Priority Habitats and Species: Publications

Management recommendations

Goals

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) develops PHS management recommendations to align with the agency’s mission to preserve, protect, and perpetuate Washington’s diverse fish and wildlife with the goals of:

  • Stopping or reversing the decline of fish and wildlife, including state listed or candidate species.
  • Maintaining or enhancing the current structural attributes and ecological functions of habitat needed to support healthy populations.
  • Maintaining or enhancing populations of priority species within present and/or historical ranges.

The following is collection of recommendations and planning documents for managing projects with potential impact to priority habitat and species.

Priority Habitats

Riparian Ecosystems

Shrubsteppe Ecosystems

Oregon White Oak Woodlands Ecosystems

Priority Species

Invertebrates

Amphibians and Reptiles

Birds

Mammals

Prior to the publication of species- and habitat-specific management recommendations, WDFW published a consolidated Management Recommendations for Washington's Priority Habitats and Species (1991). This reference is still applicable for those priority habitats and species which lack tailored management recommendations.

Landscape planning

Publications about PHS Maps and Data

Shrubsteppe

Biodiversity Areas and Corridors

Other documents concerning Priority Habitats and Species

Arid Lands Initiative: A collaborative effort led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that identified priority conservation areas in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion. The extensive effort involved WDFW, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and The Nature Conservancy, among others. A 2014 report provides the methods for identifying priority areas; 2015 addenda to the report provided scorecards for individual Priority Core Areas (PCA) and Priority Linkage Areas (PLA). Additional ALI data, documents, and maps are available here.

Aquatic Habitat Guidelines: A series of guidelines documents to facilitate the consistent application of best available science and best management practices for resources and habitat management, project design, construction, and operation in, near, or affecting aquatic systems.

Woodland Fish and Wildlife Project Publications: Publications in this series provide practical information on fish and wildlife management to private woodland owners and managers