Pacific Fisher
August 23, 2025 - PORTLAND, Ore. - On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the following:
Following a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that listing the Northern California-Southern Oregon distinct population segment of fisher under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted.
Although fishers face threats including wildfire and toxicants, the Service found that the Northern California–Southern Oregon is not currently in danger of extinction or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. This assessment considered population trends, distribution, connectivity and habitat conditions across the DPS.
“The Service’s decision reflects a rigorous science-based assessment of the species and the power of collaborative stewardship,” said the Service’s Oregon State Supervisor Kessina Lee. “While threats to fisher remain, coordinated efforts across public and private lands are helping to sustain and support this population.”
Fishers are managed as a sensitive species across many federal lands, which are roughly half of this population’s range. Additionally, several tribal governments recognize the cultural importance of fishers and have incorporated fisher-specific considerations into forest management practices. These practices support the restoration of old-forest structures such as retaining cavities in large trees and preserving woody debris — while enhancing overall habitat and forest health.
Long-term voluntary conservation planning has occurred with state and private partners, resulting in candidate conservation agreements with assurances covering more than 3.4 million acres and habitat conservation plans spanning over 575,000 acres. These partnerships with the timber industry and other land managers include a wide range of measures that actively contribute to the protection and recovery of fishers in the region.
The Service remains committed to collaborating with state and federal agencies tribes and industry partners to support the long-term conservation and resilience of fishers, while also promoting sustainable, productive working lands.
A notice of this finding and relevant documents will be available on August 25 in the Federal Register at www. federalregister.gov or www.regulations.gov by searching docket number FWS–R1–ES–2023–0123.
For more information on fisher, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/species/fisher-pekania-pennanti.
Federal Register Notice
Source: USFWS
