Marbled Murrelet Range Lost Sample Clauses

Marbled Murrelet Range Lost. ‌ Monitoring for the Northwest Forest Plan indicates potential marbled murrelet nesting habitat has declined in Washington from an estimated 1.54 million acres in 1993 to an estimated 1.34 million acres in 2012, a total decline of about 13 percent (205,900 acres) (Raphael et al. 2018). Most of this estimated habitat loss was attributed to timber harvest on nonfederal lands. Currently, only about 12 percent of habitat-capable lands in Washington contain potential nesting habitat for the marbled murrelet (Falxa and Raphael 2016). The distribution of nesting habitat in Washington is disjunct, with a major gap in the distribution of habitat and Occupied Sites occurring along the southwest Washington coast from roughly Grays Harbor south to the Columbia River. This area is currently identified under the Forest Practices Rules as the “marbled murrelet special landscape” (WAC-222-16-087). Additionally, historic loss of low-elevation coastal old-growth forest in Washington has greatly reduced available nesting habitat for murrelets that is in closest proximity to marine waters. USFWS anticipates that habitat loss will continue to occur and will remain a leading factor in the current decline in marbled murrelet populations.v Fires, logging, and windstorms all contribute to the ongoing habitat xxxx.xx Marbled murrelet populations are highly sensitive to the suitability of their habitats.vii Other factors contributing to changes in marbled murrelet populations include variations in ocean temperatures, decline in marine forage fish abundance, and by-catch associated with net fisheries in marine waters.