Proposal to federally list native turtle draws sharp divide among environmentalists, farm groups

A move by the federal government to protect an inland turtle that lives in freshwater and wetlands mainly west of the Cascades is drawing support from thousands of environmentalists but opposition from farm groups that fear a potential listing would bring unwanted restrictions.

The northwestern pond turtle or western pond turtle ranges from coastal Washington, through western Oregon and to central California, an area that includes several national parks and forests as well as Indigenous nations. Living up to 55 years in the wild, the turtles are mostly found in Oregon in streams, ponds, marshes and lakes west of the Cascades. They are threatened by drought, habitat loss and introduced species like bullfrogs and largemouth bass that eat the turtle’s young. They also face competition from non-native pet turtles that are released outdoors.

There are only two freshwater turtles native to Oregon, the pond turtle and the western painted turtle. They play a unique role in the ecosystems they inhabit. Young pond turtles are mostly carnivorous, preying on insects and other invertebrates. But as they age, they switch their diet mainly to plants. They help control insect populations, disperse plant seeds and maintain the ecological balance of their environment for several other species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not consider the turtle to be on the verge of extinction: An assessment last April found that the turtles have up to a 15% likelihood of going extinct in the next 25 years. But over the long term – by 2100 – their chance of extinction rises to as much as 60%.

In the 1990s, there were only about 200 of the turtles in the Columbia River Gorge area of Washington state, prompting authorities there to list them as endangered. The state listing has led to a partial recovery: Washington state officials estimate there are about 800 of the turtles now in the same area.

Authorities in Oregon, however, have listed the pond turtle and the state’s other native turtle, the painted turtle, as “sensitive,” meaning they have a small or declining population or are in need of management. California authorities have listed the pond turtle as a “species of concern.” Both designations offer lower levels of protection than an endangered or threatened status.

Environmentalists have pushed for federal protection for pond turtles for more than 30 years. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a petition for their listing, citing a lack of evidence of their decline. But last September, after years of studies and a lawsuit accusing the government of taking too long to make a ruling, the agency proposed listing the turtles as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A “threatened” status means a species is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, and could lead to regulations limiting some activities that might harm the animals,like draining ponds or destroying nesting habitat.

Thousands comment on proposal

As part of the listing proposal, the agency has asked for public comment. So far, more than 16,000 individuals and organizations from all three states have weighed in about a potential listing. The majority, including from Oregon conservation groups, favor protecting the turtle. 

“The best available scientific data clearly shows that the (northwestern pond turtle) faces many threats like habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation with impacts exacerbated by climate change,” wrote Alijana Fisher, wildlife program associate for the Portland-based nonprofit Oregon Wild.

But several farming and ranching organizations, including the Salem-based Oregon Farm Bureau, oppose the protections. They argue that farmers would face new costly regulations if the listing were to go through.

“We are concerned with negative impacts on ongoing agricultural activities, particularly irrigated agriculture, where agricultural producers and water managers could – overnight – become exposed to legal liability for ordinary and necessary practices,” the farming and ranching groups wrote in their joint comment. 

The Oregon Farm Bureau represents over 6,600 farms and ranches around the state. It did not respond to our request for further comment.

Large water users like farm owners could be the most affected by a listing, though pond turtles also spend much of their life on land. Biologists have found their nests up to a quarter mile away from water, so owners of property near water might also face new restrictions. A federal listing could add time and costs to a construction project but the risk of projects being canceled due to a threatened species listing would be extremely low. A 2015 study found that out of more than 80,000 construction projects, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that only two posed a significant risk to the listed species. Both eventually went forward with changes to reduce their impact.

Anne Mary Myers, wildlife strategy species coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Capital Chronicle that the state agency prefers to do most of its conservation work before a federal listing to avoid the need for a listing at all. 

“There is less ‘red tape’, so to speak, when managing for a species before it receives federal threatened or endangered species designation,” said Myers.

The Oregon agency can determine a state listing but only advises the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when it comes to a federal designation. State agency officials also work with landowners to help protect pond turtle habitat on their land, and if the turtles are listed, they would help landowners cope with new regulations, including helping them by applying for tax incentives to reward conservation actions on private land. 

“Private landowners in Oregon have a key role in turtle conservation here in Oregon and can be proud to host this species on their properties,” added Myers. 

The turtles’ dependence on both aquatic and upland habitat makes it more difficult to protect them than a freshwater animal like trout. Their breeding cycle also complicates their prospects for recovery. Pond turtles do not breed until they are 5 to 10 years old, so it takes them a long time to recover from the loss of breeding adults. 

Oregonians can help monitor the status of all Oregon turtles by reporting sightings on this page.

Oregon Capital Chronicle

Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.