The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports it has determined that listing the Northern California-Southern Oregon distinct population segment of fisher under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted. The agency said the decision came following a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information.
Although fishers face threats including wildfire and toxicants, the service found that the Northern California–Southern Oregon population is not currently in danger of extinction or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range, which includes the northern Sierra Nevada mountains. The agency said this assessment considered population trends, distribution, connectivity and habitat conditions across the distinct population segment.
“The service’s decision reflects a rigorous science-based assessment of the species and the power of collaborative stewardship,” said the service’s Oregon state supervisor, Kessina Lee. “While threats to fisher remain, coordinated efforts across public and private lands are helping to sustain and support this population.”
Fishers are managed as a sensitive species across many federal lands, which are roughly half of this population’s range. Additionally, several tribal governments recognize the cultural importance of fishers and have incorporated fisher-specific considerations into forest management practices. These practices support the restoration of old-forest structures such as retaining cavities in large trees and preserving woody debris — while enhancing overall habitat and forest health.
Long-term voluntary conservation planning has occurred with state and private partners, resulting in candidate conservation agreements with assurances covering more than 3.4 million acres and habitat conservation plans spanning over 575,000 acres, said the agency: “These partnerships with the timber industry and other land managers include a wide range of measures that actively contribute to the protection and recovery of fishers in the region.”
The service emphasizes that it remains committed to collaborating with state and federal agencies tribes and industry partners to support the long-term conservation and resilience of fishers, while also promoting sustainable, productive working lands.
A notice of this finding and relevant documents is available in the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov or www.regulations.gov by searching docket number FWS–R1–ES–2023–0123.
More information on the fisher is available at https://www.fws.gov/species/fisher-pekania-pennanti.
