The Oregon Biodiversity Project

• Author: Sara Vickerman
• Pages: 75-89

Chapter 7

The Oregon Biodiversity Project

by Sara Vickerman

I. Introduction

The Oregon Biodiversity Project (Project) was initiated in 1994 by a small

group of conservationists and business leaders who had grown weary of the

acrimonious debates surrounding fish and wildlife conservation issues. The

Project produced a statewide assessment and strategy for conserving

biodiversity, including ecoregional assessments for Oregon’s 10 ecoregions

and led to the development of several reports on conservation incentives for

private landowners.1Since the development of this strategy in 1998, Project

partners have worked diligently to implement the strategy. This has had a

significant effect on conservation policy discussions and activities in Ore-

gon and beyond.

The Oregon approach to biodiversity conservation has differed from

other state approaches in a number of important ways: It has largely been

privately led and directed. Consequently, it has also relied on research, ed-

ucation, and information dissemination to create opportunities for public

and private management favoring biodiversity. It has generally avoided

regulatory approaches.

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1. An ecoregional assessment is developed based on data collected from multiple

sources including reports, scientific literature, expert knowledge, and dozens

of geographic information system layers that show ecological, social, and po-

litical attributes. These assessments help identify “conservation opportunity

areas” that would be likely to support native plants and animals in functioning

ecosystems. Ecoregions are large areas with similar climates where a suite of

ecosystems “recur in predictable patterns.” See http://www.fs.fed.us/institute/

ecolink.html (last visited Jan. 10, 2006). The ecoregions used were developed

by the Oregon Heritage Program and are a slightly modified version of R.G.

Bailey’s system. See R.G. Bailey, Ecoregions of the Continents Map

1:30,000,000 (U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1989).