Oregon Biodiversity Project

Sycan River, Oregon. Photo by Larry N. Olson.The Oregon Biodiversity Project (1993-1999) had its genesis in the early 1990s among a small group of conservationists. Defenders of Wildlife took the lead, working with The Nature Conservancy and the Oregon Natural Heritage Program to lay the groundwork for a private sector-based initiative. By 1996, the project had grown to include dozens of public and private cooperators including federal, state and local governments, academia, and industry and conservation organizations.

Funding and support came from a variety of sources, including private foundations, federal agencies, and corporate contributors. Individual researchers and agencies contributed data. Input from project committees shaped the outlines of the biodiversity analysis and conservation strategy.

The Oregon Biodiversity Project used geographic information systems (GIS) technology to conduct an assessment of biodiversity conservation needs at the statewide and ecoregion levels. A diverse group of interests collaborated on development of an overall conservation strategy that emphasizes cooperative efforts and incentives for voluntary action. The project identified 42 conservation opportunity areas (17.9% of Oregon's land area) as high priorities for landscape-scale conservation efforts. Current actions to protect those areas include acquisitions, conservation easements, legislation, negotiated agreements, habitat restoration, and changes in management that directly enhance biodiversity values.

The Oregon Biodiversity Project worked to reduce the risk of future endangered species designations, give landowners more flexibility in resource management decisions and establish a process to improve communication among diverse public and private interests.

The Oregon Biodiversity Project developed a number of high quality products, including a full-color atlas that outlined major findings and separate publications on landowner conservation incentives. The Oregon project is widely recognized as a model for future biodiversity projects in other states, and lead directly to the Oregon Conservation Strategy.