Protect our Amazing Seabird The marbled murrelet is one of Oregon’s most extraordinary and mysterious seabirds, and one of our most at risk. At its current rate, the marbled murrelet is in danger of going extinct within the next century. And, yet, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) voted against listing marbled murrelets as endangered. Send a message to ODFW at odfw.commission@state.or.us and ask them to give the marbled murrelet the protection it needs. Like their cousin the puffin, murrelets spend most of their year in the ocean, catching fish and small invertebrates. But, when summer nesting season comes around, marbled murrelets fly inland--sometime 30 miles inland. They build their nests exclusively in the Northwest’s old-growth forests, high in the mossy limbs of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and Sitka spruce. There, they lay just one egg per year. Once the chick is safely hatched, they return to the ocean, and the cycle continues. The murrelet flies near dawn and dusk to avoid predators and is very elusive. Habitat destruction is one of the main factors putting marbled murrelets at risk. Less than 10% of Oregon’s old-growth forests remain intact, and it can take more than 150 years for younger forests to show old-growth characteristics. The murrelet is listed as Endangered in California and Washington, and based on a recent study, ODFW decided on an “Endangered” listing in Oregon. But then, with a new Board, and without specific reasons, ODFW lowered the marbled murrelet’s status from Endangered to Threatened. An Endangered listing would mean critical nesting areas are preserved on Oregon’s State Forests, helping save many of our old-growth forests from logging. The ODFW Commission reversed course without any explanation or scientific basis. Now, the court is holding ODFW accountable for illegally switching their decision without justification. We need your help to keep holding them accountable. Please send a message to ODFW at odfw.comission@state.or.us and ask them to follow the science and protect sensitive wildlife. Here are some links to more information: Oregon Department of Forestry - Marbled Murrelet Technical Report - Final, April 24, 2019 Status Review of Marbled Murrelet Marbled Murrelet video YouTube Video - All of us at Onward Oregon | 