caused mortality of just two or three martens per year could wipe out the population on the central coast within three decades. Three martens were killed by cars last year on Highway 101, so trapping of even a single marten this season would push the subspecies toward local extinction in Oregon.

“It is wildly irresponsible that the Department of Fish and Wildlife allowed the commercial trapping season for Humboldt martens to open in November,” said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “The state doesn’t require marten trapping reports to be turned in until March, so they have no way of knowing how many coastal martens are being killed this winter. There is such a thin margin for error here, this could be it for the species.”

Humboldt martens are so rare they were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1996. There are only four surviving populations, with two in Northern California, one on the southern Oregon coast and one on the central Oregon coast. Earlier this year the California Department of Fish and Wildlife protected Humboldt martens as endangered. California banned their trapping in 1946.

There are two subspecies of Pacific martens in Oregon. Humboldt martens on the coast are critically imperiled, but interior martens from the Cascades and eastern mountain ranges are not imperiled.

You can find a copy of the memo here.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Cascadia Wildlands defends and restores Cascadia’s wild ecosystems in the forests, in the courts, and in the streets. We envision vast old-growth forests, rivers full of salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry, and vibrant communities sustained by the unique landscapes of the Cascadia bioregion.

The post Oregon Sued for Humboldt Marten Trapping first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contact:
Nick Cady, Cascadia Wildlands, 541-434-1463

SALEM, Ore.— In response to a petition by five conservation groups earlier this year, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today instructed the Department of Fish and Wildlife to draft rules to protect the approximately 200 Humboldt martens left in Oregon.

The move by the commission follows a new study that found trapping could easily wipe out the species in the state.

Humboldt martens are currently under review for Endangered Species Act protection at the federal and state level, but Oregon law still permitted commercial fur trapping of the species. California banned the trapping of these secretive, mid-sized forest carnivores in 1946. The martens currently inhabit two distinct areas within the Siuslaw and Rogue-Siskiyou national forests.

“Banning commercial trapping for Humboldt martens to protect these two isolated populations is a needed first step by the commission,” said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “Our goal is to have narrowly tailored, enforceable provisions in place by this winter before the trapping season begins to avoid a potential extinction level event.”

A newly published scientific study concluded that Humboldt martens are so rare in Oregon that trapping just two to three individuals could result in wiping out the population on the central coast. Beyond trapping, Humboldt martens are threatened by vehicle collisions on Highway 101 and ongoing logging of mature forest habitat.

“We’re so glad that the extremely small and fragile populations of Humboldt martens in Oregon will be protected from trapping,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Trapping of martens has been banned in California for more than 70 years and it’s long past time for Oregon to do the same.”

Relatives of minks and otters, Humboldt martens are found only in old-growth forest and dense coastal shrub in southern and central coastal Oregon and northern California. The cat-like animals were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered on the Six Rivers National Forest in 1996.

Today they survive only in three small isolated populations of fewer than 100 individuals each — one in northern California, one straddling the border and one in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

There are two subspecies of Pacific martens in Oregon. Humboldt martens on the coast are critically imperiled, but interior martens from the Cascades and eastern mountain ranges are not imperiled. The petition seeks a ban on trapping west of Interstate 5.

The granted petition was filed by Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Oregon Wild.

Martens are typically 2 feet long and have large, triangular ears and a long tail. They eat small mammals, berries and birds and are eaten by larger mammals and raptors.

The post Press Release: Humboldt Marten Trapping Ban Granted! first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contacts:
Nick Cady, Cascadia Wildlands, (314) 482-3746, nick@old.cascwild.org
Tierra Curry, Center for Biological Diversity, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org

Coastal Trapping Ban Sought to Protect Oregon’s Vanishing Humboldt Martens

New Study Finds Traps Could Wipe Out Imperiled Otter Relative

PORTLAND, Ore.— Five conservation groups filed a rulemaking petition today asking the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to ban trapping of Humboldt martens in Oregon’s coastal forests. The petition follows a new study that found that trapping could easily wipe out the species in the state.

Humboldt martens are under review for federal Endangered Species Act protection, but they can still be trapped for their fur in Oregon even though fewer than 100 survive here in the Siuslaw and Siskiyou national forests. California banned the trapping of these secretive, mid-sized forest carnivores in 1946.

“Humboldt martens have been driven to the brink of extinction by logging and development of their old-growth forest habitat and historical over-trapping,” said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “Banning trapping is a critical first step to prevent the imminent eradication of the species from the state.”

A newly published scientific study concluded that Humboldt martens are so rare in Oregon that trapping just two to three individuals could result in wiping out the population on the central coast. In addition to trapping, Humboldt martens are threatened by vehicle collisions on Highway 101 and ongoing logging of mature forest habitat.

“The state needs to follow the new science and stop the trapping of these cute and ferocious animals,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It would be tragic if Humboldt martens were lost for future generations of Oregonians.”

Relatives of minks and otters, Humboldt martens are found only in old-growth forest and dense coastal shrub in southern and central coastal Oregon and northern California. The cat-like animals were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered on the Six Rivers National Forest in 1996.

Today they survive only in three small isolated populations of fewer than 100 individuals each — one in northern California, one straddling the border and one in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

There are two subspecies of Pacific martens in Oregon. Humboldt martens on the coast are critically imperiled, but interior martens from the Cascades and eastern mountain ranges are not imperiled. The petition seeks a ban on trapping west of Interstate 5.

Today’s petition was filed by Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Oregon Wild. The department has 90 days to initiate rulemaking or deny the petition.

Martens are typically 2 feet long and have large, triangular ears and a long tail. They eat small mammals, berries and birds and are eaten by larger mammals and raptors.

Cascadia Wildlands educates, agitates, and inspires a movement to protect and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems. We envision vast old-growth forests, rivers full of wild salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry, and vibrant communities sustained by the unique landscapes of the Cascadia bioregion.

The post Press Release: Trapping Ban Sought to Protect Imperiled Humboldt Marten first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

State Endangered Species Protection Sought for Oregon’s Humboldt Martens

Secretive Cat-like Carnivores in Coast Range at Risk of Extinction

PORTLAND, Ore.— Six conservation groups filed a petition today asking the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect the Humboldt marten under the Oregon Endangered Species Act.

Only two populations of fewer than 200 total animals currently survive in the state, on the central and southern coast. Recent studies project that the rare carnivores could go extinct in Oregon if they do not get protection.

“New science clearly shows that it’s a life or death situation for Oregon’s Humboldt martens,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The fate of this cute little predator now rests in the hands of Oregon’s decision makers.”

“Humboldt martens have been nearly wiped out by logging and development of their old-growth forest habitat and over-trapping,” said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “Protection under the Oregon Endangered Species Act will ensure they survive for future generations of Oregonians.”

The martens were once common in the coastal mountains from the Columbia River south to Sonoma, California. But logging of old-growth forest and trapping decimated and separated populations. The animal was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the redwoods in 1996.

Genetic studies then revealed that Oregon’s coastal martens are part of the Humboldt marten subspecies and are a different subspecies than the martens in the Cascade Range.

Currently Humboldt martens survive only on federal lands in Oregon, with one population in the Siskiyou National Forest and one population in the Siuslaw National Forest. The lack of mature forest habitat on state and private forests between the populations has isolated them and put them at high risk. Humboldt martens in California have also declined to only two small populations, making the total global population less than 400 martens.

A recently published scientific study concluded that Humboldt martens are so rare on the central Oregon coast that trapping or road kill of just two or three annually could result in wiping out the population.

Humboldt martens are under review for federal Endangered Species Act protection, but they can still be trapped for their fur in Oregon. Earlier this year conservation groups also petitioned the state to ban marten trapping west of Interstate 5.

California banned trapping the animals in 1946, and that state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has recommended that the Fish and Game Commission list them as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.

Today’s petition was filed by Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Oregon Wild. The Department of Fish and Wildlife must acknowledge receipt of the petition within 10 working days and within 90 days indicate whether the petition presents substantial scientific information to warrant the listing.

Martens, typically 2 feet long, have large, triangular ears and a long tail. They hunt small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, and are eaten by larger mammals and raptors.

Cascadia Wildlands defends and restores Cascadia’s wild ecosystems in the forests, in the courts, and in the streets. 

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.6 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Photo © Charlotte Eriksson Oregon State University

The post Petition Filed to Save the Humboldt Marten! first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contacts:
Nick Cady, Cascadia Wildlands, (314) 482-3746, nick@old.cascwild.org
Tierra Curry, Center for Biological Diversity, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org

Coastal Trapping Ban Sought to Protect Oregon’s Vanishing Humboldt Martens

New Study Finds Traps Could Wipe Out Imperiled Otter Relative

PORTLAND, Ore.— Five conservation groups filed a rulemaking petition today asking the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to ban trapping of Humboldt martens in Oregon’s coastal forests. The petition follows a new study that found that trapping could easily wipe out the species in the state.

Humboldt martens are under review for federal Endangered Species Act protection, but they can still be trapped for their fur in Oregon even though fewer than 100 survive here in the Siuslaw and Siskiyou national forests. California banned the trapping of these secretive, mid-sized forest carnivores in 1946.

“Humboldt martens have been driven to the brink of extinction by logging and development of their old-growth forest habitat and historical over-trapping,” said Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “Banning trapping is a critical first step to prevent the imminent eradication of the species from the state.”

A newly published scientific study concluded that Humboldt martens are so rare in Oregon that trapping just two to three individuals could result in wiping out the population on the central coast. In addition to trapping, Humboldt martens are threatened by vehicle collisions on Highway 101 and ongoing logging of mature forest habitat.

“The state needs to follow the new science and stop the trapping of these cute and ferocious animals,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It would be tragic if Humboldt martens were lost for future generations of Oregonians.”

Relatives of minks and otters, Humboldt martens are found only in old-growth forest and dense coastal shrub in southern and central coastal Oregon and northern California. The cat-like animals were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered on the Six Rivers National Forest in 1996.

Today they survive only in three small isolated populations of fewer than 100 individuals each — one in northern California, one straddling the border and one in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

There are two subspecies of Pacific martens in Oregon. Humboldt martens on the coast are critically imperiled, but interior martens from the Cascades and eastern mountain ranges are not imperiled. The petition seeks a ban on trapping west of Interstate 5.

Today’s petition was filed by Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Oregon Wild. The department has 90 days to initiate rulemaking or deny the petition.

Martens are typically 2 feet long and have large, triangular ears and a long tail. They eat small mammals, berries and birds and are eaten by larger mammals and raptors.

Cascadia Wildlands educates, agitates, and inspires a movement to protect and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems. We envision vast old-growth forests, rivers full of wild salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry, and vibrant communities sustained by the unique landscapes of the Cascadia bioregion.

The post Press Release: Trapping Ban Sought to Protect Imperiled Humboldt Marten first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.