State outlines recovery of Western gray squirrel

CHELAN — The federal government snubbed the Western gray squirrel for endangered-species status, but the state is outlining plans to save the three remaining pockets of the native tree squirrel in Washington from extinction.

The Western gray squirrel has been listed as a threatened species in Washington since 1993, when surveys indicated a decline in its populations in its traditional territory. The squirrels are now limited to three areas in Washington: near the south end of Puget Sound, primarily on Fort Lewis military land; the Methow Valley in Okanogan County and the north shore of Lake Chelan in Chelan County; and in the river valleys of Klickitat and southern Yakima counties.

The exact number remaining in the state is unknown. The most recent surveys counted a total of 281 squirrels. State law prohibits killing them or destroying their nests.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife released its recovery plan this month for saving the animals from extinction. The plan calls for improving known habitat, importing squirrels from other areas for genetic diversity and capturing and treating the elusive animals for mange, a skin disease caused by parasitic mites.

The state also plans to work with private landowners and other government agencies to protect squirrels from disturbance from logging operations and road building.

The state's goal is to increase the population to about 4,500 squirrels, with the largest population at about 3,300 in the Klickitat region of south-central Washington.

Three years ago, the federal government decided that the population of Western gray squirrels across the West was strong, and that the tiny populations in Washington were not genetically unique enough to protect as a separate subspecies.

At the time, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledged that the state's three clusters of the squirrel may be headed for extinction.

The department also is seeking comments on a recovery plan for the fisher, a large, stocky, dark-brown member of the weasel family that was listed as endangered in Washington in 1998. Historically, fishers were widely distributed in Washington, but wildlife officials think reintroduction is the only way to recover the populations.

A feasibility study to examine the possibility of reintroducing fishers to Western Washington identified three areas of suitable habitat: the Olympic Peninsula, the southwestern Cascade Mountains and the northwestern Cascades. The recovery plan also identifies the Selkirk Mountains of northeastern Washington as a potential recovery area.

The department will take public comments on the draft plans until Aug. 15.