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Wildlife

OSU, partners’ study provides rare glimpse of the ringtail, an important but poorly understood predator

CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) – Secretive species can pose special conservation challenges simply because they are so skilled at staying under the radar that researchers have uncovered comparatively little about their basic needs. One such species is the ringtail, a relative of the raccoon that has cultural significance to many Indigenous peoples in North America. A

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White House, tribal leaders hail ‘historic’ deal to restore salmon runs in Pacific Northwest

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration, leaders of four Columbia River Basin tribes and the governors of Oregon and Washington celebrated on Friday as they signed papers formally launching a $1 billion plan to help recover depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. The plan, announced in December, stopped short

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Wyden, Merkley announce $27 million to support Pacific salmon recovery in Oregon

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Thursday an investment of $27 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help support recovery efforts for Pacific salmon populations. The federal funds are available due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.  This investment builds on several projects Senator Wyden has

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Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission lists Southern Resident orcas as endangered, adopts survival guidelines

HILLSBORO, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously Friday to list Southern Resident orcas as endangered under Oregon’s Endangered Species Act.     Southern Resident orcas now number just 75 whales in three pods and have been listed as endangered under federal law since 2005. Their reproductive potential is in danger of failure

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Oregon Zoo-tested tech helps in study that finds wild polar bears are losing weight on land as sea ice melts

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A rapidly warming Arctic is taking a toll on polar bears, according to a new study using technology beta-tested at the Oregon Zoo. The study — published this week in the science journal Nature Communications— set out to learn how wild bears are coping as the sea ice they depend on disappears for

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A fin whale decomposing on an Oregon beach creates a sad but ‘super educational’ spectacle

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press It’s not yet known what killed an endangered fin whale, but people can marvel at the large marine mammal as it decomposes on an Oregon beach. “While it’s sad, it’s also super educational,” Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager of the Seaside Aquarium, said Thursday of the rare sight, which she

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Environmental group petitions for federal protection of Sierra Nevada Red Fox in Oregon, California Cascades

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned Thursday for federal protection of Sierra Nevada red foxes in the Oregon and California Cascades, from Lassen Peak to Mount Hood. The petition (see below) asks that the fox be listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. “These precious mountain foxes need

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US won’t restore protections for wolves in Rockies, proposes national recovery plan

By MATTHEW BROWN and TODD RICHMOND Associated Press Federal wildlife officials on Friday rejected requests from conservation groups to restore protections for gray wolves across the northern U.S Rocky Mountains, saying the predators are in no danger of extinction as some states seek to reduce their numbers through hunting. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

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