SSPrairies and Oak Woodlands Conservation Ordinance

Prairie Species of Concern in Thurston County

On this page:

• Golden Paintbrush
• Taylors Checkerspot
• Streak Horned Lark
• Mazama Pocket Gopher

In March 2011, the US fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is initiating an evaluation to determine whether to list four prairie species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act:  The Mazama pocket gopher, streaked horned lark, Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, and Mardon skipper butterfly.

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Golden Paintbrush (State Endangered/Federal Threatened)

Golden paintbrush is a native forb once found on Northwest prairie grasslands from British Columbia to the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  Golden paintbrush is now a globally-imperiled species.  It is state listed as "endangered" and federally listed as "threatened."  This flowering plant is known to exist in only a few locations in the world, including one population found on a South Puget Sound prairie.

• Click here for details from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Click here for a Fish and Wildlife Service map.
• Click here for information from the Center for Plant Conservation.
• Click here for U.S. Fish and Wildlife fact sheet on why protecting candidate species makes sense for landowners
• Click here for federal/status of prairie species of concern in Thurston County.

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Taylor's Checkerspot (State Endangered/Federal Candidate)

Taylor's checkerspot is a native butterfly once widespread throughout prairies and in association with golden paintbrush.  Taylor’s checkerspot is now a federal candidate for  listing, and designated as endangered by the state.  In south Puget Sound, this species survives at only two locations: one location is where the butterfly naturally occurs, and the other location is a former site where it has been reintroduced -- both lie within the south Puget Sound prairie landscape.

In March 2011, the US fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is initiating an evaluation to determine whether to list Taylor's checkerspot butterfly as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. 

• Click here for a description by the Butterfly Conservation Initiative (external link).
• Click here for federal/status of prairie species of concern in Thurston County.
• Click here for U.S. Fish and Wildlife fact sheet on why protecting candidate species makes sense for landowners

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Streaked Horned Lark (State Endangered/Federal Candidate)

Streaked horned lark, a native bird formerly present throughout prairie habitat, is another candidate for federal listing.  Once variably distributed from British Columbia to southern Oregon, the range has retracted considerably. This species is found at only few locations.  The northernmost known population occurs on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The streak-horned lark is now a federal candidate for listing, and is designated as endangered by the state.

In March 2011, the US fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is initiating an evaluation to determine whether to list the streak-horned lark as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. 

• Click here for federal/status of prairie species of concern in Thurston County.
• Click here for U.S. Fish and Wildlife fact sheet on why protecting candidate species makes sense for landowners

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Mazama Pocket Gopher (State Threatened/Federal Candidate)

The Mazama pocket gopher, a native mammal, is dependent on the ever shrinking prairie habitat. In the south Puget Sound area, two of nine subpopulations of Mazama pocket gopher have become extinct since the 1940s. The Mazama pocket gopher is now a federal candidate for listing, and is designated as threatened by the state.

In March 2011, the US fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is initiating an evaluation to determine whether to list the Mazama pocket gopher as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. 

• Click here for more information about pocket gophers from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
• Click here for U.S. Fish and Wildlife fact sheet on why protecting candidate species makes sense for landowners

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Contact Us

Interested Parties: If you would like to be added to our Web Mail list, please click here. Staff contact: Andrew Deffobis, Associate Planner. Phone: (360) 754-3355, ext. 5467. E-mail: deffoba@co.thurston.wa.us.