Species Of Greatest Conservation Need Identified

LINCOLN – The list of Nebraska species of greatest conservation need has been revised.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and other species experts recently reviewed and revised the list, which is identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan.

The development and implementation of the Plan is the goal of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. The Plan serves as a blueprint for conserving Nebraska’s native plants, animals, and their habitats by working collaboratively with partners, communities and individuals.

One of the federal requirements of the Plan is that it identify species of greatest conservation need within the state. These species are at-risk of being lost from our state or going extinct. The Natural Legacy Project recommends conservation strategies to prevent that from happening.

The process used to review and revise the SGCN list was the same as was used during the initial development of the SWAP in 2005 and during the revision of the entire plan in 2011. The criteria for selecting SGCN species that are listed in the current SWAP were used for the current review.

Overall, 51 species were added to the SGCN list and 84 species were removed from the SGCN list. The species added include two amphibians, eight birds, two crustaceans, four fish, 23 insects, five mammals, one mollusk , four plants , and two reptiles. Species removed from the SGCN list include 11 birds, six fish, seven insects, six mammals, three mollusks, and 51 plants.

Tier 1 species are those that are globally or nationally most at -risk of extinction and which occur in Nebraska. This list is used to help prioritize conservation planning and actions and does not have legal or regulatory ramifications. Conservation of these species is needed to prevent future state/federal listings and help listed species recover.

Tier 2 species include those that did not meet the Tier 1 criteria but were ranked by the Nebraska Natural Heritage Program as either State Critically Imperiled (S1), State Imperiled (S2) or State Vulnerable (S3) (see appendix 2 for explanation of ranks). Because of the large number of at -risk plant species, cr iteria were modified to include only S1 or S2 plant species. The Tier 2 list is used to help prioritize conservation planning/actions and does not have legal or regulatory ramifications. Tier 2 species are typically those that are not at -risk from a global or national perspective but are rare or imperiled within Nebraska. Conservation of these species is needed to ensure they remain a part of Nebraska’s flora and fauna.

The updated list of Nebraska’s at-risk species is available in a supplementary document to the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. The Revision of the Tier 1 and 2 Lists of Species of Greatest Conservation Need, along with the State Wildlife Action Plan, is available online at NebraskaNaturalLegacy.org.

The next comprehensive revision of the Plan, which will include the revised list of species of greatest conservation need, will be completed in 2021.