Hot off the presses, Sightline has an update to our Cascadia Scorecard wildlife indicator. After precipitous declines over the previous century, some of the iconic wildlife populations of the Pacific Northwest have notched tentative gains in recent years.
The wildlife index measures five populations around the region that give us a glimpse into the state of our natural heritage. Included are: southern resident orcas, spring and summer chinook salmon of the Lower Columbia, wolves of the Northern Rockies, the Selkirk caribou herd, and Oregon’s greater sage-grouse.
Overall, the index hit its highest level since 1980. Gains made by wolves, salmon, and orcas offset declines in sage-grouse and caribou.
But enough about the report. Go read it yourself!
