Species of Special Concern

What are Species of Concern?

Species of concern are native wildlife and plants that require special attention to ensure their conservation. Within the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia, the Canadian Committee for the Status of Endangered Wildlife (COSEWIC), the U.S. Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), Washington State, and British Columbia have processes for assessing which species require special initiatives to ensure their protection and survival. Listed below are 47 species from the inland waters that are identified as species of concern through these processes. The sheer number of species of concern within the inland waters is one piece of evidence suggesting decay of this ecosystem.

For a complete list of species of conern in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin, please see Species of Concern in the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Marine Ecosystem: More Support for a Transboundary Ecosystem Approach to Marine Conservation by Joe Gaydos and Kirsten Gilardi (updated March, 2005).