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You are here:   Home → Natural Environment → State and Federal Listed Threatened and Endangered Species
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Indicator: State and Federal Listed Threatened and Endangered Species

Data and Data Discussion provided by Sustainable Seattle

Upstream Indicators
  •   Urbanization and Impervious Surface Changes --- The number of acres of urban land, clear-cut, and regenerating forest have increased in King County since 1986. Acres of grass and deciduous, mixed and coniferous forest have decreased. Acres of rural forests and privately owned working forests have declined in recent years  (view data graph)
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Downstream Indicators
  •   303d Listed Watercourses --- Although approximately 50% of watercourses included on the 1998 Washington State 303(d) list have been de-listed, the total number of listed water segments has increased in the past decade. The most significant increase in listings has occurred with regards to temperature.   (view data graph)
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Related Goals

Sustainability Snapshot:

The extinction of a species is one of the clearest and most devastating impacts of our failure to protect against habitat degradation and destruction. The loss of a species is not only permanent but has the potential for triggering losses or severe impacts to many other species. The list of threatened and endangered species provides a final warning sign about those species most at risk of extinction.

Sustainability Trend:

Limited historical data exists. However, the rate of global species extinction has accelerated over the past century. Steps are being taken to curtail the rate of species decline in our region, but populations of species intolerant to human development are expected to decline as our region grows.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

State and Federal Listed Threatened and Endangered Species in region.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Washington State contains 44 federally listed Threatened or Endangered species, and 20 species that are candidates for federal listing. Of the federally listed species, 10 are listed in King County , including Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), Gray wolf (Canis lupus), Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos = U. a. horribilis), Marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), Steller (Northern) Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus),Killer Whale (Orca) (Orcinus orca), Northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), and Golden Paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta). King County also contains designated critical habitat for federally-listed bull trout, marbled murrelets, and northern spotted owls. 

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) includes 37 species on the state Threatened or Endangered species list, many of which are included on the federal list.  An additional 112 species are candidates for state listing.  Of the state-listed Threatened or Endangered species, 14 are listed in King County, including the Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa),Western Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata), Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), Fisher (Martes pennanti), and those species included on the federal list for King County.  An additional 38 species in King County are listed as candidates for state listing in Washington.  Some of the most commonly observed candidate species in King County include pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus), and western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis), both of which can be seen in natural areas throughout Seattle.

 

 

Data Source and Limitations

Data was compiled from the following sources:

USFWS Threatened and Endangered Species Program: Washington.  http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public//pub/stateListing.jsp?state=WA&status=listed

USFWS Threatened and Endangered Species in King County.  http://www.fws.gov/westwafwo/speciesmap/KING.html

WDFW Priority Habitats and Species List, including distribution maps for all wildlife of state concern is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/phspage.htm.

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