Washington’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is a comprehensive plan for conserving the state’s fish and wildlife and the natural habitats on which they depend. It is part of a nationwide effort by all 50 states and 5 U.S. territories to develop conservation action plans and participate in the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program. The SWG Program supports state actions that broadly benefit wildlife and habitats, but particularly “Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)” identified by each state.

The SGCN list starts with species already state-listed as threatened, endangered or sensitive, then adds other species which need conservation attention. The plan identifies known threats and information gaps, then outlines conservation actions for SGCN and the habitats on which they depend. The idea is to protect and recover rare species while keeping common species common, preventing the need to list where possible. Data collected under this plan will inform future updates of the Species of Concern and Priority Habitats and Species lists, as well as other conservation planning processes throughout the agency. See the 2015 Washington State Wildlife Action Plan.

Thirty-three butterfly species are included in the 2015 WA SWAP as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Five of these are proposed to be the focus of a possible new spring-summer citizen science project in eastern Washington, to help fill in information gaps:

• Boloria bellona toddi (Meadow Fritillary)
• Boloria selene atrocostalis (Silver-bordered Fritillary)
• Callophrys gryneus Columbia Basin segregate (Juniper Hairstreak)
• Danaus plexippus (Monarch), and
• Ochlodes yuma (Yuma skipper)

The Washington Butterfly Association (WBA) has reached out to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for support and guidance to conduct surveys meaningful to butterfly conservation. Field efforts east of the Cascades – detection, survey, and mapping – would help natural resources managers better understand the current distribution, habitat associations, threats, life history and status of these five butterfly SGCN. That knowledge and well collected data could inform future surveys, monitoring, research, habitat restoration, outreach and other conservation actions.

WDFW and WBA are working together to develop a potential field project and determine how we can best:

• add reliable vetted butterfly observations to WDFW’s data for these five SGCN;
• provide information on occupancy of accessible historic locales;
• collect information on butterfly SGCN life history and habitat association;
• develop butterfly identification and survey skills specific to the five SGCN;
• broaden public awareness of butterfly conservation needs in eastern Washington; and,
• support a positive public wildlife-watching experience with prompt feedback to the project participants.

This work (or a portion of it) could potentially continue in subsequent years to build better long-term data sets and conservation understanding. Observations collected through this project would be available to a number of conservation partners: WDFW, Washington Butterfly Association, Xerces Society, The Lepidopterists’ Society, and university researchers, to name a few.

WBA would be asked to engage and recruit qualified members and coordinate with participants; to provide volunteer management, data review and quality assurance prior to review with WDFW; and to collaborate with WDFW on an end-of-season workshop and participant feedback.

WDFW can provide and/or facilitate survey guidance and protocols, training workshop(s), data collection tools for WBA surveyors to use, data review and entry into the WDFW database, a findings summary, an end-of-season workshop for participant feedback, and reporting. The post-season assessment and findings summary will inform whether or how we can continue our work together into the future.

Ideally, the project will create a self-sustaining framework for WBA to focus on these species for several years, a communication pathway between WDFW and WBA for shared priorities, and better data to inform butterfly conservation action.

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